Teaching Anxiety, Efficacy, and Immersive Experience in VR-Based Microteaching among Elementary Pre-Service Teachers in Rural Context

Abstrak / Deskripsi Singkat

Teacher education in rural contexts faces challenges related to limited teaching practice opportunities, technological access, and pedagogical support, which may affect pre-service teachers’ instructional readiness. This study examines the roles of teaching anxiety, teaching efficacy, immersive learning experience, and interest in virtual reality in shaping basic teaching skills through virtual reality–based microteaching among elementary pre-service teachers in rural contexts. A quantitative explanatory design was employed involving 205 pre-service teachers from the Primary School Teacher Education program at Universitas Sulawesi Barat. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. The findings indicate that immersive learning experience has a strong positive effect on basic teaching skills (β=0.501, p<0.001), followed by teaching efficacy (β=0.372, p<0.001). In contrast, teaching anxiety shows a negative but non-significant effect (β = −0.043, p > 0.05). Additionally, interest in virtual reality positively influences immersive learning experience (β=0.330, p<0.001) and indirectly contributes to basic teaching skills through immersion (β =0.165, p<0.01). The model explains 61.3% of the variance in basic teaching skills (R²=0.613). These results highlight the potential of virtual reality–based microteaching as an effective approach for developing pedagogical skills among elementary pre-service teachers in rural educational settings.