## 6 Conclusions
Finally, future research should also consider broadening the theoretical scope by integrating complementary models such as the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) [101, 102] and the Diffusion of Innovations theory [103], as they could offer additional explanatory power by integrating social influence, facilitation conditions, and innovation characteristics into the analysis. Such a multidimensional approach would help capture the complex factors influencing VR technology acceptance in maritime engineering education and training contexts. In conclusion, the study findings offer valuable guidance to educators and software designers aiming to develop and implement fully immersive HMD-VR-based simulation platforms in maritime engineering higher education. As MET institutions increasingly advocate for the application of immersive technologies within existing curricula, a user-centred, evidence-based approach grounded in the TAM framework appears essential, as applied in the current study. Conceptualisation, [PERSON] ([PERSON]), [PERSON] ([PERSON]) and D.O. ; methodology, [PERSON] ([PERSON]); validation, D.B. ([PERSON]) and D.B. ([PERSON]); formal analysis, D.B. ([PERSON]) and D.B. ([PERSON]); investigation, D.B. ([PERSON]) and D.B. ([PERSON]); resources, D.O. ; data curation, D.B. ([PERSON]); writing--original draft preparation, D.B. ([PERSON]), D.B. ([PERSON]) and D.O. ; writing--review and editing, [PERSON] ([PERSON]), D.B. ([PERSON]) and D.O. ; visualisation, [PERSON] ([PERSON]) and [PERSON] ([PERSON]); supervision, D.O. ; project administration, D.O. ; funding acquisition, D.O. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. This work was supported by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg VI A Italy--Croatia 2021-2027 Programme, project ID: ITHR0200326 (BEST4.0); the University of Rijeka project line ZIP UNIRI for the project UNIRI-ZIP-2103-11-22; and the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101087348, the \"INNO2 MARE\" project. This study was conducted after being approved by the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies Ethical Committee (AC: 217013702410, 1 May 2024). Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all the subjects involved in this study. The raw data in this article will be provided by the authors upon request. We thank the Maritime Training Centre and Life-Long Learning for allowing us to include some of their course participants, as well as [PERSON] and [PERSON] for allowing us to include some of their students. We also thank all 84 maritime course participants and students who partook in our study for their time and effort. Additionally, thanks to [PERSON], and [PERSON], for providing the gender distribution information for the undergraduate, graduate, and special education maritime engineering programmes. Finally, thanks to our colleague, [PERSON], for his helpful feedback and support while writing this paper, as well as for our ongoing and future collaborations. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The following abbreviations are used in this manuscript: \begin{tabular}{l l} VR & Virtual Reality \\ HMD & Head-Mounted Display \\ HMD-VR & Head-Mounted Display Virtual Reality \\ TAM & Technology Acceptance Model \\ SEM & Structural Equation Modelling \\ MET & Maritime Education and Training \\
3D & Three Dimensional \\ STCW & Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention \\ PU & Perceived Usefulness \\ PEU & Perceived Ease of Use \\ \end{tabular}