Table 1.

Publications reviewed in full text with reasons for inclusion or exclusion.

First author	Title	Year	Reason for inclusion
Alfalah	VR in education.	2018	Introducing VR Increased student behavioral engagement.
Allcoat	Learning in VR.	2018	Introduction to learning in VR: effects on cognition, affective, and engagement.
Abich IV	Effectiveness of VR-based training.	2018	The benefits of VR for students are explored.
Cheng	VR in science education.	2015	A systematic review of the use of VR in science education.
Dhimolea	Benefits of VR for learners.	2022	VR is presented as beneficial to learning and increasing learner engagement and learning motivation.
Freina	The state of VR in education.	2015	Presents the advantages and disadvantages of immersive VR in education.
Fransson	The challenge of VR.	2020	Analysis of the challenges of using head-mounted virtual reality in K-12 schools.
Greenwald	The impact of VR on student engagement.	2018	Compares the impact of VR and traditional learning styles on student engagement.
Islam	The challenge of VR.	2015	Point out the VR learning challenges that students face.
Jensen	VR in education.	2018	Critically analyze the use of virtual reality head-mounted displays in education and training.
Lee	VR in education.	2017	Introduces the features of immersive VR as well as its advantages and disadvantages.
Maples-Keller	VR improves student affective engagement.	2017	Introduction to the use of VR to improve students’ mental health and thus their affective engagement.
Misak	VR and meta-cognition.	2018	Introduction to VR improves students’ meta-cognition.
Makransky	VR and Learning.	2019	Describe how adding immersive VR to the classroom will increase student motivation.
Makransky	VR improves affective engagement.	2021	Impact of immersive VR learning on student affective engagement.
Mystakidis	VR-based learning.	2021	An introduction to the benefits of VR-based learning for distance students.
Necci	VR effect.	2015	Introduction to the effects produced by VR.
Pellas	VR learning.	2016	Analyze the theoretical underpinnings and decision-making process of VR’s construction of a sociocultural learning framework.
Papanastasiou	VR implications.	2019	Explores the impact of VR on K-12 students’ 21st century skills.
Pirker	VR education.	2021	Analysis of the potential of VR education.
Reddy	VR advantage.	2020	Introducing VR can improve digital literacy for middle school students.
Radianti	Immersive VR in schools.	2020	A systematic review of immersive VR in schools.
Rospigliosi	VR learning experience.	2022	Introducing VR as a new learning experience for students.
Rojas-Sánchez	VR and education.	2023	Introduction to the use of VR for teaching and learning, VR learning environments, and the use of VR in different areas of knowledge.
Rzanova	VR enhances behavioral engagement.	2023	An introduction to the impact on student behavioral competencies.
Sahlberg	VR implications.	2016	Introduction to the impact of VR technology on schooling.
Schutte	VR enhances affective engagement.	2017	Analysis of improving student empathy through VR to enhance affective engagement.
Sun	VR improves engagement.	2020	Introduction to the effectiveness of VR in increasing engagement among Chinese middle school students.
Som	Advantages of VR in education.	2021	Immersive VR enhances creative learning methods.
Tsivitanidou	VR improves cognitive engagement.	2021	Introduction to the interactive effects of immersive VR in exploring the relationship between students’ cognitive and conceptual gains and attitudinal profiles of engagement.
Wang	VR improves cognitive engagement.	2014	Introducing VR prompts students to stay cognitive engaged and enhances knowledge and research needs for student engagement.
Yuan	VR for learning.	2021	Introduction of VR helps students’ language knowledge and thus enhances cognitive engagement.
Zhong	VR educational leadership.	2017	Analyze VR leadership in the context of K-12 education.