How Educator Attitudes Shape Institutional Readiness for Adaptive Learning Technologies in Maritime Education: The Mediating Role of Perceived Usefulness

Maritime Education and Training (MET) is undergoing rapid digital transformation, yet adoption of adaptive learning technologies (ALT) remains uneven, constrained by the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) regime and by human and organizational barriers. A persistent question in the technology-acceptance literature is how individual acceptance becomes organizational readiness in safety-critical, regulated settings. This study models the translation from educator attitudes to perceived institutional readiness through the mediating role of perceived usefulness. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to survey data from 104 maritime educators. The model explained 42.8% of the variance in perceived institutional readiness and 34.8% in perceived usefulness. Educator attitudes significantly predicted perceived institutional readiness (β = 0.298), and the relationship was partially mediated by perceived usefulness (indirect β = 0.202, 95% CI 0.12 to 0.35): educators must first be convinced of an ALT’s practical value before judging their institution ready to adopt it. A hypothesized moderation by professional experience was not supported and is reported as exploratory. Because predictor and outcome were self-reported by the same respondents, the outcome is interpreted as perceived readiness rather than a verified organizational state. The study contributes a validated model of the individual-to-organizational translation mechanism in MET and guidance for MET leaders integrating ALT under STCW.