School-based agricultural education teachers’ lived experience of integrating virtual reality into their classroom

Agricultural Education uses a combination of classroom and laboratory instruction, experiential learning, and leadership education to prepare students for jobs in industry. With the recent promotion of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) as an option for educational programs, this technology allows teachers to incorporate experiential learning and give students real experiences who otherwise might not have the opportunity. VR has been used across many industries, such as medicine, construction, manufacturing, military training programs, tractor and machinery operation, as a form of training. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore state SBAE teachers’ lived experiences of incorporating a VR experience and technology into their curriculum. Eleven teachers participated in semi-structured interviews to describe their lived experiences. Three themes and 11 sub-themes emerged from those results. Participants described their experience as one that provided valuable benefits, introduced new challenges, and a semi-realistic interpretation of a hands-on activity. VR can be successfully integrated into skill-based instruction by ensuring that teachers and students have positive user experiences, addressing students’ performance, and providing a realistic interpretation of a hands-on activity.