Scaffolding Reflective Practice through VR-Mediated Mentoring of Teachers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54337/ecrpl25-10924Keywords:
Teacher mentoring, Virtual Reality, Classroom Management, Reflection, 360-degree VideoAbstract
Novice teachers often struggle navigating the complexities of in-service teaching practices when transitioning from education and practice, leaving them feeling unprepared without support structures. Tool-based mentoring can scaffold reflective practice by enabling teachers to collaboratively analyse video-recorded teaching episodes, supporting professional development, self-efficacy, and well-being.
This study examines the use of collaborative 360-degree video in virtual reality (360VR) as a reflective mentoring tool for novice teachers in Danish primary and lower-secondary schools. Grounded in Reflective Practice-Based Learning (RPL) and situated within a broader design-based research (DBR) project, the study focuses on how teachers and mentors experience and reflect on the potentials and limitations of immersive technologies for scaffolding shared reflection around classroom management situations.
Following each VR-mediated mentoring session, participants engaged in structured debriefing interviews, which have been thematically analysed. Four themes emerged from the analysis (1) immersion allows for re-experiencing authentic situations, (2) shared immersion affords multiple perspectives, (3) cycles of action and reflection link VR and practice, and (4) implementation perspectives. Findings highlight the potential of collaborative 360VR to mediate and scaffold reflective practice by creating create an immersive, shared space for reflective dialogue. The findings however also highlight technical and organisational challenges in terms of implementation. By engaging with participants' reflections during debriefings, this paper contributes to ongoing discussions about using immersive technologies to support newly graduated professionals' development through reflective practice.
References
Barab, S., & Squire, K. (2004). Design-Based Research: Putting a Stake in the Ground. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 13(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327809jls1301_1
Böwadt, P. R., & Vaaben, N. K. (2021). Ny i professionen: De første år som lærer. Københavns Professionshøjskole.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Chang, E., Kim, H. T., & Yoo, B. (2020). Virtual Reality Sickness: A Review of Causes and Measurements. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 36(17), 1658–1682. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2020.1778351
Dau, S. (2024). Refleksiv praksislæring. In Lex. https://lex.dk/refleksiv_praksisl%C3%A6ring
Dewey, J. (1933). How we think. Courier Corporation.
Dohn, N. B., & Markauskaite, L. (2019). Conceptions of transfer, transformation and resituation. In N. B. Dohn, S. B. Hansen, & J. J. Hansen (Eds.), Designing for Situated Knowledge Transformation. Routledge.
Doyle, W. (2013). Ecological Approaches to Classroom Management. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of Classroom Management: Research, Practice, and Contemporary Issues (pp. 97–126). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203874783
Driscoll, M. P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3. ed., internat. ed). Pearson A and B.
Frederiksen, L. L., & Halse, E. (2021). Mentorsamtaler og professionel udvikling for nye lærere. Studier i læreruddannelse og -profession, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.7146/lup.v6i1.127797
Gaudin, C., & Chaliès, S. (2015). Video viewing in teacher education and professional development: A literature review. Educational Research Review, 16, 41–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2015.06.001
Goodwin, C. (1994). Professional Vision. American Anthropologist, 96(3), 606–633.
Harrison, J., Lawson, T., & Wortley, A. (2005). Facilitating the professional learning of new teachers through critical reflection on practice during mentoring meetings. European Journal of Teacher Education, 28(3), 267–292. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619760500269392
Heath, C., Hindmarsh, J., & Luff, P. (2010). Video in qualitative research: Analysing social interaction in everyday life. SAGE.
Horn, L. H., Pedersen, P. M., & Georgsen, M. (2021). Mod en moderne professionsdidaktik. In L. H. Horn, P. M. Pedersen, & M. Georgsen (Eds.), Teori og praksis i professionsdidaktik: En bog om refleksiv praksis-læring (pp. 9–22). Aalborg Universitetsforlag.
Huang, Y., Richter, E., Kleickmann, T., & Richter, D. (2023). Comparing video and virtual reality as tools for fostering interest and self-efficacy in classroom management: Results of a pre-registered experiment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 54(2), 467–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13254
Hunskaar, T. S., & Gudmundsdottir, G. B. (2023). Tool-based mentoring conversations in teacher education: New structures, opportunities and the role of adaptive expertise. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 12(4), 424–439. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-12-2022-0103
Kjærgaard, T., Valbak-Andersen, C., & Bundgaard, S. B. (2021). Kernebegreber i refleksiv praksislæring. In L. H. Horn, P. M. Pedersen, & M. Georgsen (Eds.), Teori og paksis i professionsdidaktik: En bog om refleksiv praksislæring (pp. 23–34). Aalborg Universitetsforlag.
Klarskov, E. D., Jensen, T. L., & Lykketoft, A. (2024). Mange nye folkeskolelærere forlader folkeskolen efter få år. Arbejderbevægelsens Erhvervsråd. https://www.ae.dk/node/3540/pdf-export
McKenney, S., & Reeves, T. (2018). Conducting Educational Design Research (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315105642
Paulsen, L., Dau, S., & Davidsen, J. (2024). Designing for collaborative learning in immersive virtual reality: A systematic literature review. Virtual Reality, 28(1), 63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-00975-4
Paulsen, L., & Davidsen, J. (2024). A Model for Collaborative Immersive Classroom Management Development Using Multi-user Virtual Reality. In F. Moriera (Ed.), Proceedings of the 23rd European Conference on e-Learning—ECEL2024 (pp. 280–288). https://doi.org/10.34190/ecel.23.1.2748
Paulsen, L., & Davidsen, J. (2025a). Activity-based collaborative virtual reality: Conceptualising immersive virtual reality for collaborative learning. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-025-09446-7
Paulsen, L., & Davidsen, J. (2025b). CAVA360VR2: An Open-Source Tool for Collaborative Learning and Im-mersive Analysis in 360-Degree VR Environments. In P. Seitamaa-Hakkarainen & K. Kangas (Eds.), Pro-ceedings of the 5th Annual Meeting of the International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS).
Pirker, J., & Dengel, A. (2021). The Potential of 360° Virtual Reality Videos and Real VR for Education - A Literature Review. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 41(4), 76–89. IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications. https://doi.org/10.1109/MCG.2021.3067999
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Ashgate.
Stokking, K., Leenders, F., De Jong, J., & Van Tartwijk, J. (2003). From student to teacher: Reducing practice shock and early dropout in the teaching profession. European Journal of Teacher Education, 26(3), 329–350. https://doi.org/10.1080/0261976032000128175
Veenman, S. (1984). Perceived Problems of Beginning Teachers. Review of Educational Research, 54(2), 143–178. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543054002143
Walshe, N., & Driver, P. (2019). Developing reflective trainee teacher practice with 360-degree video. Teaching and Teacher Education, 78, 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.009
Wang, Q., & Li, Y. (2024). How virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality facilitate teacher education: A systematic review. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 1(19). https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12949
