Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Metacognitive Self-Regulation in Immersive Virtual Reality Environments with Haptic Interaction for Teacher Education

Coaquira-Huamani D.R.; Valencia-Quispe M.M.; Maraza-Quispe B. · SN Computer Science (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s42979-026-05270-4

Resumen

This study examines how a multimodal immersive intervention integrating virtual reality, haptic interaction, and generative artificial intelligence may support two key competencies in teacher education: AI literacy and metacognitive self-regulation. A mixed-methods approach with quantitative predominance was adopted, using a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a non-equivalent control group and complementary qualitative analysis. The population comprised 300 fifth-year students from the Faculty of Education Sciences, from which 60 real participants were selected by convenience sampling and distributed into a control group (n = 30) and an experimental group (n = 30). The experimental group participated in an eight-session intervention using VR headsets, haptic gloves, Delightex Edu scenarios, and guided generative AI tasks. In contrast, the control group completed conventional digital activities without haptic interaction. Empirical data were collected through AI literacy scales, metacognitive self-regulation scales, perceived presence and usability measures, reflective journals, and brief interviews. Results showed that the experimental group achieved greater improvements than the control group in AI literacy and metacognitive self-regulation. ANCOVA confirmed a significant group effect on posttest scores after controlling for pretest performance (p <.001), with large effect sizes. Qualitative findings revealed progress in critical understanding of AI, bias identification, learning planning, monitoring strategies, pedagogical transfer, and awareness of initial technical challenges. Overall, the findings suggest that a structured multimodal intervention can support critical, ethical, and reflective engagement with AI in teacher education. However, because the intervention combined several components, the results should not be interpreted as evidence of the independent effect of haptic interaction, but rather as exploratory evidence of an integrated pedagogical model. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa