## 1 Introduction
Therefore, to address the gap in the existing literature, the main aim of this case-specific pilot study, conducted at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka, is to explore the extent to which the core TAM variables, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, interact and influence maritime engineering students' behavioural intention to use the HMD-VR engine room simulator for learning and training purposes. The decision to conduct a case-specific study was motivated by the fact that the integration of HMD-VR technology still represents a novel training modality within MET institutions [6]. Therefore, the newly introduced HMD-VR engine room simulator laboratory at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka, provided an appropriate setting for conducting a pilot investigation into students' acceptance of this emerging technology. In line with the research context and the study's aim, the following research question is stipulated:  
1. To what extent can the core constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model explain maritime engineering students' future behavioural intention to use the HMD-VR engine room simulator for education and training purposes?HMD-VR Technology in Maritime Engineering Simulator Training  
Cambridge University Press defines a simulation as \"a model of a set of problems or events that can be used to teach someone how to do something or the process of making such a model\" [43]. Simulation-based education, rooted in [PERSON]'s Experiential Learning Theory [44], has been widely adopted in different educational domains [45; 46; 47], including MET [48; 49]. Aligned with constructivist learning principles, this pedagogical approach places learners at the centre of the learning process, allowing them to actively develop an understanding of the topic through exploration, reflection, and experience [47; 50]. Over the past three decades, simulator-based training has become a cornerstone of the MET curricula, providing a structured and standardised platform for students and professional seafarers to develop an array of operational competencies in alignment with the STCW Convention [3; 4; 51]. Among the diverse range of maritime simulators used in MET [48; 52], Marine Engine Room Simulators (MERSs) have gained particular significance in maritime engineering training. To date, MERSs have been proven to have a prominent role in knowledge acquisition, reinforcing procedural compliance, and developing critical technical and decision-making skills under simulated stress conditions [49; 53; 54; 55]. However, limitations inherent to all conventional simulators, including MERSs, regarding constrained levels of representational fidelity, dependency on instructor-led delivery, substantial maintenance expenses, the necessity for fixed physical infrastructure, and increasing global trends in maritime digitalisation, have catalysed a paradigm shift toward seeking innovative technologies for advancing traditional simulator-based training methods [6; 10]. Recent evidence increasingly supports the efficacy of immersive VR-based simulators in MET, often indicating their pre-eminence over conventional simulator training modalities, such as through fostering learners' engagement, active responsiveness, learning control and autonomy, conceptual comprehension, and knowledge retention [6; 18; 51; 56]. Additionally, immersive VR simulators have proven instrumental in ensuring the continuity of learning during external disruptions, as exemplified during the global COVID-19 pandemic [7; 57]. In contrast to their relatively established use in navigation simulation training [21; 58; 59], the integration of fully immersive VR simulators in maritime engineering education remains nascent. One of the few examples is a fully immersive engine room simulator developed by the company Adricom and piloted by the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Rijeka.