Acceptance of Immersive Technologies In Vet Institutions In Portugal: The Influence of Job Relevance (rel) and Perceived Usefulness (pu)

Immersive technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) offer new opportunities for experiential and practice-based learning in Vocational Education and Training (VET). Nevertheless, little is known about the factors shaping trainers’ acceptance of these tools, particularly in Portugal. This exploratory study applies the TAM2 framework to examine how Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Job Relevance (REL) influence vocational trainers’ Behavioral Intention (BI) to adopt AR/VR. Data was collected from 55 trainers using validated TAM2 scales. Results show that PU moderately predicts BI (R² = 0.317), while Job Relevance is the strongest predictor (R² = 0.523), exerting a direct effect on intention that is not mediated by PU. These findings suggest that, in task-oriented learning environments, adoption decisions depend primarily on whether the technology is perceived as directly relevant to trainers’ instructional tasks. The study highlights the need for context-specific demonstrations and practical use cases to support sustainable AR/VR integration in VET.