THE IMPACTS OF VIRTUAL REALITY ON COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL COMPONENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING

There is limited understanding of how VR impacts the coginitive and emotional components; motivation, self-confidence, and language learning anxiety, especially in the context of self-directed learning.The present study aims to know the significant effects of VR and to explore how VR influences these cognitive and emotional aspects within the context of SDL. It used a mixed-methods design, gathering quantitative data from 194 EFL students through questionnaires, followed by qualitative data through in-depth interviews. The Wilcoxon test revealed significant improvements in motivation, confidence, and a decrease in anxiety (Asymp. Sig. < 0.05) for all students, with no negative values. VR significantly outperformed conventional learning, with higher improvements in motivation (91.47), self-confidence (92.38), and a greater reduction in anxiety (85.17), compared to smaller gains in the conventional method: motivation (70.35), self-confidence (72.58), and anxiety (70.15).The qualitative research findings indicate that VR in self-directed learning notably boosts students’ motivation and self-confidence while reducing language learning anxiety. By offering interactive, immersive experiences, practical, and contextual, VR encourages active engagement with English. It also provides a low-pressure environment for practicing real world scenarios, reducing anxiety, and enhancing overall learning effectiveness. VR has a substantial positive impact on these cognitive, emotional aspects, and language learning anxiety reducing. Statistical analysis shows a significant difference (P< 0.05), with VR providing a more immersive and interactive learning experience to enhance student’s engagement and understanding.