ELT student teachers’ acceptance and knowledge base of integrating virtual reality into task-based contexts

Abstract

This qualitative study explored the acceptance and knowledge base of English language teaching (ELT) student teachers regarding the incorporation of virtual reality (VR) into oral tasks to promote learner engagement within the framework of task-based language teaching (TBLT). Twenty-six ELT student teachers, pursuing their Master of Arts degree at a university in Hong Kong, were interviewed about their acceptance of VR oral tasks and assessed on their knowledge of task engagement and VR. Content analysis, guided by the technology acceptance model and the technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) framework, was conducted to analyse their interview data. The findings indicated their acceptance of VR-based oral tasks, based on their overall positive perceptions of VR, and confirmed their existing pedagogical knowledge of task engagement. However, their concerns regarding the effectiveness of VR-based oral tasks were influenced by their insufficient TPACK. The findings highlight their urgent need for professional training, not only to enhance VR experiential opportunities but also to learn how to develop teaching materials that integrate VR.