Using Virtual Role-Play to Enhance Teacher Candidates’ Skills in Responding to Bullying

Source: Journal of Technology and Teacher Education Volume 25, Number 1, January 2017

This exploratory study examines the effectiveness of a “virtual role-play” (VRP) tool developed to help teacher candidates effectively respond to classroom bullying by providing them with opportunities to engage in repeated, authentic practice conversations.

The authors hypothesized that practice in simulated conversations provided by VRP would improve teacher candidates’ communication skills and increase their confidence in responding to classroom bullying.

The findings revealed that the repeated practice afforded by VRP improved candidates’ fluency in a way that traditional role-play did not, especially given the time and logistical constraints for conducting regular role-play. Supplementing or replacing traditional role-play, VRP embody a developmental approach to building communication skills as candidates engage in the same scenario multiple times to improve their performance.