Pre-service teachers’ experiences of learning mathematics with a Metaverse application

Abstract

Among the digital technologies that have the potential to transform the conventional paradigm of teaching-learning process through advancements in information and communication technologies, the Metaverse stands out as a significant example. This study aims to analyze the opinions of pre-service teachers who have experienced mathematics learning through a Metaverse application in a virtual reality environment regarding applicability of the Metaverse application to mathematics education. The study, designed as a case study, was carried out with 20 pre-service teachers enrolled in the mathematics teaching program of the education faculty at a university in the west of Türkiye. The participants experienced a mathematics learning experience using the Metaverse application developed by the researchers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants regarding their experiences. The data obtained from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The participants in the study expressed positive opinions about the mathematics learning experience with the Metaverse application, stating that it was impressive, beneficial to learning, facilitated learning, and enjoyable. The negative opinions expressed by the participants were related to health issues and device-related problems. The participants’ opinions on the contribution of the Metaverse application to mathematics learning were related to the learning process, academic achievement and literacy, and emotional contributions. Their thoughts on its contribution to mathematics teaching were related to the teaching process, academic achievement, social and emotional contributions, and limitations. Recommendations for future research were made as a result of the study.

Keywords

• Virtual reality
• Metaverse
• mathematics education
• experience
• opinion
• pre-service teacher

Project Number

2022/067

Öğretmen adaylarının bir Metaverse uygulaması ile matematik öğrenme deneyimleri

Abstract

Bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerindeki gelişmelerinin eğitime kazandırdığı öğretme-öğrenme süreçlerinin geleneksel yapısını dönüştürebilecek dijital teknolojilerden biri de Metaverse’tür. Bu çalışmada, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen bir Metaverse uygulaması ile matematik öğrenme deneyimi yaşayan öğretmen adaylarının Metaverse uygulamasının matematik öğretimine uygulanabilirliği hakkındaki görüşlerini analiz etmek amaçlanmıştır. Durum çalışması deseni ile tasarlanan çalışma, Türkiye’nin batısında bulunan bir üniversitedeki eğitim fakültesinin matematik öğretmenliği programında öğrenim gören 20 öğretmen adayı ile yürütülmüştür. Katılımcılar araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen bir Metaverse uygulaması ile matematik öğrenme deneyimi yaşamışlardır. Yaşadıkları deneyimle ilgili olarak katılımcılarla yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Görüşmeler sonucu ulaşılan veriler, içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılarak incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın katılımcıları, Metaverse uygulaması ile matematik öğrenme deneyimi hakkında olumlu görüşler olarak etkileyici olma, öğrenmeye faydalı olma, öğrenmeyi kolaylaştırma ve eğlenceli olma şeklinde görüşler belirtmişlerdir. Katılımcıların ifade ettikleri olumsuz görüşler ise sağlık ile ilgili sorunlar ve cihaz ile ilgili sorunlar şeklindedir. Çalışmanın katılımcılarının Metaverse uygulamasının matematik öğrenmeye katkısı hakkındaki görüşleri; öğrenme süreci, akademik başarı ve okuryazarlık, duyuşsal katkılar şeklindeyken matematik öğretmeye katkısı hakkındaki görüşleri; öğretim süreci, akademik başarı, sosyal ve duyuşsal katkılar, sınırlılıklar şeklindedir. Çalışma sonucunda gelecek araştırmalara yönelik öneriler yapılmıştır.

Keywords

• Sanal gerçeklik
• Metaverse
• matematik eğitimi
• deneyim
• görüş
• öğretmen adayı

Supporting Institution

Balıkesir Üniversitesi

Project Number

2022/067

Ethical Statement

Çalışmanın yapılabilmesi için 20.02.2023 tarihinde Balıkesir Üniversitesi Fen ve Mühendislik Bilimleri Etik Komisyonu’nundan etik kurul onayı alınmıştır. Etik kurul onay belge numarası E-19928322-302.08.01-234759 şeklindedir.

References

1. Türkoğlu, K. U., Dijital eğitim: Geleceğin öğrenme modeli, https://kuturkoglu.com/dijital-egitim-gelecegin-ogrenme-modeli/, (2024).
2. Diaz, J. E. M., Saldaña, C. A. D. ve Avila, C.A. R., Virtual world as a resource for hybrid education, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), 15, 15, 94-109, https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i15.13025, (2020).
3. Ng, W. C., Lim, W. Y. B., Ng, J. S., Xiong, Z., Niyato, D. ve Miao, C., Unified resource allocation framework for the edge intelligence-enabled Metaverse, ICC 2022-IEEE International Conference on Communications, Seoul, South Korea, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICC45855.2022.9838492, (2022).
4. Ng, D. T. K., What is the Metaverse? Definitions, technologies and the community of inquiry, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 38, 4, 190-205, https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.7945, (2022).
5. Topraklıkoğlu, K. ve Öztürk, G., Eğitimde Metaverse: Uygulama örnekleri, İçinde A. M. Güneş ve E. Yünkül (Eds.), Eğitimde yeni paradigmalar, 479-514, Nobel, (2023b).
6. Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Hu, L. ve Wang, Y., The Metaverse in education: Definition, framework, features, potential applications, challenges, and future research topics, Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1016300, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1016300, (2022).
7. Reyes, C. E. G., Peláez Sánchez, I. C., Glasserman Morales, L. D. ve López Caudana, E. O., The Metaverse and complex thinking: Opportunities, experiences, and future lines of research, Frontiers in Education, 8, 1-13, https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2023.1166999, (2023).
8. Reyes, C. E. G., High school students’ views on the use of Metaverse in mathematics learning, Metaverse, 1, 2, 1-9, https://doi.org/10.54517/met.v1i2.1777, (2020).

9. Topraklıkoğlu, K. ve Öztürk, G., The Metaverse and mathematics education: A literature review, In G. Durak & S. Çankaya (Eds.), Shaping the future of online learning: Education in the Metaverse, pp.250-266, IGI Global, https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6513-4.ch013, (2023a).
10. Sharma, S., Tyagi, V. ve Vaidya, A., Security and privacy challenges of Metaverse in education, In M. Singh, V. Tyagi, P. K. Gupta, J. Flusser, T. Üren, A. R. Cherif ve R. Tomar (Eds.), Advances in computing and data sciences (ICACDS 2024), Communications in Computer and Information Science, (CCIS, volume 2194), 82-92, Springer, Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-70906-7_8, (2025).
11. Al-kfairy, M ve Alfandi, O., The ethical dilemma of educational Metaverse, Recent advances in Evolution of Education and Outreach, 1, 1, 6-16, https://doi.org/10.17352/raeeo.000002, (2024).
12. Chen, Y., Fan, N. ve Wu, H., AI-enabled Metaverse for education: Challenges and opportunities, In C. Xing, J. Lai ve L. J. Zhang (Eds), Metaverse-Metaverse 2024 (Metaverse 2024), Lecture notes in Computer Science (LNCS, volume 15429), 103-113, Springer, Cham, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76977-1_8, (2025).
13. Pimentel, D., Fauville, G., Frazier, K., McGivney, E., Rosas, S. ve Woolsey, E., An introduction to learning in the Metaverse, Meridian Treehouse, https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/mcgivney/files/introductionlearningmetaverse-april2022-meridiantreehouse.pdf, (2022).
14. Alali, R. ve Wardat, Y., Assessing the utilization level of metaverse: Teaching mathematics at the primary level, International Journal of Distance Education Technologies, 22, 1, 1-20, https://doi.org/10.4018/IJDET.346988, (2024).
15. Alvaro Farfan, A., Sánchez-Guerrero, J., Gavilanes-Lopez, W. ve Santiago-Chávez, N., Application of Metaverses as an evaluation tool in the baccalaureate, In M. Auer, H. Hortsch, P. Sethakul (Eds.), The impact of the 4th industrial revolution on engineering education, 598-606, Springer, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40271-6_59, (2020).
16. Barry, D. M., Ogawa, N., Dharmawansa, A., Kanematsu, H., Fukumura, Y., Shirai, T., Yajima, K. ve Kobayashi, T., Evaluation for students’ learning manner using eye blinking system in Metaverse, Procedia Computer Science, 60, 1195-1204, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2015.08.181, (2015).
17. Eşin, Ş. ve Özdemir, E., The Metaverse in mathematics education: The opinions of secondary school mathematics teachers, Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 5, 4, 1041-1060, https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1149802, (2022).
18. Flanagan, T., Delphin, G., Fargis, M. ve Lexington, C., When art meets science in Second Life, Journal of Applied Mathematics, 4, 4, 163-172, http://www.aplimat.com/files/Journal_volume_4/Number_4.pdf, (2011).
19. Tonéis, C. N., Puzzles as a creative form of play in Metaverse, Journal For Virtual Worlds Research, 4, 1, 3-21, https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v4i1.1901, (2011).
20. Wu, X., Chen, Y. ve Wu, Y., Exploration of mathematics education by Metaverse technology, 2023 IEEE 12th International Conference on Educational and Information Technology, Chongqing, China, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEIT57125.2023.10107894, (2023).
21. Sun, P., Zhao, S., Yang, Y., Liu, C. ve Pan, B., How do plastic surgeons use the Metaverse: A systematic review, Journal of Craniofacial Surgery, 34,2, 548-550, https://doi.org/10.1097/scs.0000000000009100, (2022).
22. Köse, M., Metaverse nedir ve neden çok önemlidir? Yaşamlarımızı dijital bir evrene taşıyabilir miyiz?, Evrim Ağacı, https://evrimagaci.org/metaversenedir-ve-neden-cok-onemlidir-yasamlarimizi-dijital-bir-evrene-tasiyabilir-miyiz-11135, (2023, 10 Ocak).
23. Lamb, H., Second Life lessons, Engineering & Technology, 17, 4, 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1049/et.2022.0407, (2022).
24. Louro, D., Fraga, T. ve Pontuschka, M., Metaverse: Building affective systems and its digital morphologies in virtual environments, Journal For Virtual Worlds Research, 2, 5, 2-14, https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v2i5.950, (2009).
25. Bryant, J., Child, F., Dorn, E., Espinosa, J., Hall, S., Kola-Oyeneyin, T., Lim, C., Panier, F., Sarakatsannis, J., Schmautzer, D., Ungur, S. ve Woord, B., The pandemic’s impact on learning: Where do we go from here?, McKinsey & Company, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/education/our-insights/how-covid-19-caused-a-global-learning-crisis#/, (2022).
26. Eken, Ö., Tosun, N. ve Tuzcu Eken, D., Urgent and compulsory move to distance education upon COVID-19: A general evaluation, Milli Eğitim Dergisi, 49, 1, 113-128, https://doi.org/10.37669/milliegitim.780722, (2020).
27. News Editor, New data show how the pandemic affected learning across whole communities, Harward Graduate School of Education, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/news/23/05/new-data-show-how-pandemic-affected-learning-across-whole-communities, (2023).
28. Huck, C. ve Zhang, J., Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 education: A systematic literature review, New Waves-Educational Research and Development Journal, 24, 1, 53-84, https://www.viethconsulting.com/members/proposals/view_file.php?md=VIEW&file_id=2158, (2021).
29. Pokhrel, S. ve Chhetri, R., A literature review on impact of COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and learning, Higher Education for the Future, 8, 1, 133-141, https://doi.org/10.1177/234763112098, (2021).
30. Zancajo, A., The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education: Rapid review of the literature, COVID and Society – British Academy, https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/3226/COVID-decade-The-impact-on-education-Rapid-review-Adrian-Zancajo-Glasgow.pdf, (2021).
31. Marco-Fondevila, M., Rueda-Tomás, M. ve Latorre-Martínez, M. P., Active participation and interaction, key performance factors of face-to-face learning, Education Sciences, 12, 7, 429, https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12070429, (2022).
32. Huynh-The, T., Gadekallu, T. R., Wang, W., Yenduri, G., Ranaweera, P., Pham, Q.-V., da Costa, D. B. ve Liyanage, M., Blockchain for the Metaverse: A review, Future Generation Computer Systems, 143, 401-419, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2023.02.008, (2023).
33. Tuhin, M., The Metaverse: Building the next Internet, Science News Today, https://www.sciencenewstoday.org/the-metaverse-building-the-next-internet, (2025).
34. Topraklıkoğlu, K. ve Öztürk, G., Metaverse application development for teaching geometry in virtual reality environment, Journal of Educational Technology and Online Learning, 8(1), 112-135, https://doi.org/10.31681/jetol.1596173, (2025).
35. Yin, R. K., Case study research, design and methods (Fourth edition), Sage Publications, (2009).
36. Fraenkel, J. R. ve Wallen, N. E., How to design and evaluate research in education (8th edition), McGraw-Hill, (2012).
37. DeSimone, R. L., Werner, J. M. ve Harris, D. M., Human resource development (3rd edition), Harcourt, (2002).
38. Werner, J. M. ve DeSimone, R. L., Human resource development (6th edition), South-Western, Cengage Learning, http://dspace.vnbrims.org:13000/jspui/bitstream/123456789/4276/1/Human%20Resource%20Development.pdf, (2012).
39. Kirk, J. ve Miller, M. L., Reliability and validity in qualitative research, Sage Publications, (1986).
40. Miles, M. B. ve Huberman, A.M., An expanded sourcebook: Qualitative data analysis (2nd edition), Sage Publications, (1994).
41. Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M. ve Saldaña, J., Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd edition), Sage Publications, (2014).
42. Cohen, J., A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales, Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 37-46, https://doi.org/10.1177/001316446002000104, (1960).
43. Graham, M., Milanowski, A. ve Miller, J., Measuring and promoting inter-rater agreement of teacher and principal performance ratings, Center for Educator Compensation Reform, https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED532068.pdf, (2012).