The effect of use of virtual reality applications in tourism guiding education on academic success and retention

In this study, a mixed research approach in which quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques are used together was applied. The study's main purpose is to obtain experimental results on the effects of using virtual reality applications in tourism guiding education on students' academic achievement and permanence levels. In addition, it is aimed to reveal how the use of virtual reality applications in tourism guiding education is evaluated by students and lecturers. For this purpose, the Archeology II lesson has been determined as an application lesson. An achievement test consisting of 31 questions was used as a quantitative data collection tool. A total of 70 students, consisting of two experimental groups and two control groups, were included in the study voluntarily. Four-week lessons were held separately with the experimental and control groups. Solomon Four-Group Design was used in the study, and a pre-test was applied to 30 students in an experimental and a control group before the start of the lessons. At the end of the four-week classes, a post-test was applied to all students and a retention test was applied to all students three weeks later. Afterward, qualitative data were collected from 35 experimental group students and 13 instructors from tourism guiding departments with open-ended questionnaires prepared by consulting experts' opinions. Paired sample t-test, independent sample t-test, and covariance analysis were applied to the collected quantitative data. Content analysis was performed on qualitative data and codes were classified under themes. As a result of the findings obtained from the quantitative data, it was determined that the achievement scores of the experimental group students were significantly higher than the control group students. As a result of the findings obtained from the qualitative data collected from the students in the experimental group, it was determined that the students had positive opinions about the use of virtual reality in tourism guiding education. Three themes were created, including visual environment and permanent learning; the sense of presence and attraction; technical and physiological problems. It has been determined that the instructors also have positive opinions about the use of virtual reality applications in tourism guiding education. Four themes were created, including the visual material; experiencing; technological adaptation; the lack of infrastructure. Finally, joint display analysis was applied to the findings obtained from quantitative and qualitative data analysis. As a result of the joint display, it was revealed that the higher academic achievement and permanence levels of the experimental group students compared to the control group were supported by the data collected from the students and instructors. Thus, some suggestions have been made for future academic studies and tourism guiding departments for the use of virtual reality applications in tourism guiding education. KEYWORDS: Virtual Reality, Virtual Reality in Education, Tourism Guiding Education, Virtual Reality in Tourism Guiding Education