Learning Mysteries of Solar System by Immersive Virtual Reality: An Exploration of Elementary School Students’ Virtual Presence and Positive Emotional Engagement
This study is grounded in the Cognitive Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL), a comprehensive framework for understanding how VR-induced presence and emotional engagement shape learning outcomes in immersive educational environments. This research investigates the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) on Affective Learning Outcomes (ALO) in elementary science education, with a focus on the solar system as a case study. The study utilized a VRBOX headset, an affordable and accessible entry-level VR technology that integrates with smartphones to deliver interactive, immersive learning experiences. In this study, 443 elementary school students from Fujian Province, China, participated in a one-group posttest-only design. The students engaged in VR-based lessons on the solar system, completed a Likert-scale survey to assess their Presence, Emotional Engagement, and ALO, and took a Solar System Knowledge Test to evaluate their understanding of planetary motion and solar system dynamics. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study analyzed the relationships between VR-induced presence, emotional engagement, and ALO. Results indicated that VR significantly enhanced students' positive emotional engagement, which in turn positively influenced both affective learning outcomes and knowledge acquisition. The findings highlight the potential of VR to bridge critical learning gaps, foster deeper emotional engagement, and make abstract scientific concepts more tangible and memorable. The study underscores the role of VR, guided by the CAMIL framework, in transforming science education by enhancing positive emotional engagement and improving learning outcomes.