Toward Sustainable Digital Education in Biology: Evaluating Educators’ Perceptions and Adoption Intentions for a Virtual Laboratory Toolkit from Four European Contexts

Despite growing interest in Virtual Labs (VLs), limited research examines the factors influencing educators’ willingness to adopt them through the lens of inquiry-based learning (IBL). This exploratory pilot study evaluates educators’ interaction with the VHEalthLab VLs toolkit, examining their perceptions on usability, pedagogical value, IBL support, and intention to use. The study combines IBL, as a pedagogical lens, with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within a Triple Bottom Line sustainability framework aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 10. Using an exploratory cross-sectional design with an embedded qualitative component, data were collected from seventy Biology educators across four European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Spain) through two structured questionnaires. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, directed content analysis, and joint display integration. Findings indicate that adoption intention was associated primarily with pedagogical rather than technological factors; IBL alignment showed the strongest association with intention to implement VLs (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), while perceived usefulness was most strongly associated with pedagogical materials (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). Assessment and inclusion functioned as quality criteria rather than factors associated with adoption intention. Educators consistently endorsed VLs as complements to physical laboratories, with their perceptions suggesting potential environmental, economic, and social sustainability implications within a blended model.