Transforming education and cognitive behaviors through the metaverse: A systematic literature review and innovative analysis

Authors

https://doi.org/10.22105/metaverse.v2i3.83

Abstract

The metaverse, an emerging technology characterized by interactive and simulated environments, presents a transformative opportunity to reshape learning processes, beliefs, and cognitive behaviors. This paper investigates the impact of the metaverse on education and mental habits through a systematic literature review and empirical data analysis. A comprehensive review of 50 scientific articles published between 2007 and 2024 was conducted, complemented by a survey questionnaire distributed to 100 participants. The literature review highlights that the metaverse enhances learning experiences by offering immersive, experiential, and personalized environments, while also influencing users' beliefs and fostering new cognitive patterns. However, challenges such as digital dependency, infrastructure costs, and ethical and privacy concerns must be addressed. Quantitative findings indicate that the metaverse boosts learners' motivation, focus, and self-confidence. Qualitative analysis reveals four key themes: increased focus, enhanced self-confidence, technical challenges, and security concerns. The results suggest that the metaverse not only enriches learning but also facilitates changes in mental habits. Notably, this study is limited in its assessment of the long-term effects of metaverse use on real-world focus due to constraints in controlling usage duration, which may potentially explain discrepancies with studies reporting adverse effects of prolonged engagement. By identifying opportunities and challenges in educational applications of the metaverse, this paper provides actionable recommendations for its effective integration into educational systems.           

Keywords:

Metaverse, Learning processes, Cognitive behaviors

References

  1. [1] Govindankutty, S., & Gopalan, S. P. (2024). The metaverse and mental well-being: Potential benefits and challenges inthecurrent era. In The metaverse for the healthcare industry (pp. 131–152). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60073-9_7

  2. [2] Yıldız, T. (2024). The future of digital education: Artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and the transformation of education. İstanbul üniversitesi sosyoloji dergisi, 44(2), 969–988. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/iusosyoloji/issue/90395/1637922

  3. [3] Zumrut, A. P. (2023). Evaluation of the metaverse universe in light of psychology and sociology. In Metaverse: technologies, opportunities and threats (pp. 203–218). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-4641-9_14

  4. [4] Owusu-Antwi, K., & Amenuvor, F. E. (2023). Understanding the metaverse: A review of virtual worlds and augmented reality environments. Current journal of applied science and technology, 42(23), 42–48. https://dx.doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2023/v42i234172

  5. [5] Damaševičius, R., & Sidekerskienė, T. (2024). Virtual worlds for learning in metaverse: A narrative review. Sustainability, 16(5), 2032. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16052032

  6. [6] Sanfilippo, F., Blazauskas, T., Salvietti, G., Ramos, I., Vert, S., Radianti, J., … & Oliveira, D. (2022). A perspective review on integrating VR/AR with haptics into STEM education for multi-sensory learning. Robotics, 11(2), 41. https://doi.org/10.3390/robotics11020041

  7. [7] AlGerafi, M. A. M., Zhou, Y., Oubibi, M., & Wijaya, T. T. (2023). Unlocking the potential: A comprehensive evaluation of augmented reality and virtual reality in education. Electronics, 12(18), 3953. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics12183953

  8. [8] Goi, C. L. (2024). The impact of VR-based learning on student engagement and learning outcomes in higher education. In Teaching and learning for a sustainable future: innovative strategies and best practices (pp. 207–223). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-9859-0.ch012

  9. [9] Vijitha, S., & Anandan, R. (2025). Metaverse technology to empower students literacy rate using modern educational resources in kanchipuram district. Journal of the institution of engineers (India): series b, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40031-025-01256-7

  10. [10] Metaverse, I. (2025). Exploring the future of education: Integrating metaverse and AI tools to enhance learning experiences. TEM journal, 14(1), 631–643. https://doi.org/0.18421/TEM141-56

  11. [11] Liu, L., Meng, J., Wu, X., & Chen, J. (2021). Avatarizing children with autism spectrum disorder into serious games for social communication skill intervention. 2021 tenth international conference of educational innovation through technology (EITT) (pp. 299–303). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/EITT53287.2021.00065

  12. [12] Villamil, A., & King, S. (2024). A humane social learning-informed metaverse: Cultivating positive technology experiences in digital learning environments. Cyberpsychology, behavior, and social networking, 27(1), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.0001

  13. [13] Wahyuni, E., Eko Tanuso, N. A., Waruwu, Y., Mata, Y., & Susanto, A. N. (2023). The role of educational games in increasing student motivation and engagement. Al-hijr: journal of adulearn world, 2(4), 366–383. https://doi.org/10.55849/alhijr.v2i4.552

  14. [14] Al-Samarrae, A. H. S. (2023). Visualizing biological networks using virtual reality in metaverse [Thesis]. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ahmed-Saleh-150/publication/374924324_Visualizing_Biological_Networks_Using_Virtual_Reality_in_Metaverse/links/65375e445d51a8012b6bbc4f/Visualizing-Biological-Networks-Using-Virtual-Reality-in-Metaverse.pdf

  15. [15] Puneet, S., Kumari, R., & Buragohain, S. (2024). Effectiveness of metaverse in accelerating higher education. 2024 ieee international conference on contemporary computing and communications (INC4) (Vol. 1, pp. 1–5). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/InC460750.2024.10649190

  16. [16] Smart, P. (2022). Minds in the metaverse: Extended cognition meets mixed reality. Philosophy & technology, 35(4), 87. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-022-00580-w

  17. [17] Dispenza, J. (2012). Breaking the habit of being yourself: How to lose your mind and create a new one. Hay House, Inc. https://www.amazon.nl/Breaking-Habit-Being-Yourself-Create/dp/1401938086

  18. [18] Yuan, J., Liu, Y., Han, X., Li, A., & Zhao, L. (2023). Educational metaverse: An exploration and practice of VR wisdom teaching model in Chinese Open University English course. Interactive technology and smart education, 20(3), 403–421. https://doi.org/10.1108/ITSE-10-2022-0140%0A

  19. [19] Kukharuk, O., Tkalich, K., Kamash, N., & Georgiou, O. (2025). Effectiveness of immersive VR therapy in reducing stress-associated symptoms in Ukraine. European journal of psychotraumatology, 16(1), 2488097. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2488097

  20. [20] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1191/1478088706QP063OA

  21. [21] Chen, S., Yu, L., Liu, Y., Ding, Z., Zhang, J., Wang, X., … & Liu, R. (2024). Diminished reality techniques for metaverse applications: A perspective from evaluation. IEEE internet of things journal, 11(21), 34734–34748. https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2024.3418034

  22. [22] Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science, 12(2), 257–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/0364-0213(88)90023-7

Published

2025-09-14

How to Cite

Mirzaei, Z. (2025). Transforming education and cognitive behaviors through the metaverse: A systematic literature review and innovative analysis. Metaversalize, 2(3), 150-160. https://doi.org/10.22105/metaverse.v2i3.83

Similar Articles

1-10 of 35

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.