Using virtual reality tools in learning and training floor gymnastics

Abstract

This research aims to identify the impact of using virtual reality technology on learning and training floor gymnastics skills among students of the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences. The importance of this research lies in the rapid development of modern technologies, particularly virtual reality, which has become an effective educational and training tool in the sports field, providing an interactive training environment capable of accurately simulating motor performance. The researcher adopted the descriptive-analytical approach, as it is suitable for the nature of the study. The research population consisted of second-year students at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Wasit, during the academic year (2025-2026), totaling (80) students. The researcher used a set of tests to measure the impact of using virtual reality on learning floor gymnastics skills. These tests included an evaluation of the technical performance of the floor movement sequence, a skill acquisition time test, and a mental imagery test. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), and the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and paired-samples t-test were calculated. The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre-test and post-test, favoring the post-test, across all variables under investigation. This indicates the effectiveness of using virtual reality technology in improving technical performance, reducing the time required to learn skills, and developing students' mental-motor visualization abilities.