This study investigates the critical factors influencing learning experiences within Extended Reality (XR) simulation environments, bridging the gap between advanced technology and pedagogical practice. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, a single-group pretest–posttest study was conducted with undergraduate students using a geography-themed XR simulation grounded in Learning Experience Design (LXD) principles. Quantitative measures assessed changes in academic self-efficacy and achievement, while post-test instruments captured perceived attention and learning satisfaction. Semi-structured interviews with a subsample of participants provided qualitative insights into their embodied learning experiences, analyzed through a stepwise coding process. Participants showed statistically significant pre-to-post increases in both academic self-efficacy and achievement, alongside high levels of attention and satisfaction. Qualitative analysis identified specific affordances and constraints that participants associated with their engagement and performance; conceptual reorganization through physical action offered the most coherent interpretation of this pattern, although the proposed mechanism was not tested directly. The findings point to four design considerations for XR learning environments: direct manipulation, repeatable practice, learner-controlled scaffolded feedback, and ergonomically considerate interfaces. This study offers design guidance for XR-based educational applications, to be interpreted within the constraints of a single-group, single-session design.