Harnessing the Power of Virtual Reality Experiences as Social Situation of Development to Enrich the Professional Experiences of Early Childhood Pre-Service Teachers

Abstract

Professional experiences are vital in teacher education programmes, especially in early childhood teacher education programmes, as this allows pre-service teachers (PSTs) to apply their theoretical knowledge in real-world settings. Hence, PSTs’ preparation for their placement experience is crucial. Recently, the innovative use of virtual reality (VR) in teacher training has begun to support the professional development of PSTs, although this approach is studied less extensively compared to fields like medicine and aviation. This paper draws upon the cultural–historical concept of social situation of development (SSD) to explore how VR experiences enhance PSTs’ preparation before they enter their first professional experiences. This study involved 66 diverse post-graduate PSTs within an Australian post-graduate Initial Teacher Education programme in early childhood (EC) education. The VR experiences allowed them to engage with avatar children aged 3–5 within a realistic environment, fostering valuable insights regarding their practice in future professional experiences. By studying the PSTs’ reflections, this study identified the dramatic events that arose from PSTs’ interactions in VR. These moments highlighted instances of SSD, where PSTs advanced both mentally and practically in their placement preparation. Within SSD, PSTs developed a deeper understanding of child development, classroom dynamics, and the effectiveness of various teaching strategies. They also practised strategies, including teaching techniques, classroom management, behavioural guidance, and adapting to the diverse needs of avatar children. The mental and practical development significantly contributed to PSTs’ preparation for professional experiences. The subjective nature of their reflections provided valuable insights into their development from their own perspectives. However, it is important to note that this paper is based on data collected from a single post-graduate course. Future research will aim to gather perspectives from PSTs at multiple institutions, as well as from placement mentors, regarding PSTs’ understanding of working in early childhood contexts in Australia.

1. Introduction

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a groundbreaking educational tool, offering immersive and interactive experiences that significantly enhance professional preparation. This review explores the powerful application of VR in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes, particularly its transformative impact on professional placements and the cultivation of teaching skills in early childhood (EC) settings. Professional experiences are vital to teacher education, providing pre-service teachers (PSTs) with the essential opportunity to translate theoretical knowledge into practical application (Pendergast et al., 2022). Through these meaningful professional placements, PSTs can hone their skills and build their confidence under the mentorship of seasoned early childhood educators (Hillyar et al., 2025). Yet, a pressing challenge in ITE remains, which is how to effectively bridge the divide between theoretical insights and practical execution during the first professional placement.

Adequate initial teacher preparation requires providing authentic opportunities for PSTs to practice essential teaching skills before their first professional placement. Peercy and Troyan (2017) advocate for a practice-to-theory approach that prepares participants for real classroom settings by prioritising skill rehearsal and reflection. This approach starkly contrasts with the traditional theory-to-practice model, which often leaves educators struggling to apply their knowledge (Ward et al., 2018). Additionally, professional experiences in early childhood settings emphasise the mastery of pedagogical skills through targeted practice, ensuring that aspiring teachers are well equipped to make a meaningful impact (Dalinger et al., 2020).

In Australia, immersive technologies in ITE are revolutionising the preparation of “classroom-ready” graduates (AITSL, 2023). VR offers a mixed-reality platform that enhances PSTs’ skills in classroom management and cultural competence (McGarr, 2020). During the COVID-19 pandemic, VR technology provided a vital simulated classroom environment for ITE students, allowing them to practice teaching and receive valuable feedback. This initiative significantly increased their confidence and readiness for real-world teaching (Sasaki et al., 2020). Furthermore, VR simulations are particularly beneficial for international students, helping them adapt to the cultural and pedagogical expectations of the Australian education system (Cutri & Devi, 2024; Cohen et al., 2020).

Recently, VR has begun to revolutionise teacher training programmes, enhancing the professional development of PSTs (Devi et al., 2025, in press). While still emerging compared to its applications in fields like medicine and aviation (Cutri & Devi, 2024), VR offers PSTs a unique opportunity to engage in realistic environments, enabling them to apply pedagogical theories and refine their teaching strategies and classroom management skills (Devi et al., 2025, in press). Through cycles of practice, feedback, and reflection, PSTs can develop their competencies in ways traditional methods may not allow (Cross et al., 2022; Dieker et al., 2014; Lindberg & Jönsson, 2023; Sasaki et al., 2020). This review explores how VR experiences enhance PSTs’ readiness, mentally and practically preparing them for their future teaching careers.

Recent studies highlight that VR has become a transformative tool in teacher training over the past decade, providing a safe and controlled environment for practice (Wang & Li, 2024). Its integration into ITE programmes aligns with key educational trends such as personalised learning, active student engagement, and the use of cutting-edge technology (Hlubučková et al., 2025). By immersing ITE students in this risk-free setting, VR allows them to develop their teaching skills and build confidence before entering real classrooms. This innovative approach empowers PST to refine communication skills, manage classroom dynamics, and practice responsive actions while prioritising student safety (Dalinger et al., 2020; Wang & Li, 2024). Simulation methods in PST education bridge the gap between theory and practice (Finn et al., 2020). These simulations provide standardised practice environments (Dieker et al., 2015; Dotger, 2015). Research by authors (2025) found that the VR experience enabled PSTs to develop their professional and procedural competencies for EC education. By interacting with avatar children, PSTs practiced teaching strategies, boosting their confidence and readiness for real classrooms. Over 80% of PSTs reported positive experiences, noting that these simulations bridged the gap between theory and practice. Professional competencies include understanding child development, assessing children’s learning, and demonstrating professionalism. Procedural competencies involve classroom management, ensuring health and safety, applying curriculum guidelines, and reflective practice.

While the potential of VR in ITE is promising, a significant gap exists in its application within early childhood education. Devi et al. (2025, in press) highlighted that most studies have focused on elementary, special needs, and secondary education, with little exploration into VR’s role in preparing PSTs for EC professional placements. Additionally, there is a need for longitudinal studies to assess the lasting impact of VR experiences on teaching skills and professional development (Hillyar et al., 2025). Addressing these gaps, this paper addresses the following research question:

How do the virtual reality (VR) experiences prepare the pre-service teacher mentally and practically before entering their first professional experiences in Australian early childhood settings?

This paper examines the participation of PSTs in VR experiences via the programme of Mursion©, and how these experiences contribute to their preparation progress. It explores the mental and practical gains that PSTs achieve through VR, addressing the question of “how” VR influences their development. The aim of this paper is to provide insights into the effectiveness of VR as a tool for supporting PSTs in their placement preparation during their studies in EC ITE.

2. Theoretical Framework and Methods

To examine how VR experiences enhance PSTs’ readiness for their professional journeys, the cultural–historical concepts of social situation of development (SSD) and dramatic events (D) are selected to establish the theoretical framework for this study, which explains how social relations within the environment serve as a source for a learner’s psychological development (Vygotsky, 1978; Veresov, 2010). In the VR experiences of PSTs, the social environment includes interactions with avatar children and the use of various tools. However, not all aspects of this environment foster psychological development. It is important to identify key moments in VR sessions that lead to transformative changes in PSTs’ understanding and actions. By refining social interactions, we can effectively pinpoint SSD (Vygotsky, 1998) and maximise the impact of these virtual experiences in preparing PSTs for their future roles in education. SSD, “a system of relations between the child of a given age and social reality” (Vygotsky, 1998, p. 199), allows researchers to examine how interactions influence learners’ intellectual development (Lee, 2024; Veresov, 2019), particularly regarding PSTs’ readiness for professional experiences. This concept also marks the “initial moment for all dynamic changes” (Vygotsky, 1998, p. 198), allowing us to explore how PSTs develop an understanding of working with real-world children during VR experiences through their interactions with avatars. For example, in Lee’s (2024) research on the development of children’s agency, SSD is used to identify specific teacher–child interactions that directly contribute to qualitative changes in children’s agentic behaviours.

The question that arises is how to locate SSD within all of the interactions between PSTs and avatar children. By integrating the cultural–historical concept of dramatic event (D) (or category as per the Russian translation), SSD becomes observable and analysable (Vygotsky, 1997). The dramatic events that learners experience and the emotions that emerge during their interactions can lead to significant cognitive development, marking the beginning of their growth (March & Fleer, 2016). Therefore, the Dramatic Events–Social Situation Development (D-SSD) theoretical framework, as shown in Figure 1, enables us to study how the VR experiences prepare PSTs for their professional experiences by locating and investigating the specific moments of PSTs’ intellectual development. All the interactions between PSTs and avatar children constitute the PSTs’ social situation, but only SSD contributes to their development in placement preparation. In other words, the dramatic events that occur during VR experiences reveal the onset of the PSTs’ SSD, particularly in relation to their preparedness for the upcoming professional experiences. Thus, within one social situation, which is the VR experience in our study, there can be more than one or multiple SSD established, as shown in Figure 1. For example, Ma (2020) used dramatic events to uncover children’s adjustment in their roles with qualitative changes in psychological development during the transition to school. She identified the starting point of SSD in terms of the child’s development during the transition from preschool to primary school. Similarly, in our study, we use the dramatic events (D) that emerge during the VR sessions to help identify the start of SSD in terms of the PSTs’ placement preparation.

This paper analyses data from 66 diverse post-graduate PSTs in an Australian ITE programme focused on early childhood education (ECE). All students were invited to participate in the research project during their unit study and their participation was voluntary. A total of 66 students participated in the reflection process regarding their VR experiences from Quarters 2 to 4 in 2024. The participants primarily comprised international students, representing diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. As part of the expectations for PSTs’ placements, students were required to interact with children aged 3 to 5 years in an Australian EC setting. The innovative VR simulation immersed PSTs in the unique context of Australian EC settings by mimicking the classroom setting and children’s dynamics through practising interactions with the avatar children in a virtual reality environment. In each VR session, students collaborated in small groups of 2 to 3, delivering 20 min teaching sessions collaboratively via Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (2020) to five avatar children. As the PSTs delivered collaborative teaching in the session, each participant interacted with the avatar children for an average of 7–10 min during the session. The five avatar children, operated by one adult behind the scenes, each had distinct personalities and behaviours. For example, one avatar child was shy and reserved but could be quite talkative once she opened up. Another avatar child picked up things quickly in class but could become distracted in turn-taking. A third child was interested in visual stimulation and liked to relate things to his family.

After their sessions, participants reflected on their experiences using the Padlet, an online platform where their insights were shared anonymously, allowing them to explore their peers’ reflections. Three main questions guided PSTs’ reflections on their VR experiences:

• What teaching strategies/activities/child knowledge worked for you in the VR teaching session?
• What did not work in the session or diverged from your expectations?
• What other insights would you like to share with your peers?

The VR session’s teaching topic focused on children’s favourite colours. It was designed around a lesson plan with clear outcomes aligned to the Australian early childhood national curriculum (see Figure 2). This plan guided PSTs in their teaching and informed VR providers about customising avatar responses, effectively bridging the gap between theory and practice.

3. Data Analysis

The data analysis in this paper follows Hedegaard’s (2008) three levels of interpretation: common sense, situated practice, and thematic analysis. At the common sense interpretation level, the researchers examined comments based on their understanding of what appeared meaningful in the dataset. We reviewed comments regarding the preparation for professional experiences. One participant was selected at random, and their actions and interactions were analysed to understand the benefits and challenges of using VR technology during these experiences. This level of interpretation allowed us to understand the data from the participants’ perspectives without relying on theoretical concepts. Moving to the situated practice level, we conducted a more in-depth analysis involving more than one participant and the reflections from all participants related to their professional experiences. We focused on the first two guiding questions: “What worked for you in the VR teaching session?” and “What did not work in the session?” Patterns in the data were identified and colour-coded to clarify the findings further. Finally, we applied the D-SSD framework to the thematic interpretation level. This stage required us to revisit the colour coding and the generated themes, while also identifying personal biases and maintaining focus on the participants’ perspectives regarding the interactions between PSTs and the avatar children in the VR experience. The three-level approach reinforced the validity of the themes derived from the dataset. Using the D-SSD framework, we could pinpoint specific moments within these interactions that highlighted how the PSTs developed readiness for their placement during the session. The designation ‘D’ marks the beginning of these moments, allowing us to track the qualitative changes that occurred throughout the process. In the findings section, we presented feedback from the pre-service teachers (PSTs) regarding virtual reality (VR) technology and analysed their responses across two main themes. Furthermore, in the discussion section, we utilised the D-SSD theoretical framework to examine the intellectual development of PSTs in relation to their understanding of children and their practical teaching skills as they prepared for their placements. This addressed our research question.

4. Findings

This study revealed two key themes: (1) an enhanced understanding of children and classroom dynamics in real-world early childhood (EC) settings, supported by VR simulations that prepared PSTs for their placements; and (2) the use of tailored practices to address the diverse needs of avatar children, aligning with teaching plans focused on effective techniques, behavioural guidance, classroom management, and interaction skills. These findings indicate that PSTs were both intellectually and practically ready for their first professional experiences, as discussed in Section 4.1 and Section 4.2, as the two themes generated from the data show. Reflective vignettes are italicised, with any added words in square brackets, []. A selected subset of data are included due to the paper’s limited scope.

4.1. Overall, It Was a Valuable Experience Before Starting Real Placement…

Several PSTs recognised the significant value of their participation in VR sessions as they prepared for their upcoming placements. They highlighted how the authentic virtual classroom and engaging avatar children enriched their experiences. For example, Nicky noted, “The whole environment feels incredibly real, helping me grasp a basic understanding of what my placement will be like” (from Quarter 2 reflections).

Abby praised the organisation of the sessions, saying, “My classmate and I set class rules to ensure that each teacher could take turns interacting with every avatar child. This structure kept the avatar children engaged and encouraged active participation. Overall, it was a valuable experience, providing practical insights into managing classroom dynamics and fostering individual expressions” (from Quarter 3 reflections).

Similarly, Billy reflected on the challenges encountered as an educator: “I struggled to memorise all the avatar children’s names quickly and maintain their attention. During my placement, I will need to memorise their names swiftly to interact effectively and understand their interests” (from Quarter 3 reflections).

Many PSTs focused on their practice session with the avatar children, envisioning the connection to their upcoming professional experience. Pedro commented: “It was an amazing experience before going to placements. It allows me to practice and makes me feel confident. [I tried] a good technique to practice conversations with [avatar]children. [The interaction] felt kind of natural as well (from Quarter 4 reflections)”.

4.2. …It Also Allowed Us to Experience Some of the Problems We Would Encounter as an Educator…

Many participants enthusiastically shared the impactful practices they implemented during the VR sessions and their plans for applying these strategies in real-world settings. They focused on innovative teaching techniques, classroom management, behavioural guidance, and interaction skills. Several pre-service teachers (PSTs) noted that the VR experiences boosted their confidence as future educators, as highlighted by Pedro’s earlier comments. The virtual classroom effectively mimicked an Australian early childhood (EC) environment, with avatar children sitting on a mat in an open space alongside five diverse avatar children, as shown in Figure 3 below.

The diverse backgrounds of the avatar children provided pre-service teachers (PSTs) with invaluable opportunities to engage in realistic scenarios that enhance their teaching plans. Abby highlighted the importance of remembering each child’s name to foster connections and identified challenges that will inform her future action plan. Mono’s reflection captures the essential teaching techniques, interaction skills, and classroom management during her VR session:

“Two areas that worked well: We noted the [avatar] children’s names and favourite colours, strengthening our connections. The colour game also helped us assess their understanding. Instead of just asking about favourite colours, we encouraged them to explain ‘why’, promoting independent thinking and better articulation.

Two areas for improvement: We need to work on maintaining order in the classroom. Some lively [avatar] children interrupted their peers, so we must guide them to listen more attentively when others are speaking…”

(from Quarter 2 reflections)

Mono shared her effective approach to engaging with avatar children by skilfully remembering the names of the avatar children. She used thoughtful “why” questions to deepen their on-the-spot learning and planned classroom management strategies to address disruptions, aiming to establish clear active listening rules. Similarly, reflecting on her VR session, Rashmi considered proactive plans for behavioural guidance during her placement. She noted, “I realised the importance of attending to all [avatar] children during conversations, such as when one child lay down while another interrupted. This is an area I can improve as I continue through my placements (from Quarter 2 reflections)”.

5. Discussion

While our study highlights the benefits of VR in preparing PSTs for placements, it is essential to consider the limitations noted in other studies. Marougkas et al. (2024) found that many VR applications lack adaptive learning content, which could limit their effectiveness. This suggests that while VR provides valuable rehearsal opportunities, its impact may be constrained by current technological limitations. Additionally, Pendergast et al. (2022) supported our findings, indicating that VR enhances student engagement and provides immersive learning experiences. This alignment underscores the general positive reception of VR in educational settings. However, Dogan and Sahin (2024) highlighted a significant gap in the theoretical frameworks guiding VR studies, which could impede the depth of learning and development. This discrepancy suggests that while VR is beneficial, its full potential may not be realised without a robust theoretical foundation.

The cultural–historical lens allows us to investigate how VR experiences prepare PSTs for professional experiences, specifically through the D-SSD framework. According to Vygotsky (1998), only SSD leads to learners’ psychological development among all social relations. In our study, this meant that not all interactions between PSTs and avatar children would contribute to their development in placement preparation, mentally and practically, but only specific moments of SSD could help achieve such a goal. As discussed earlier, D, the dramatic events, are the signals to help us track the qualitative changes in PSTs’ psychological development in order to locate SSD from all the PST–avatar child interactions. In this section, the PSTs’ dramatic events are presented in bold, while data related to relevant SSD are marked in italics to assist readability. Different data are presented here in terms of responding to the theoretical perspectives.

Pre-service teachers (PSTs) recognise the invaluable benefits of virtual reality (VR) sessions as they prepare for their first placements, as discussed in Section 4.1. The VR environment allows them to immerse in realistic classroom scenarios, bridging the theory-to-practice gap before entering early childhood (EC) settings (Ledger et al., 2022; Peercy & Troyan, 2017; Ward et al., 2018). Many PSTs have expressed a deeper appreciation for children’s knowledge and relevant practices observed during these sessions.

Fredo aptly summarises this experience: “I want to learn how to expand on children’s sentences to build trust with them. For instance, when Brendon mentioned his favourite colour, we missed the chance to explore that further. He was clearly engaged throughout the class. I also want to encourage children to relate learning to their lives, like asking Andre about his fire truck. While we connected well with these five avatar children, there’s still room to improve our strategies in [the VR teaching session]. I’m determined to boost my confidence and refine our teaching plans before the curriculum begins.” (from Quarter 2 reflections).

Apart from reporting on positive feelings from the VR experiences, as presented in Section 4.1, PSTs put theory into practice. For example, Fredo reflected on his progress in terms of teaching techniques and interaction skills by linking topics to the avatar children’s everyday knowledge and experiences. The starting point of Fredo’s SSD is signified by D, the dramatic event, where his team did not expand on the avatar child Brendon’s input of colour. Fredo then applied this strategy, extending conversations in response to the avatar children’s input while interacting with another avatar child, Andre. He classified this action under a different strategy—connecting learning to children’s everyday knowledge. Fredo’s ongoing psychological development involved building his confidence and putting more effort into programme planning. With D highlighting the beginning of SSD, the qualitative changes in Fredo’s progress become trackable (Ma, 2020; Veresov, 2019; Veresov et al., 2024; Vygotsky, 1998), informing us of the specific moments that stimulate his placement preparation.

Many PSTs encountered different challenges through their interactions with avatar children that mimicked real-world classroom dynamics (Goff, 2023; Ledger et al., 2022). Some examples are presented in the previous Section 4.2. Ward et al. (2018) proposed the struggles in transferring theoretical knowledge into the classroom contexts, and we argue that the VR experiences serve as an effective tool contributing to PSTs’ placement readiness by providing them with a platform for ‘rehearsal’, with opportunities for planned teaching and improvisations. For example, Linda reflected on her teaching as follows:

“The biggest problem we had was that we hardly remembered all five [avatar] children’s names after they introduced themselves. So, when we started asking about their favourite colours, we would refer to them like ‘the first girl in the pink T-shirt, what’s your favourite colour?’ The [avatar] girl in pink corrected us, saying, ‘My name is Lunna.’ Then we replied, ‘Oh, Lunna, sorry! What’s your favourite colour?’ That was a little embarrassing. Next time, we need to make notes when the children introduce themselves to remember their names.”.

(from Quarter 2 reflections)

Linda’s dramatic event (D), in which she forgot an avatar child’s name and experienced embarrassment, marked the initiation of her SSD. In her detailed reflection, she documented her improvisation—first referring to the child’s outfit, then quickly recalling the name when reminded, and finally formulating a strategy for future practice. The dramatic event often brings the participant strong feelings and emotions along with the emerging issue/problem/conflict (March & Fleer, 2016), which can be a signal to identify the D among all acts. Lina’s intellectual development was reflected in the strategy of jotting down the names of avatar children for future practice, which was also the practical side of her placement preparation. Similarly, Rafael’s difficulty in the VR session led to his SSD: “One thing I want to improve on is how to improve my reactions to sudden changes in topics. The [avatar] children I talked to would sometimes divert topics, sometimes unrelated to the topic we were learning about. (from Quarter 2 reflections)”. The dramatic event (D) was triggered by the avatar children’s seemingly irrelevant responses, ultimately leading Rafael to develop a plan for refining strategies for classroom management over sudden shifts in dialogues with children in real-world scenarios.

Furthermore, more than one SSD can be established in the PSTs’ VT sessions. For example, Jatinder recalled the obstacles her team encountered with the improvised strategies that she was not satisfied with: “Since we couldn’t use cards or anything similar to display information, we had to ask the [avatar] children about the colours of their clothes, which I found a bit monotonous. Some [avatar] children may have felt tired and kept their heads down (from Quarter 2 reflections)”.

Although VR offers valuable rehearsal opportunities, Jatinder’s feedback reflects Marougkas et al.’s (2023) argument about the technological limitations of VR in education. Two dramatic events (D) emerged in Jatinder’s session. First, her team’s display of information was limited, which signified the start of their SSD, where Jatinder began to improvise by extending the avatar children’s learning to the cloth colours. The second dramatic event emerged from her appreciation of avatar children’s behaviour as a sign of fatigue and boredom, signifying the beginning of her second SSD, though the relevant qualitative change in SSD is not mentioned. Relevant strategies, such as the kinetic approach, to attract children’s attention in dealing with children’s loss of interest could potentially become the outcome of their SSD. The two dramatic events (D) help to identify the different SSD established in Jatinder’s social situation, although the second SSD was not completed. Hence, within one social situation, there can possibly be multiple SSD established, contributing to learners’ intellectual development, as shown in Figure 1.

Through studying the PSTs’ retrospective statements on their VR experiences, we argue that the VR sessions prepared PSTs for their first professional experiences in two ways: by deepening their comprehension of children and classroom dynamics within EC settings, and by allowing them to practice tailoring and/or improvising strategies to support children’s diverse needs and align them with teaching plans. The dramatic event (D) signified the PSTs’ placement preparation progress among all PST–avatar child interactions, allowing us to track their qualitative changes in cognition and practice, constituting their SSD in the VR sessions. This SSD directly facilitated PSTs’ intellectual development in preparing for their first professional experiences. We also highlight the sustainable results of such a development beyond the VR session (Veresov, 2019; Vygotsky, 1998), as many PSTs mentioned their plans for their future practice. The SSD triggered by the dramatic event (D) could extend into the PSTs’ future engagement, with their development continuing across scenarios due to the dialectical and sustainable nature of intellectual development (Veresov, 2019; Vygotsky, 1998). Additionally, while the subjective nature of the reflections offered valuable insights into the PSTs’ intellectual development in terms of placement preparation, it also introduced potential biases and limitations to the findings. Future research should also examine VR teaching data to explore PSTs’ development in greater depth.

6. Implications

This study explores the impactful role of VR experiences in preparing PSTs for their first professional placements in Australian EC settings. It offers valuable insights that enhance both theoretical and practical domains. Utilising the cultural–historical D-SSD framework within the context of tertiary education, this study identifies key moments of development in PSTs’ preparation. This framework allows us to track qualitative shifts in their understanding and practice, illustrating their development. Notably, identifying dramatic events (D) marks the beginning of SSD, significantly influencing the PSTs’ readiness.

Practically, the D-SSD framework provides essential insights for teacher educators and VR providers, enabling the effective planning and monitoring of participants’ progress. By integrating VR experiences into PSTs’ unit studies, we help them connect prior learning with real-world applications, empowering them to envision their future practices. As such, the VR experiences serve as a common ground between traditional theory-to-practice (Ward et al., 2018) and practice-to-theory models (Peercy & Troyan, 2017), enriching educators’ approaches and enhancing overall educational preparation. This study responds to the gap identified earlier, integrating VR in preparing PSTs for professional experiences in ITE programmes, and provides insights to inform the future planning and structuring of teacher education.

Reflections are inherently selective, with participants sharing only what they choose. As a result, their writings may not fully capture the situation, limiting this paper’s findings. To enhance future research, incorporating video data could deepen our understanding of D-SSD by providing a richer analysis of the interactions between PSTs and avatar children. Additionally, longitudinal studies on the PSTs’ placement performance could offer valuable insights into the lasting effects of VR experiences.