Perceived Interactivity and Usage Intention in Gesture-Based Educational VR: Evidence From SEM and fsQCA

Although gesture interaction is widely recognized as an effective means of enhancing immersion and interactivity in virtual reality (VR), limited attention has been paid to the psychological mechanisms shaping users’ usage intention in educational contexts. This study examines how learners’ perceptions of gesture-based interaction influence usage intention in VR-supported educational environments. A participatory scenario experiment was conducted with 235 university students, and a structural equation model was developed to examine the effects of perceived control, perceived responsiveness, and perceived communication on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The results indicate that these interaction-related perceptions exert differentiated effects on ease of use and usefulness, which in turn significantly predict usage intention. Moreover, digital literacy plays a moderating role, altering both the strength and direction of several relationships within the interaction–evaluation process. To further assess the robustness of these findings, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) identifies multiple sufficient configurations leading to high usage intention, revealing asymmetric and conjunctural causal patterns. Overall, this study provides empirical and methodological insights into how gesture-based interaction characteristics and learner attributes jointly shape user experience and sustained usage intention in VR-based educational systems.