Meta-analyses of anxiety, motivation, performance, satisfaction, and self-efficacy in virtual reality-assisted language education

Abstract

The popularity of virtual reality (VR) technologies has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is a paucity of meta-analytic studies that have investigated the use of VR technologies in language education. This current study addresses this gap by conducting a systematic analysis of 41 randomized controlled studies conducted between 2008 and 2021, examining the effects of VR technologies on language educational outcomes. The findings indicate that VR technologies reduce anxiety levels while enhancing motivation, performance, satisfaction, and self-efficacy in language learning when compared to traditional learning methods. These outcomes are observed regardless of whether learners engage with immersive or nonimmersive environments and whether they use head-mounted displays or nonhead-mounted displays. Future research can investigate the impact of VR on intercultural communicative competence and collaborative problem-solving abilities.