The effect of virtual school tour on preschool children’s school adjustment

Starting school for the first time can be a challenging transition for young children and their families. This study combined quantitative and qualitative approaches to examine the impact of a virtual school tour on the school adjustment process of kindergarten students who are about to start school for the first time. The study included 18 kindergarten teachers and a total of 359 children, with 176 in the treatment group and 183 in the control group. Children in the treatment group viewed a 6–10 min interactive 360° virtual tour of their school before the school year began, while those in the control group did not receive any preparatory intervention. Children’s school adjustment was assessed three weeks after school entry using the School Adjustment Teacher Evaluation Scale, which measures school avoidance, school liking, cooperative participation, and self-directiveness. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that children in the treatment group demonstrated significantly lower school avoidance (U = 13266, p =.002, r =.164), higher school liking (U = 11221, p <.001, r =.284), and greater cooperative participation (U = 8541.5, p <.001, r =.860) than those in the control group, with no significant difference for self-directiveness. Qualitative findings supported these results, indicating that the virtual tour increased children’s familiarity with the school, reduced separation anxiety, and facilitated smoother communication between parents and teachers. Teachers reported that participating children entered school “as if it were already familiar,” adapted more quickly, and interacted more readily with peers and teachers. This study contributes to early childhood education by offering a scalable, low-cost, technology-based strategy for easing school transitions. Findings suggest that virtual school tours can be a practical tool for improving children’s early school experiences and enhancing family-school partnerships.