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A New Avenue for Teacher Education: Virtual Reality Intervention as a Path Towards Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety and Supporting Growth Mindsets
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- Author / Creator
- Dueck, Bryce
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The National Institute of Mental Health reports that public speaking anxiety affects approximately 73% of the population (2016). Individuals with a fear of public speaking worry about being judged in social situations by other people (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). This is a problem if we consider public speaking to be a fundamental skill in today’s society, even more so when it comes to professions related to fields of education. Everyday teachers speak in front of students. However, some pre-service teachers lack confidence in their public speaking skills - a fear that could compromise their teaching effectiveness. Our research examined pre-service teachers’ experiences with public speaking anxiety and the potential of a three-session virtual reality intervention. When asked about what made them most anxious speaking in front of students, pre-service teachers described concerns related to their professional roles and the expectations of others. Our results showed that pre-service teachers’ public speaking anxiety was reduced following the three-session VR intervention. Furthermore, when asked about the brief VR intervention, pre-service teachers described it as being both realistic and useful. Our results are discussed within the context of potential support that could be provided to pre-service teachers.
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- Subjects / Keywords
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- Graduation date
- Fall 2021
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- Type of Item
- Thesis
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- Degree
- Master of Education
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- License
- This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.