Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education
Year: 2025
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Virtual Reality as a Teaching Tool: Engaging Preservice Teachers in Climate Change Education
Esra Özcan, Tülin Haşlaman
ABSTRACT:
This study explores the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) technology into social studies education to teach climate change, emphasizing experiential and interdisciplinary learning. As a global issue, climate change intersects with core social studies themes like human-environment interaction, sustainability, and global citizenship. VR offers a unique opportunity to transform abstract concepts into concrete experiences, fostering deeper understanding among students. The research involved collaborative group work with preservice teachers divided into eight groups. Each group designed a primary-level social studies lesson on climate change, integrating VR to provide interactive learning experiences. The project addressed themes such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and renewable energy systems, making these phenomena tangible and relatable. Groups presented their lesson plans and allowed peers to experience VR goggles during their lessons. At the end of the process, preservice teachers wrote reflections about their preparation and observations of other groups’ implementations. Lesson plans were evaluated using rubrics, and reflections were analyzed through content analysis. The findings indicate that VR enhanced preservice teachers’ motivation, supported experiential learning, and helped them understand complex topics like climate change. This study demonstrates VR’s potential as a transformative tool in social studies education, bridging theoretical knowledge with real-world applications and fostering environmental awareness.
Keywords: Virtual Reality technology, educational technology, social studies, climate change, environmental education