Sequencing matters: How the timing of immersive virtual reality supports career and technical education in middle school

Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has demonstrated engagement advantages in Career and Technical Education (CTE), yet research has focused on whether IVR improves outcomes rather than on how the timing of its deployment shapes students’ attitudinal development. This study examined how IVR sequencing influenced middle school students' career-related attitudinal development. A six-week quasi-experimental mixed-methods study compared three conditions across two schools: IVR deployed before classroom discussion (Group A, n = 16), IVR deployed after classroom discussion (Group B, n = 12), and traditional instruction only (Group C, n = 14). 72 students submitted weekly surveys and 42 students completed matched pre-post surveys. Both IVR conditions significantly outperformed the control on engagement and career awareness (p < 0.001). The two sequences appeared to activate qualitatively distinct processes: IVR-as-introduction was associated with deeper procedural engagement, while only IVR-as-review significantly exceeded the control on self-efficacy and career interest. Career self-understanding declined significantly program-wide (p = 0.024), yet co-occurred with sustained engagement in IVR conditions. These findings position instructional sequencing as a consequential design variable in IVR-based career education.