#386: Timing Matters? An Exploratory Study of Immersive Virtual Reality Integration in Middle School Career and Technical Education

Career exploration in middle school is critical, yet Career and Technical Education (CTE) continues to face persistent challenges. While immersive virtual reality (IVR) has demonstrated value for engagement and skill learning, little research has examined its pedagogical integration in CTE, particularly the timing of its use. This quasi-experimental study (N = 42) compared three instructional conditions: IVR as introduction, IVR as review, and traditional CTE instruction (control). Results from baseline–endline surveys and weekly reflections over six weeks suggested that students in the control group experienced declines across all attitudinal measures, whereas IVR conditions helped sustain engagement and career awareness. Qualitative findings further indicated that the timing of IVR use may influence how students engage with and interpret CTE learning. Overall, this exploratory study provides preliminary evidence that IVR can serve as a pedagogical complement to CTE instruction, while the timing of its use, as another pedagogical design factor, warrants further investigation.