IMPROVING OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY (K3) UNDERSTANDING THROUGH VR AND METAVERSE-BASED IMMERSIVE LEARNING

Low understanding of Occupational Health and Safety (K3) among Vocational High School (SMK) students is often caused by limited practical facilities and the dominance of conventional teaching methods that fail to create contextual learning experiences. To address this gap, this study aims to develop and test the feasibility, practicality, and effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) and Metaverse-based educational media in improving students' K3 understanding. This study uses the Research and Development (R&D) method with the ADDIE model. The implementation and evaluation stages involved a Quasi-Experiment (Nonequivalent Control-Group Design) with 32 student subjects, divided into an Experimental Class (VR/Metaverse) and a Control Class (conventional). Feasibility and practicality were measured through response questionnaires (Likert scale), while effectiveness was analyzed using N-Gain and T-Tests (Independent and Paired Samples). The product was proven to be conceptually Feasible (validation score 3.62) and Empirically Very Practical (mean teacher score 3.91 and student score 3.48). Effectiveness test results showed the Experimental Class achieved a mean N-Gain of 0.67 (Moderately Effective category), far exceeding the Control Class (0.39). Independent T-Test (p=0.003) and Paired T-Test (p=0.000) consistently proved a significant improvement in K3 understanding in the VR and Metaverse media user group. VR and Metaverse-based educational media are effective and statistically significant in improving students' K3 understanding, while providing an innovative immersive learning solution that overcomes the limitations of practical infrastructure in vocational education environments.