Opinions of Lecturers and Prospective Teachers on the Use of Metaverse in Education

The purpose of this study is to determine the status of lecturers incorporating metaverse-related content into the teaching process and to identify the views of lecturers and prospective teachers on the use of the metaverse in education. The research was conducted using a qualitative case study design; a holistic single-case design was employed. The study group consisted of ten prospective teachers studying in the Computer Education and Instructional Technologies (CEIT) undergraduate program in different regions of Turkey and seven lecturers working in the same program. Participants were selected through criterion sampling, which is one of the purposive sampling methods. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and an open-ended questionnaire. The findings revealed that lecturers incorporated basic concepts related to the metaverse into some of their courses. Both prospective teachers and Lecturers highlighted several negative aspects of using metaverse in education, including high costs, inequality of opportunity, potential health issues, disconnection from the real world, privacy violations, and ethical concerns in education. On the other hand, increasing learning retention, supporting motivation and academic achievement, providing realistic learning environments, offering an enjoyable learning experience, increasing learner interest through avatars, and providing rich content opportunities were among the positive aspects of the metaverse. Based on research findings, it is recommended that stakeholder opinions regarding the integration of the metaverse into teaching programs be sought, and pilot implementations be planned and conducted accordingly. Furthermore, the positive and negative aspects of metaverse-based educational applications should be evaluated in light of the findings obtained from pilot applications. In addition, evidence-based and sustainable strategies should be developed by examining metaverse-based educational applications around the world.