The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Media Utilization on the Thematic Learning through the Elementary Students Engagement

This research is motivated by the advancements in technology in the era of Industry 4.0, which have permeated almost all aspects of life, including the field of education. However, despite these advancements, there are some challenges in the education sector, including the lack of student engagement during learning activities. One of the contributing factors to this issue is the underutilization of technology-based media in the learning process. One of the latest and emerging media in this context is Virtual Reality. This research’s objectives are (1) to investigate the implementation of the learning process using Virtual Reality media and (2) to assess the effectiveness of Virtual Reality media on the level of student engagement in Grade I during Theme 7, “Objects, Animals, and Plants Around Me” at SD Muhammadiyah Mertosanan. This study uses an experimental design with a quantitative approach, namely the Pre-Experimental Design with a One-Group Pretest-Posttest type. The research was conducted at SD Muhammadiyah Mertosanan from March 2023 to August 2023, involving a sample of 24 students of grade 1. The linearity test resulted in a significant value of 0.537, indicating that the variables in this study have a linear relationship. Based on the findings, it can be said that Grade I students at SD Muhammadiyah Mertosanan benefit from virtual reality media in terms of increased learning engagement. This implies that virtual reality media can serve as a reference for teachers to improve student engagement in learning.