The integration of immersive virtual reality (VR) in authentic science classrooms can result in a totally new learning experience for the students. However, the effect of such a learning experience on students’ conceptual learning gains and their perceptions of the experience, while considering students’ pre-existing science- and digital technologies-related attitudinal profiles, has not been explored to date. In this study, we have enacted a 90-min technology-enhanced inquiry-based intervention with high-school students (n = 107), on the topic of the Special Theory of Relativity in a Physics course, using a learning experience design, structured around an immersive VR simulation. Firstly, we aimed at examining students’ attitudinal profiles and, secondly, at exploring the potential differences of those profiles in relation to conceptual learning gains and perceptions of the learning experience. A clustering analysis has revealed two attitudinal profiles: the low-attitudes profile (n = 48) included students with low science- and digital technologies-related attitudes, and the opposite for the high-attitudes profile (n = 59). Results from a 2 × 2 RM ANOVA indicated a statistically significant interaction between conceptual learning gains and attitudinal profiles. In addition, a one-way MANOVA test showed statistically significant differences between the two profiles in relation to students’ perceptions of the learning experience, with the students of the high-attitude profile outperforming their counterparts. We discuss our findings, focusing on the implications of students’ individual differences in learning and attitudes linked to the integration of immersive VR in inquiry-based instruction.

将沉浸式虚拟现实 (VR) 融入真实的科学课堂，可为学生带来全新的学习体验。然而，在考虑到学生预先存在的与科学和数字技术相关的态度概况的情况下，这种学习体验对学生概念性学习成果和他们对体验的看法的影响，迄今尚未得到探讨。在这项研究中，我们对高中生 ( n = 107)，关于物理课程中狭义相对论的主题，使用学习体验设计，围绕沉浸式 VR 模拟构建。首先，我们旨在检查学生的态度概况，其次，探索这些概况在概念学习收益和对学习体验的看法方面的潜在差异。聚类分析揭示了两种态度特征：低态度特征（n  = 48）包括与科学和数字技术相关的态度低的学生，而高态度特征则相反（n = 59）。2 × 2 RM 方差分析的结果表明概念学习收益和态度特征之间存在统计学上显着的相互作用。此外，单向 MANOVA 测试显示，在学生对学习体验的看法方面，两种配置文件之间存在统计学显着差异，高态度配置文件的学生表现优于同行。我们讨论了我们的发现，重点关注与沉浸式虚拟现实在探究式教学中的整合相关的学生在学习和态度方面的个体差异的影响。