Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has garnered increasing attention in educational research, leading to a growing body of empirical studies. A recurring critique within the field concerns the continued reliance on media comparison studies, which are considered theoretically limited and confounded. However, systematic evidence supporting or challenging this assumption is still lacking. This systematic review aims to map the types of comparative research designs used in educational IVR studies, examine whether key IVR-specific constructs such as presence and cybersickness are assessed, and analyze how these patterns have evolved between 2016 and 2024 in leading educational technology journals. Across 20 journals, 130 studies met the inclusion criteria. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, media comparison studies were common but not dominant. They were increasingly complemented by value-added designs, learner-treatment-interaction studies, and mixed approaches. However, the analysis also reveals a critical shortfall: essential IVR-specific constructs are frequently neglected: only 39% of the studies assessed presence, and just 10% measured cybersickness. By systematically characterizing comparative designs and the treatment of core IVR constructs, the review provides a nuanced picture of current methodological practices and identifies concrete directions for improving theory-driven and empirically rigorous IVR research. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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