The Intention of Professionals to Use Extended Reality to Train Vocational Skills for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Introduction: The theoretical and empirical research on using extended virtual reality (XR) in education has gradually increased. Understanding professionals’ perceptions of XR is important. The purposes of this study were to investigate the intention of professionals regarding the use of XR, and the factors related to their intentions. Methods: A questionnaire based on the theory of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to collect data from 44 professionals working in vocational training for persons with intellectual disabilities (ID). Results: The findings revealed that vocational training professionals exhibited a positive attitude towards and a strong intention to utilize XR, and acknowledged the system’s utility and user-friendliness. The results demonstrated perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use explained 68.8% variance in attitude to use, and the overall model explained 66.3% of the total variance of behavior intention. Conclusion: The results of this study verified the TAM. A positive attitude was a crucial factor, which directly influenced behavior intention while also mediating perceived usefulness and ease of use in relation to behavior intention. Future research should focus on investigating the perspectives of individuals with ID and the factors that influence their acceptance.