Abstract:
The purpose of this action research study was to determine the impact of a virtual
field trip (VFT) on student achievement, as well as to evaluate the instructional
experience in terms of authenticity, age appropriateness, quality of resource, and
feasibility. The intervention took place at a rural elementary school. Participants in this
study consisted of twenty kindergarten students. The intervention lasted for a total of ten
school days with a combined access time using the VFT being two hours. Due to the age
of the participants, they were paired with a fifth-grade student to help with reading and
navigation issues.
The qualitative study included a pre-test and post-test, interviews and
observations. Each student was observed twice during the intervention. The researcher
and assistant each conducted one privileged, active observation on each participant.
Findings from this study suggest that incorporating the quality VFT in the kindergarten
classroom the students gained knowledge that was authentic, relevant, and age
appropriate with little or no problems arising. Implications for future study include the
continuation of research for incorporating VFT into the curriculum.