The Architecture of Becoming: Immersive Virtual Reality and the Conditions of Educational Participation for Students with High Absenteeism due to Special Needs : An Exploratory Mixed-Methods Study

Sammanfattning

High absenteeism remains a persistent challenge in Swedish compulsory education, particularly for students whose participation is constrained by anxiety, sensory overload, relational strain, and unmet support needs. In this context, immersive virtual reality (IVR) has emerged as a potentially relevant form of educational support, although its significance for students with prolonged absence remains underexplored. This thesis examines how school professionals assess the educational and cognitive value of IVR for students with high absenteeism. The study adopts an exploratory mixed-methods design, combining a survey of school personnel, follow-up interviews, three expert interviews, and a structured literature review. The material was analysed descriptively and interpretively to examine support needs, educational and cognitive affordances, and the conditions shaping effective use. The findings indicate that high absenteeism is understood less as a matter of missed instruction than as a broader problem of educational participation. IVR is assessed as potentially valuable because it may reduce participation barriers, support psychological safety and gradual re-engagement, and enable more interactive and manageable learning experiences. However, its value remains strongly conditional on pedagogical clarity, individual adaptation, staff competence, organizational support, and the existing legal framework. The thesis concludes that IVR is best understood as a targeted and complementary support measure. Its main contribution lies in offering a context-sensitive understanding of how immersive technologies may support participation, reintegration, and more flexible forms of inclusive educational practice.