## 3 Materials and Methods
### Research Instruments  
To evaluate the outcomes of the intervention and gather educator feedback, we used two primary instruments: a custom teacher questionnaire and follow-up teacher interviews.  
The decision to utilize questionnaires and conduct conversations with the teachers was based on the fact that each participating teacher is the designated personal special education teacher for their respective students. Given their close, ongoing relationship with the children, they are uniquely positioned to provide meaningful insights into each child's social and emotional development. This approach is particularly important, as children with autism often experience difficulties with verbal expression and communication, which can limit the reliability of self-reported data.  
The questionnaire was developed by the research team and administered via Google Forms for convenience and consistency. It was divided into three sections, combining both closed-ended and open-ended questions to collect quantitative ratings and qualitative insights.  
The first section is about usability and engagement, how easily children navigate the VR environment, their level of enjoyment, and any observed emotional responses. Questions included Likert-scale items on navigation difficulty.  
The second section focuses on the core research objectives (RQ1 and RQ2), asking whether the teacher observed any social communication behaviors or emotional responses following the VR intervention. For example, teachers indicated whether the student showed new or improved social behaviors in the days following the session (such as initiating greetings more often, using phrases from the game in real life, or demonstrating greater empathy/recognition of others' emotions). These questions typically used before/after comparison (no change, slight improvement, moderate improvement, etc., or not applicable).  
The final section explores teachers' perspectives toward the use of VR visual novels in autism education addressing RQ3. This part was grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model [31]. Teachers reflected on perceived usefulness and ease of use, and indicated whether they would recommend similar approaches. An open-ended question invited suggestions for improvement and noted any challenges faced.  
The questionnaire design included both closed-ended questions, for measurable and standardized results [32; 33], and open-ended ones to capture deeper insights and personal observations [34; 35].  
To complement the questionnaire, in-depth interviews with the teachers were conducted after they submitted their questionnaires. In these semi-structured interviews (approximately 20-30 min each), teachers were prompted to discuss their overall impression of the VR intervention, elaborate on any questionnaire responses if needed, and share practical considerations (e.g., how feasible it would be to use this tool regularly in the classroom, or what support/training would be required). The interview responses provided contextual depth and helped clarify why certain outcomes were observed.  
This combination of instruments allowed for a comprehensive evaluation of the VR intervention's effectiveness (through observed student outcomes) and its acceptability and practicality from the educators' perspective. The mixed-methods data were then analyzed to answer each of the research questions.