Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, 2025 (SSCI, Scopus)
This study investigated the efficacy of metaverse-based instruction on middle school students' learning experience on the division of normal and cancer cells. Due to the abstract and challenging biological processes involved in cell division and cancerization, regular methods may have limited ability to strengthen students' theoretical understanding. We therefore wondered, in this study, whether metaverse technology renders these abstract processes more concrete and interactive. The study employed a mixed-methods approach with a full experimental design, incorporating both quantitative and semi-structured interviews for qualitative analysis. A total of 12 seventh-grade students (6 experimental, 6 control) at a public middle school in Kayseri entered the study. The experimental group was taught metaverse-based learning with Oculus Quest 2 headsets for two weeks, and the control group was taught traditional methods. Quantitative results showed the experimental group had significantly higher post-test scores compared to the control group (p = .002, r = .83). According to one of our qualitative findings, Students found the metaverse environment to be motivating, comprehensible, and captivating. Results reveal that students found the metaverse environment motivating, relatable, and engaging. The metaverse-based instruction of abstract biology topics from the student experience increases conceptual grasp of abstract biology topics and provides an excellent instructional support process and enriches the experience. This study adds to this field by being one of the few practical cases of the use of the metaverse to teach cancer and normal cells at the middle school level in the literature.