Teachertrial: Enhancing Teacher Training through Immersive VR Classrooms

In the journey to become a teacher, there exists a well-documented and challenging gap between the theoretical knowledge acquired in university lecture halls and the complex, unpredictable reality of the classroom. Student teachers frequently enter their first placements armed with educational theory but with precious little opportunity to have practised the dynamic, instinctive skills of classroom management. This transition can induce significant anxiety, a phenomenon often termed “practice shock,” which can undermine confidence and contribute to the early career burnout that plagues the profession. In Ireland, despite national guidelines that emphasise reflective practice and mentorship, the structure of teacher education often limits meaningful, risk-free rehearsal before a student teacher steps in front of a class. It is this critical gap that the project Teachertrial seeks to address through an innovative and immersive solution: virtual reality. Teachertrial is a virtual reality prototype designed as a preparatory tool for novice teachers. Developed for the Meta Quest 3 headset, it immerses a student teacher in a simulated, authentic classroom environment. From the teacher’s perspective at the front of the room, the user can navigate the space, see virtual pupils at their desks, and interact with them using voice commands. The prototype focuses on foundational routines: instructing the class to enter, taking attendance, asking students to take out their books, and quietening the room. These interactions are triggered by specific voice cues, allowing the user to practise the verbal cadence and authority of classroom instruction. The environment is rich with detail, the sound of chatter and shuffling papers, a chalkboard to write on, educational posters on the walls, all carefully crafted to foster a sense of psychological presence, of really “being there.” The design of Teachertrial is deeply rooted in established educational theory. It operationalises John Dewey’s principle of “learning by doing,” providing a space for active, experiential learning. It draws from the concept of embodied learning, as discussed by Mel Slater, whereby the feeling of ownership over a virtual body in the simulation can lead to more authentic, instinctive responses that mirror real-life behaviour. Most importantly, the tool is built around Donald Schön’s model of the reflective practitioner. Teachertrial is not conceived as a standalone, automated teacher. Instead, it is designed to be used within a small tutorial group setting. While one student experiences the simulation, peers and an instructor observe on a mirrored screen. The real learning is intended to happen afterwards, in the facilitated group debrief where experiences are dissected, decisions are questioned, and alternative strategies are explored. This turns the VR session into a catalyst for professional dialogue and critical reflection, directly responding to the call for enhanced mentorship in Irish teacher education. The development process itself was a journey of iterative, user-centred design. It began with a pilot study, surveying and speaking with student teachers about their anxieties and unmet needs before their placements. Their feedback, fears of disruption, uncertainty about applying theory, and a desire to familiarise themselves with the classroom environment directly shaped the prototype’s priorities. The technical build was a collaboration with the VR development company Glasseye, a partnership that required translating pedagogical goals into functional code within the constraints of time and a dissertation project. This process involved cycles of testing and refinement, constantly balancing the ideal design with practical realities to produce a working proof of concept. The impact of such a tool, even in its prototype stage, holds significant promise across several levels. For the individual student teacher, its primary value lies in anxiety reduction and confidence building. During user testing with five participants, feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Users found the simulation “cool,” “engaging,” and “realistic,” with several noting they wished they had access to such a tool before their own school placements. It provides a safe, consequence-free space for trial and error, where a misplaced instruction or moment of hesitation is a learning opportunity, not a professional failure. This kind of rehearsal can help inoculate new teachers against the initial shock of the classroom, allowing them to enter their first real placement with more composure and practised reflexes.

For teacher education institutions, Teachertrial presents a scalable and complementary training module. It offers unlimited, repeatable practice opportunities that are logistically and financially difficult to replicate in real school settings. It can be seamlessly woven into existing university tutorial programmes, providing a consistent, high-quality reflective experience that can supplement the variable nature of in-school mentoring. By doing so, it directly supports the implementation of the reflective practice and mentorship standards outlined by the Teaching Council of Ireland. On a broader scale, the project demonstrates a meaningful, pedagogically-grounded application of immersive technology. It moves beyond the novelty of VR to address a persistent, high-stakes challenge in professional training. It contributes to the growing field of educational technology by providing a practical case study in how principles of immersion, interactivity, and embodiment can be harnessed for skill development. The prototype also lays a clear foundation for future development. Feedback from testing highlighted natural next steps: expanding the flexibility of the voice recognition system, creating an onboarding tutorial for new users, and developing more complex branching scenarios that include disruptive behaviours or diverse learning needs. The potential for adaptation to different educational contexts, both within Ireland and internationally, is considerable. Reflecting on the entire project reveals it to be a profound learning experience that extended far beyond academic research. The most salient lesson was the critical importance of empathy and user-centred design. Engaging directly with student teachers transformed the project from a technical challenge into a human-centred one; it became about alleviating a very real sense of apprehension and unpreparedness. The collaborative process with developers underscored the interdisciplinary nature of such work, demanding clear communication and a willingness to navigate constraints. It taught a valuable lesson in balancing vision with feasibility, and in the essential, iterative rhythm of design, test, and refine. Ultimately, Teachertrial solidified a core belief: that technology’s greatest role in education may not be in replacing human interaction, but in profoundly enhancing the pathways to mastering it. This project is not about creating a virtual teacher, but about using virtual space to better prepare human ones. It offers a model for how immersive digital tools, when thoughtfully designed and pedagogically anchored, can provide the compassionate, practical support that novice professionals need. Teachertrial stands as a promising first step towards reimagining teacher preparation. Making it more experiential, more reflective, and more resilient, for the ultimate benefit of both educators and the students they will inspire.