Over the past two decades, research into the use of Virtual (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in schools has demonstrated an increase in student engagement, motivation, learning and retention of knowledge (Azuma et al, 2001; Chen et al, 2018; Alenezi, 2023). VR and AR technology has become more accessible in recent years, leading to an interest in using this within education, however, very few studies have looked at the effectiveness of these with primary-aged children (Chua et al, 2019).  

Many teaching beliefs are based on social constructivism, which believes that learning occurs when individuals actively build knowledge with the support of others, and is often seen as a key basis around beliefs on the way that children learn (Schreiber & Valle, 2013; Davis et al, 2017). Social constructivism can be broken down into three key principles: active involvement; social participation; and meaningful activities; all of which can be achieved through hands-on experiences and museum visits (Vosniadou, 2003). However, due to the financial and time constraints of teaching, these are often not feasible. Therefore, the proposed study aims to find an alternative. 

 

This proposed study will explore three key questions: 

1. How does the use of VR and AR affect primary students’ attainment in science compared to traditional teaching methods? 

1. How does the consistent use of VR and AR affect primary student engagement over time? 

1. How do teachers integrate VR and AR into existing primary science curriculum? 

 

The planned study will be a longitudinal study following a quasi-experimental approach, using three classes from similar demographics. The study will be expected to run for three years and involves yearly reflections. For ethical reasons, the study will be separated into six-week cycles based on science topics, where classes will switch their assigned teaching method each cycle. The teaching methods include traditional classroom approaches; short-term use of VR and AR; and full integration of VR and AR for the duration of the cycle. Participants will then be tested on the retention of learning taught at the end of each year. 

 

The proposed study uses a variety of methods and includes collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. The first two research questions focus on the students. To measure this, quantitative data will be gathered using assessments and questionnaires at the end of each year. The final question focuses on the teachers and the practicality of embedding this technology into their curriculum.  

 

The results are expected to show that when VR and AR technology is used students demonstrate greater engagement in lessons compared to traditional teaching methods. Several studies have reported positive outcomes, however there have been concerns around the effectiveness of long-term use on motivation (Zhong et al., 2025). The results aim to address these concerns. 

 

The results of the study would be of interest to schools and curriculum leaders and would provide insight into how the use of VR and AR technology could support learning. Teachers would be interested in the findings to understand how this use of technology could affect attainment, engagement and their workload. The findings of this study could be disseminated widely to add to research around the impact of using VR and AR in classrooms.  

 

References: 

Alenezi, A. (2023) ‘The effectiveness of augmented reality technology in enhancing learning outcomes among primary school students: a study based on the ARCS model of motivation’, Journal of Educational Sciences & Psychology, 13 (75)(2), pp. 166–181 

 

Azuma, R., Baillot, Y., Behringer, R., Feiner, S., Julier, S. and MacIntyre, B. (2001) “Recent advances in augmented reality,” IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 21 (6), pp. 34-47 

 

Chen, H., Dai, Y., Meng, H., Chen, Y., and Li, T. (2018) “Understanding the Characteristics of Mobile Augmented Reality Applications,” IEEE International Symposium on Performance Analysis of Systems and Software (ISPASS), pp. 128-138 

 

Chua, Y., Sridhar, P.K, Zhang, H., Dissanayake, V. and Nanayakkara, S. (2019) ‘Evaluating IVR in Primary School Classrooms’, 2019 IEEE International Symposium on Mixed and Augmented Reality Adjunct (ISMAR-Adjunct). IEEE, pp. 169–174 

 

Davis, M.L., Witcraft, S.M., Baird, S.O. and Smits, J.A.J. (2017) ‘Learning Principles in CBT’ in Hofmann, G. and Asmundson, G.J.G (eds) The Science of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. London: Elsevier, pp.70-98 

 

Schreiber, L.M. and Valle, B.E. (2013) ‘Social Constructivist Teaching Strategies in the Small Group Classroom’, Small Group Research, 44(4), pp. 395-411.  

 

Vosniadou, S. (2003) How Children Learn. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44826007_How_children_learn [Accessed: 16th February 2026] 

 

Zhong, L., Lang, W., Rong, J., Chen, G. and Fan, M. (2025) ‘Enhancing Motivation and Learning in Primary School History Classrooms: The Impact of Virtual Reality’, LAK ’25: Proceedings of the 15th Internation Learning Analytics and Knowledge Conference, pp. 272-282