Educators’ perceptions of and intent to use VR to teach international agriculture topics in SBAE before and after a PD

This study examined school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers’ perceptions of and intent to use virtual reality (VR) to teach international agriculture topics before and after participation in a five-day professional development workshop. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, the study administered pre- and post-surveys to 27 SBAE teachers from two United States (U.S.) states to assess confidence, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and global competence indicators. Findings indicated participants maintained highly positive attitudes and strong intent to use VR both before and after the workshop, while perceived preparedness to integrate VR improved notably following training. However, confidence to teach international agriculture and broader global engagement remained relatively stable, suggesting that technical VR training alone may not substantially strengthen teachers’ global instructional readiness. Results highlight VR’s potential as an accessible tool for expanding international agricultural education while emphasizing the need for sustained professional development, stronger curricular integration, and enhanced development of global competence. Recommendations include combining immersive technology training with deeper international agriculture content and institutional support to improve long-term implementation.