Search results for: educational plans and policies

Authors: Agni Stylianou-Georgiou, Eliza Pitri

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This study is a design narrative that discusses researchers’ new learning based on changes made in pedagogies and learning opportunities in the context of a Cognitive Psychology and an Art History undergraduate course. The purpose of this study was to investigate how to encourage creative problem-based play in tertiary education engaging instructors and student-teachers in designing educational games. Course instructors modified content to encourage flexible thinking during game design problem-solving. Qualitative analyses of data sources indicated that Thinking Birds’ questions could encourage flexible thinking as instructors engaged in creative problem-based play. However, student-teachers demonstrated weakness in adopting flexible thinking during game design problem solving. Further studies of student-teachers’ shifting perspectives during different instructional design tasks would provide insights for developing the Thinking Birds’ questions as tools for creative problem solving.

Keywords: creative problem-based play, educational games, flexible thinking, tertiary education

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Authors: Chu-Ching Hsu

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This paper focuses on how the government-led language policies and the political changes in Taiwan manipulate the languages choice in translations and what translation strategies are employed by the translator to show his or her language ideology behind the power struggles and decision-making. Therefore, framed by Lefevere’s theoretical concept of translating as rewriting, and carried out a diachronic and chronological study, this paper specifically sets out to investigate the language ideology and translator’s idiolect of Chinese language translations of Anglo-American novels. The examples drawn to explore these issues were taken from different versions of Chinese renditions of Mark Twain’s English-language novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in which there are several different dialogues originally written in the colloquial language and dialect used in the American state of Mississippi and reproduced in Mark Twain’s works. Also, adapted corpus methodology, many examples are extracted as instances from the translated texts and source text, to illuminate how the translators in Taiwan deal with the dialectal features encoded in Twain’s works, and how different versions of Chinese translations are employed by Taiwanese translators to confirm the language polices and to express their language identity textually in different periods of the past five decades, from the 1960s onward. The finding of this study suggests that the use of Taiwanese dialect and language patterns in translations does relate to the movement of the mother-tongue language and language ideology of the translator as well as to the issue of language identity raised in the island of Taiwan. Furthermore, this study confirms that the change of political power in Taiwan does bring significantly impact in language policy-- assimilationism, pluralism or multiculturalism, which also makes Taiwan from a monolingual to multilingual society, where the language ideology and identity can be revealed not only in people’s daily communication but also in written translations.

Keywords: language politics and policies, literary translation, mother-tongue, multiculturalism, translator’s ideology

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Authors: Zakaria Khatraoui

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Interlanguage has transcendentally capitalized its central role over a considerable metropolitan landscape. Either academically driven or pedagogically oriented, Interlanguage has principally floated as important than ever before. It academically probes theoretical and linguistic issues in the turf and further malleably flows from idea to reality to vindicate a bridging philosophy between theory and educational rehearsal. Characteristically, the present research grants a prolifically developed theoretical framework that is conversely sustained by empirical teaching practices, along with teasing apart the narrowly confined implementation. The focus of this interlingual study is placed stridently on syntactic errors projected in students’ writing as performance. To attain this endeavor, the paper appropriates qualitatively a plethora of focal methodological choices sponsored by a solid design. The steadily undeniable ipso facto to be examined is the creative sense of syntactic errors unequivocally endorsed by the tangible dominance of cognitively intralingual errors over linguistically interlingual ones. Subsequently, this paper attempts earnestly to highlight transferable implications worth indicating both theoretical and pedagogically professional principles. In particular, results are fundamentally relative to the scholarly community in a multidimensional sense to recommend actions of educational value.

Keywords: interlanguage, interference, error, writing

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Authors: Hong-Nam Choi, Hyeong-Wook Song, Sungwan Hong, Hong-Kyu Kim

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In Korea, elements that decide the quality of residential environment are not only diverse, but show deviation as well. However, people do not consider these elements and instead, they try to settle the uniformed style of residential environment, which focuses on the construction development of apartment housing and business based plans. Recently, block-unit redevelopment is becoming the standout alternative plan of standardize redevelopment projects, but constructions become inefficient because of indefinite planning criteria. In conclusion, the following research is about analyzing and categorizing the development method and legal ground of redevelopment project district, plan determinant and applicable standard. The purpose of this study is to become a basis in compatible analysis of planning standards that will happen in the future.

Keywords: shape restrictions, improvement of regulation, diversity of residential environment, classification of redevelopment project, planning criteria of redevelopment, special architectural district (SAD)

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Authors: Chigozie Azunna, Botes Lucius

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Child homelessness remains a significant challenge in South Africa in the upcoming decade. Despite children making up a substantial portion of South Africa's population, the issue of child homelessness continues to pose a socio-economic crisis with diverse impacts. Achieving the UN 2050 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially in terms of equality and non-discrimination, requires an effective approach to curb child homelessness. Addressing this issue will positively influence the economic trajectory of South Africa's evolving demographic landscape. This research uses content analysis through an extensive review of current literature on child homelessness in South Africa. Findings indicate alignment between national policies and international agendas in tackling child homelessness in South Africa. However, the following statistics depict the ongoing challenge: In metropolitan areas, homelessness stands at 74.1%, whereas non-metro regions account for 25.9%. The City of Tshwane has the highest number of homeless individuals at 18.1%, followed by the City of Johannesburg at 15.6%, while Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan has the lowest at 2.7%. Despite existing national policy frameworks, child homelessness persists. The lack of accurate data, compounded by issues such as economic challenges, the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, poverty, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and gaps in policy implementation, has exacerbated the problem. The consequences are dire, affecting children’s physical and emotional health, education, and future opportunities. The study recommends reinforcing actionable policies to address child homelessness effectively. Bridging the urban-rural divide and establishing intra-community networks are crucial for tackling this issue comprehensively. This includes addressing multifaceted challenges such as access to education, disease susceptibility, and the overall vulnerability of homeless children.

Keywords: South Africa, child, homeless, SDGs, COVID, urban, rural

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Authors: John Ahluwalia

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As an affluent first-world nation, Canada took swift and comprehensive action during the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic compared to other countries in the same socio-economic cohort. The United States has stumbled to overcome obstacles most developed nations have faced, which has led to significantly more per capita cases and deaths. The initial outbreaks of COVID-19 occurred in the US and Canada within days of each other and posed similar potentially catastrophic threats to public health, the economy, and governmental stability. On a macro level, events that take place in the US have a direct impact on Canada. For example, both countries tend to enter and exit economic recessions at approximately the same time, they are each other’s largest trading partners, and their currencies are inexorably linked. Why is it that Canada has not shared the same fate as the US (and many other nations) that have realized much worse outcomes relative to the COVID-19 pandemic? Variables intrinsic to Canada’s national infrastructure have been instrumental in the country’s efforts to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Canada’s coordinated multi-level governmental effort has allowed it to create and enforce policies related to COVID-19 at both the national and provincial levels. Canada’s policy of universal healthcare is another variable. Health care and public health measures are enforced on a provincial level, and it is within each province’s jurisdiction to dictate standards for public safety based on scientific evidence. Rather than introducing confusion and the possibility of competition for resources such as PPE and vaccines, Canada’s multi-level chain of government authority has provided consistent policies supporting national public health and local delivery of medical care. This paper will demonstrate that the coordinated efforts on provincial and federal levels have been the linchpin in Canada’s relative success in containing the deadly spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Keywords: COVID-19, Canada, GIS, temporal analysis, ESRI

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Authors: Puteri Zarina M. K., Haddi J. K., Zolkepli N., Shu M. H. B., Hosshan H., Saad M. A.

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This paper provides an overview of the current state of ESL instruction for children with autism in Malaysia. Equal rights, independence, and active participation are guaranteed by the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Every child is entitled to receive education in an inclusive atmosphere that embraces diversity and ensures equal opportunity for all. The primary objective of the research was to investigate if English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers employ distinct instructional methods and strategies while teaching children diagnosed with autism. Moreover, the objective was to assess the similarities in the challenges faced by teachers when teaching ESL to children with autism in Malaysia. The study aimed to increase understanding of the challenges faced by ESL teachers in teaching autistic students. The study was structured as a qualitative research endeavour. A total of twelve (12) ESL teachers from selected primary schools in Malaysia were involved in this study. The research findings accurately depict the actual state of teaching ESL to autistic children. They confirm the imperative need for additional support in order to facilitate the successful integration of these children into the educational system.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, ESL, inclusion, Malaysia, special educational needs

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Authors: Devasheesh Mathur

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The presentation reviews the literature on the phenomenon of policy innovation. Policy innovation refers to a shift in the way policy is made or executed. The paper covers comprehensively on the definition and also the various types of policy innovations. The emphasis is on the antecedents or the determinants of innovation in policies. The author has then made an effort to discover the knowledge gap in the field of policy innovation so as to identify the future scope of research. The objective is to lend more clarity in the area of policy innovation and help in creating a framework for policy-makers as well as academics.

Keywords: literature review, policy innovation, determinants, antecedents

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Authors: Sawsan J. Al-Husseini

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Transformational leadership (TL) has been found to have an important influence on knowledge and knowledge management (KM). It can contribute to organizational learning, employees’ creativity, encourage followers to participate in educational programs and develop the skills needed to achieve exceptional performance. This research sought to examine the impact of TL on knowledge donating and collecting and the differences between these impacts in public and private higher education institutes (HEIs) in Iraq. A mixed method approach was taken and 580 valid responses were collected to test the causal relationships between the factors, then 12 interviews were conducted with the leaders of HEIs to give more insight of the findings from quantitative stage. Employing structural equation modelling with AMOS v.24, the research found that TL would be ideal in an educational context, promoting knowledge sharing activities in both sectors. The interviews revealed differences between public and private HEIs in terms of the effects relationships. Guidelines are developed for academics as well as leaders and provided evidence to support the use of TL to encourage knowledge sharing activities within higher education in developing countries particularly Iraq.

Keywords: transformational leadership, knowledge sharing, higher education, multi-group

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Authors: Jackie Oakley, Alice V. Brown

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Those experiencing homelessness are regularly excluded from the development of policies and services that impact their lives. This is particularly true for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness in Australia, who tend to have differing needs, cultural obligations, and views of what equates to a ‘home’ and ‘homelessness’ than non-Aboriginal Australians. Aboriginal people are the traditional owners of Australia yet have had to survive within colonial housing customs, housing and homelessness policies, and markets that often conflict with their culture. Recognising this, in 2022, we commenced community-led research into the needs of Aboriginal people experiencing homelessness in Perth. Historically, research has often been done on Aboriginal people rather than with them. As such, a Participatory Action Research methodology was chosen, which recognises that those being researched are the experts of their circumstances rather than the research team, and facilitates their driving of the research, its questions, and how their community can directly benefit. A Community Ownership Group (COG) was formed to guide this process and negotiate the best ways that the Aboriginal community can be fairly and adequately involved. The COG approved a process developed by an Aboriginal Elder called Ngala Kadidjiny (Knowledge Vault), which outlines who and when various groups should be consulted throughout the research to ensure adequate involvement of the Aboriginal community at all stages. The process includes many markers of research integrity, including ensuring a Community Ownership Group is formed with diversity and recruiting its members through votes taking place within Elders groups across the metropolitan area. The process also demands that the community have the chance to review research findings before any findings are published. Additionally, the process asks that draft reports and findings are delivered to the broader community and Community Ownership Groups before being finalised, published, and shared officially with stakeholders and the government. This paper details how Ngala Kadidjiny’s process impacted the research, how it was explained and agreed upon by the Aboriginal community, the benefits and challenges of such a process, and its implications for other community-led research for and with Aboriginal people experiencing homelessness.

Keywords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Aboriginal elders, homelessness, community-led research, community consultation

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Authors: Ertuğrul Ferhat Yilmaz, Ali Riza Perçin

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In the business enterprises implemented modern business enterprise principles, the most important issues are increasing the performance of workers and getting maximum income. Through the twentieth century, rapid development of the sectors of data processing and communication and because of the free trade politics arising of multilateral business enterprises have canceled the economical borders and changed the local rivalry into the spherical rivalry. In this rivalry conditions, the business enterprises have to work active and productive in order to continue their existences. The employees worked at business enterprises have formed the most important factor of product. Therefore, the business enterprises inferring the importance of the human factors in order to increase the profit have used “the performance evolution system” to increase the success and development of the employees. The evolution of the performance is aimed to increase the manpower productive by using the employees in an active way. Furthermore, this system assists the wage politics implemented in business enterprise, determining the strategically plans in business enterprises through the short and long terms, being promoted and determining the educational needs of employees, making decisions as dismissing and work rotation. It requires a great deal of effort to catch the pace of change in the working realm and to keep up ourselves up-to-date. To get the quality in people,to have an effect in workplace depends largely on the knowledge and competence of managers and prospective managers. Therefore,managers need to use the performance evaluation systems in order to base their managerial decisions on sound data. This study aims at finding whether the organizations effectively use performance evaluation systms,how much importance is put on this issue and how much the results of the evaulations have an effect on employees. Whether the organizations have the advantage of competition and can keep on their activities depend to a large extent on how they effectively and efficiently use their employees.Therefore,it is of vital importance to evaluate employees' performance and to make them better according to the results of that evaluation. The performance evaluation system which evaluates the employees according to the criteria related to that organization has become one of the most important topics for management. By means of those important ends mentioned above,performance evaluation system seems to be a tool that can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of organization. Because of its contribution to organizational success, thinking performance evaluation on the axis of efficiency shows the importance of this study on a different angle. In this study, we have explained performance evaluation system ,efficiency and the relation between those two concepts. We have also analyzed the results of questionnaires conducted on the textile workers in Edirne city.We have got positive answers from the questions about the effects of performance evaluation on efficiency.After factor analysis ,the efficiency and motivation which are determined as factors of performance evaluation system have the biggest variance (%19.703) in our sample. Thus, this study shows that objective performance evaluation increases the efficiency and motivation of employees.

Keywords: performance, performance evolution system, productivity, Edirne region

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Authors: Shweta Vardia

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The 2021 decision by the World Heritage Center to align buffer zones with the 2015 Strategy for Sustainable Development marks a significant advancement in the protection of cultural and natural heritage sites. Buffer zones play a critical role in preserving the outstanding universal value, authenticity, and integrity of heritage sites, shielding them from threats such as urbanization, industrialization, and tourism. The 2015 Strategy emphasizes the integration of culture and heritage into sustainable development policies, highlighting the importance of community participation, traditional knowledge, and effective management in the conservation of heritage sites. This paper examines the implications of this strategic alignment for tentative World Heritage Sites in India. It explores how buffer zones can serve as tools for sustainable tourism, economic growth, and environmental protection while also addressing the socio-economic needs of local communities. By adopting a people-centered approach, the study underscores the need for active community involvement in heritage conservation, recognizing local residents as long-term custodians of cultural heritage. The role of buffer zones in promoting sustainable livelihoods, enhancing resilience to environmental changes, and fostering a sense of belonging among communities is also discussed. The challenges associated with buffer zones, including restrictive boundaries, unclear legislative frameworks, and potential disconnection from sociocultural contexts, are critically analyzed. The paper advocates for a holistic and integrated approach to buffer zone management, ensuring that policies are not only theoretically sound but also practically feasible. It concludes by emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts among conservation professionals, local communities, and policymakers to achieve sustainable development goals that respect both the heritage site's integrity and the well-being of surrounding populations.

Keywords: buffer zones, India, local communities, urbanization, world heritage sites

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Authors: Joshua Osondu

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This research explores how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be utilized as a policy response to address teaching and learning (TL) issues in education in Ghana. The dual (AI and human) instructor model is used as a theoretical framework to examine how AI can be employed to improve teaching and learning processes and to equip learners with the necessary skills in the emerging AI society. A qualitative research design was employed to assess the impact of AI on various TL issues, such as teacher workloads, a lack of qualified educators, low academic performance, unequal access to education and educational resources, a lack of participation in learning, and poor access and participation based on gender, place of origin, and disability. The study concludes that AI can be an effective policy response to TL issues in Ghana, as it has the potential to increase students’ participation in learning, increase access to quality education, reduce teacher workloads, and provide more personalized instruction. The findings of this study are significant for filling in the gaps in AI research in Ghana and other developing countries and for motivating the government and educational institutions to implement AI in TL, as this would ensure quality, access, and participation in education and help Ghana industrialize.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, teacher, learner, students, policy response

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Authors: Paula Andrea Segura Delgado, Martha Helena Ramírez-Bahena

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Research on how the brain learns has a transcendental application in the educational context. It is crucial for teacher training to understand the nature of brain changes and their direct influence on learning processes. This communication is based on a literature review focused on neuroscience, neuroeducation, and the impact of digital technology on the human brain. Information was gathered from both English and Spanish language sources, using online journals, books and reports. The general objective was to analyze the role of neuroscience knowledge in enriching our understanding of the learning process. In fact, the authors have focused on the impact of digital technology on the human brain as well as its influence in the field of education..Neuroscience knowledge can contribute significantly to improving the training of educators and therefore educational practices. Education as an instrument of change and school as an agent of socialization, it is necessary to understand what it aims to transform: the human brain. Understanding the functioning of the human brain has important repercussions on education: this elucidates cognitive skills, psychological processes and elements that influence the learning process (memory, executive functions, emotions and the circadian cycle); helps identify psychological and neurological deficits that can impede learning processes (dyslexia, autism, hyperactivity); It allows creating environments that promote brain development and contribute to the advancement of brain capabilities in alignment with the stages of neurobiological development. The digital age presents diverse opportunities to every social environment. The frequent use of digital technology (DT) has had a significant and abrupt impact on both the cognitive abilities and physico-chemical properties of the brain, significantly influencing educational processes. Hence, educational community, with the insights from advances in neuroscience, aspire to identify the positive and negative effects of digital technology on the human brain. This knowledge helps ensure the alignment of teacher training and practices with these findings. The knowledge of neuroscience enables teachers to develop teaching methods that are aligned with the way the brain works. For example, neuroscience research has shown that digital technology is having a significant impact on the human brain (addition, anxiety, high levels of dopamine, circadian cycle disorder, decrease in attention, memory, concentration, problems with their social relationships). Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of these changes, their impact on the learning process, and how educators should effectively adapt their approaches based on these brain's changes.

Keywords: digital technology, learn process, neuroscience knowledge, neuroeducation, training proffesors

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Authors: Resham Badri

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Cities today are unable to justify equitable distribution of theirsocio- economic and infrastructural benefits to the marginalized urban poor, and the emergence of a pressing pandemic like COVID-19 has amplified its impact. Lack of identity, vulnerability, and inaccessibility contribute to exclusion. Owing to systemic gaps in institutional processes, urban development policiesfail to represent and cater to the urban poor. This paper aims to be a roadmap for the Indian Government to understand the significance of the designation of a navigable spatial identity to slum dwellers in the form of a digital address, which can form the fundamental basis of identification to enable accessibility to not only basic servicesbut also other utilities. Capitalizing on such a granular and technology backed approach shall allow to target and reach out to the urban poor strategically andaid effective urban governance. This paper adopts a three-pronged approach;(i) Policy analysis- understanding gaps in existing urban policies of India, such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission, and Adhaar Card policy, (ii) Program Evaluation- analyzing a case study, where slum dwellers in Kolhapur city in India have been provided with navigable addresses using Google Plus Codes and have gained access to basic services, vaccinations, and other emergency deliveries in COVID-19 times, (iii) Policy recommendation. This designation of a navigable spatial identity has tremendous potential to form the foundation on which policies can further base their data collection and service delivery processes to not only provide basic services but also other infrastructural and social welfare initiatives. Hence, a massive window of opportunity lies in addressing the unaddressed to elevate their living standards and respond to their basic needs.

Keywords: policy analysis, urban poor, navigable spatial identity, accessibility

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Authors: Hannah M. Russell

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‘The Attach Project’ (TAP), is an educational intervention aimed at improving educational and socio-emotional outcomes for children who are looked after. TAP is underpinned by Attachment Theory and is adapted from Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), which is a treatment for children and young people impacted by complex trauma and disorders of attachment. TAP has been implemented in primary schools in Northern Ireland throughout the 2018/19 academic year. During this time, a design and implementation study has been conducted to assess the promise of effectiveness for the future dissemination and ‘scaling-up’ of the programme for a larger, randomised control trial. TAP has been designed specifically for implementation in a school setting and is comprised of a whole school element and a more individualised Key Adult-Key Child pairing. This design and implementation study utilises a mixed-methods research design consisting of quantitative, qualitative, and observational measures with stakeholder input and involvement being considered an integral component. The use of quantitative measures, such as self-report questionnaires prior to and eight months following the implementation of TAP, enabled the analysis of the strengths and direction of relations between the various components of the programme, as well as the influence of implementation factors. The use of qualitative measures, incorporating semi-structured interviews and focus groups, enabled the assessment of implementation factors, identification of implementation barriers, and potential methods of addressing these issues. Observational measures facilitated the continual development and improvement of ‘TAP training’ for school staff. Preliminary findings have provided evidence of promise for the effectiveness of TAP and indicate the potential benefits of introducing this type of attachment-based intervention across other educational settings. This type of intervention could benefit not only children who are looked after but all children who may be impacted by complex trauma or disorders of attachment. Furthermore, findings from this study demonstrate that it is possible for children to form a secondary attachment relationship with a significant adult in school. However, various implementation factors which should be addressed were identified throughout the study, such as the necessity of protected time being introduced to facilitate the development of a positive Key Adult- Key Child relationship. Furthermore, additional ‘re-cap’ training is required in future dissemination of the programme, to maximise ‘attachment friendly practice’ in the whole staff team. Qualitative findings have also indicated that there is a general opinion across school staff that this type of Key Adult- Key Child pairing could be more effective if it was introduced as soon as children begin primary school. This research has provided ample evidence for the need to introduce relationally based interventions in schools, to help to ensure that children who are looked after, or who are impacted by complex trauma or disorders of attachment, can thrive in the school environment. In addition, this research has facilitated the identification of important implementation factors and barriers to implementation, which can be addressed prior to the ‘scaling-up’ of TAP for a robust, randomised controlled trial.

Keywords: attachment, complex trauma, educational interventions, implementation

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Authors: Routsukol Sunalai

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This research was to study the relationship between the organizational culture like bureaucratic system, and patronage system in government hospitals with hospital accreditation and its impact on the quality of service in the government hospital accredited. Qualitative research was applied in this study by in-depth interviews with samples containing 20 public welfare service providers, i.e. doctors, nurses and practical nurses and 20 service recipients in the units of study. It was found that the bureaucracy still existed and was evidenced by the structure of the line of command; work systems, clear cut duty divisions, procedures and plans, and the patronage system hindered the quality of service in the government hospitals under the process of development and accreditation. The administrators should encourage and support the creation of a learning process in the organization for self-improvement and work development.

Keywords: hospital in Dusit Area, organization culture, the quality of service, economics and financial engineering

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Authors: Peggy M. Randon, Lisa Randon

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Introduction: The post-COVID-19 era has presented unique challenges for addressing complex mental health issues, particularly due to exacerbated stress, increased social isolation, and disrupted continuity of care. This article outlines relevant health disparities and policy implications within the context of the United States while maintaining international relevance. Methods: A comprehensive literature review (including studies, reports, and policy documents) was conducted to examine concerns related to childhood-onset schizophrenia and the impact on patients and their families. Qualitative and quantitative data were synthesized to provide insights into the complex etiology of schizophrenia, the effects of the pandemic, and the challenges faced by socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Case studies were employed to illustrate real-world examples and areas requiring policy reform. Results: Early intervention in childhood is crucial for preventing or mitigating the long-term impact of complex psychotic disorders, particularly schizophrenia. A comprehensive understanding of the genetic, environmental, and physiological factors contributing to the development of schizophrenia is essential. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened symptoms and disrupted treatment for many adolescent patients with schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for adaptive interventions and the utilization of virtual platforms. Health disparities, including stigma, financial constraints, and language or cultural barriers, further limit access to care, especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Policy implications: Current US health policies inadequately support patients with schizophrenia. The limited availability of longitudinal care, insufficient resources for families, and stigmatization represent ongoing policy challenges. Addressing these issues necessitates increased research funding, improved access to affordable treatment plans, and cultural competency training for healthcare providers. Public awareness campaigns are crucial to promote knowledge, awareness, and acceptance of mental health disorders. Conclusion: The unique challenges faced by children and families in the US affected by schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders have yet to be adequately addressed on institutional and systemic levels. The relevance of findings to an international audience is emphasized by examining the complex factors contributing to the onset of psychotic disorders and their global policy implications. The broad impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health underscores the need for adaptive interventions and global responses. Addressing policy challenges, improving access to care, and reducing the stigma associated with mental health disorders are crucial steps toward enhancing the lives of adolescents and young adults with schizophrenia and their family members. The implementation of virtual platforms can help overcome barriers and ensure equitable access to support and resources for all patients, enabling them to lead healthy and fulfilling lives.

Keywords: childhood, schizophrenia, policy, United, States, health, disparities

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Authors: Mandana Karimi, Martha McMahon

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One of the most important consequences of water scarcity worldwide is the increase in conflicts over water issues, reduced access to clean water, food shortages, energy shortages, and reduced economic development. The extreme weather conditions in British Columbia are because of climate change, which is leading to water scarcity becoming a serious issue affecting British Columbians, aquatic ecosystems, the BC water policy, agriculture, and the economy. In light of climate change and water stress, the British Columbia government introduced a new water legislation in 2016 named the Water Sustainability Act to manage water resources in British Columbia. So, this study aimed to present a deep understanding emanating from the political and social dimensions of the new water policy in BC in the agriculture sector and which sociological paradigm governs the current water policy (WSA) in BC. Policy analysis based on the water problem representation approach was used to present the problem and solutions identified by the water policy in the agricultural sector in BC. The results of the policy analysis highlighted that the Water Sustainability Act is governed by a positivist and modernist approach because the groundwater license is the measurable situation to access the adequate quantity of water for the farmers. In addition, by the positivist paradigm water resources are conceptualized as a commodity to be bought and sold. Under the positivist approach, the measurable parameter of groundwater is also applied based on the top-down approach for water management to show the use of water resources for economic development. In addition, the findings of the policy analysis suggest that alternative paradigms, such as relational ontology, ecofeminism, and indigenous knowledge, could be applied in introducing water policies to shift from the positivist or modernist paradigm. These new paradigms present the potential for environmental policies like the Water Sustainability Act, based on partnership, and collaboration and with an explicit emphasis on protecting water for nature.

Keywords: water governance, Water Sustainability Act, water policy, small-scale farmer, policy analysis

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Authors: Patrick Oehler, Nicholas Folger

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Following a new public management approach, Germany has widely reformed its higher education system around the turn of the millennium. Aimed at preparing the country’s publicly funded universities and applied science colleges for a century of glory, the reforms led to the introduction of rigid performance measurement and management practices, which disrupted the inert system on all levels. Yet, many of the new policies met significant resistance, and some of them had to be reversed over time. Ever since Germany has struggled to find a balance between its pre- and its post-millennial approach to performance measurement and management. This contribution combines insights of a joint research project, which was created and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research with the aim to better understand the effects of its performance measurement and management policies, including those the ministry had implemented over the previous decades. The research project combines researchers from 17 German research institutions who employed a wide range of theories from various disciplines and very diverse research methods to explain performance measurement and management and their consequences on the behavior of various stakeholders in higher education systems. In these projects, performance measurement and management have been researched from three angles—education, research, and third mission. The collaborative project differentiated functional and dysfunctional elements of common performance measurement and management practices, and identified key problems with these practices, such as (1) oversimplification of performance indicators, (2) ‘overmeasurement’ of performance in general, (3) excessive use of quantitative indicators, and (4), a myopic focus on research-focused indicators and a negligence of measures targeting education and third mission. To address these issues, the collaborative project developed alternative approaches to performance measurement and management, including suggestions for qualitative performance measures, improved supervision, review, and evaluations methods, and recommendations how to better balance education, research, and third mission. The authors would like to share the rich findings of the joint research project with an international audience and discuss their implications for alternative higher education systems.

Keywords: performance measurement, performance management, new public management, performance evaluation

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Authors: Zainab Olabisi Tairu

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Strategic partnerships are a core requirement in delivering sustainable tourism for development in developing nations like Papua New Guinea. This paper unveils the strategic partnerships for sustainable tourism development in Papua New Guinea. Much emphasis is made among tourism stakeholders, on the importance of strategic partnership and positioning in developing sustainable tourism development. This paper engages stakeholders’ ecotourism differentiation and power relations in the discussion of the paper through interviews and observations with tourism stakeholders in Papua New Guinea. Collaborative approaches in terms of sustaining the tourism industry, having a milestone of achieved plans, are needed for tourism growth and development. This paper adds a new insight to the body of knowledge on stakeholders’ identification, formation, power relations and an integrated approach to successful tourism development. In order to achieve responsible tourism planning and management outcomes, partnerships must be holistic in perspective and based on sustainable development principles.

Keywords: stakeholders, sustainable tourism, Papua New Guinea, partnerships

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Authors: Yaowaluck Ruampol, Suthakorn Wasupokin

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The research on the development of speaking using folk tales based on performance activities aimed to (1) study the development of speaking skill for early- childhood students, and (2) evaluate the development of speaking skill before and after speaking activities. Ten students of Kindergarten level 2, who have enrolled in the subject of the research for speaking development of semester 2 in 2013 were purposively selected as the research cohort. The research tools were lesson plans for speaking activities and pre-post test for speaking development that were approved as content validity and reliability (IOC=.66-1.00,α=0.967). The research found that the development of speaking skill of the research samples before using performance activities on folk tales in developing speaking skill was in the normal high level. Additionally, the results appeared that the preschoolers after applying speaking skill on performance activities also imaginatively created their speaking skill.

Keywords: speaking development, folk tales, performance activities, early-childhood students

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Authors: Jyun-Huei Huang, Ting-I Lee

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Urban heat island effect is derived from the reduction of vegetative cover by urban development. Because plants can improve air quality and microclimate, green walls have been applied as a sustainable design approach to cool building temperature. By using plants to green vertical surfaces, they decrease room temperature and, as a result, decrease the energy use for air conditioning. Based on their structures, green walls can be divided into two categories, green façades and living walls. A green façade uses the climbing ability of a plant itself, while a living wall assembles planter modules. The latter one is widely adopted in public space, as it is time-effective and less limited. Although a living wall saves energy spent on cooling, it is not necessarily cost-effective from the perspective of a lifecycle analysis. The Italian study shows that the overall benefit of a living wall is only greater than its costs after 47 years of its establishment. In Taiwan, urban greening policies encourage establishment of green walls by referring to their benefits of energy saving while neglecting their low performance on cost-effectiveness. Thus, this research aims at understanding the perception of appliers and consumers on the cost-effectiveness of their living wall products from the lifecycle viewpoint. It adopts semi-structured interviews and field observations on the maintenance of the products. By comparing the two results, it generates insights for sustainable urban greening policies. The preliminary finding shows that stakeholders do not have a holistic sense of lifecycle or cost-effectiveness. Most importantly, a living wall well maintained is often with high input due to the availability of its maintenance budget, and thus less sustainable. In conclusion, without a comprehensive sense of cost-effectiveness throughout a product’s lifecycle, it is very difficult for suppliers and consumers to maintain a living wall system while achieve sustainability.

Keywords: case study, maintenance, post-occupancy evaluation, vertical greening

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Authors: Chirine Dannaoui, Maya Antoun

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This paper explores the intricate dynamics of play-based early childhood education (ECE) and the impact of professional development on teachers implementing play-based pedagogy, particularly in the context of vulnerable Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. By utilizing qualitative methodologies, including classroom observations and in-depth interviews with five early childhood educators and a field manager, this study delves into the challenges and transformations experienced by teachers in adopting play-based learning strategies. The research unveils the critical role of continuous and context-specific professional development in empowering teachers to implement play-based pedagogies effectively. When appropriately supported, it emphasizes how such educational approaches significantly enhance children's cognitive, social, and emotional development in crisis-affected environments. Key findings indicate that despite diverse educational backgrounds, teachers show considerable growth in their pedagogical skills through targeted professional development. This growth is vital for fostering a learning environment where vulnerable children can thrive, particularly in humanitarian settings. The paper also addresses educators' challenges, including adapting to play-based methodologies, resource limitations, and balancing curricular requirements with the need for holistic child development. This study contributes to the discourse on early childhood education in crisis contexts, emphasizing the need for sustainable, well-structured professional development programs. It underscores the potential of play-based learning to bridge educational gaps and contribute to the healing process of children facing calamity. The study highlights significant implications for policymakers, educators, schools, and not-for-profit organizations engaged in early childhood education in humanitarian contexts, stressing the importance of investing in teacher capacity and curriculum reform to enhance the quality of education for children in general and vulnerable ones in particular.

Keywords: play-based learning, professional development, vulnerable children, early childhood education

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Authors: Mehmet Kargaci

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Transformation of technology and strategy has been the main factor for the evolution of war. In addition to land, maritime, air and space domains, cyberspace has become the fifth domain with emerge of internet. The current security environment has become more complex and uncertain than ever before. Moreover, warfare has evaluated from conventional to irregular, asymmetric and hybrid war. Weak actors such as terrorist organizations and non-state actors has increasingly conducted cyber-attacks against strong adversaries. Besides, states has developed cyber capabilities in order to defense critical infrastructure regarding the cyber threats. Cyber warfare will be key in future security environment. Although what to do has been placed in operational plans, how to do has lacked and ignored as to cyber defense and attack. The purpose of the article is to put forward a model for how to conduct cyber capabilities in a conventional war. First, cyber operations capabilities will be discussed. Second put forward the necessities of cyberspace environment and develop a model for how to plan an operation using cyber operation capabilities, finally the assessment of the applicability of cyber operation capabilities and offers will be presented.

Keywords: cyber war, cyber threats, cyber operation capabilities, operation planning

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Authors: Tien-Hui Chiang

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Human capital discourse encourages many countries to expand the capacity of HEIs. Along with this expansion, the higher education system is redefined as a free market and in turn it is privatized and commercialized. However, the state’s role in education is to balance social justice and capital accumulation. This role is further regulated by a specific form of neoliberalism constituted by social contexts. These correlations call for exploring the influence of human capital discourse on interwoven issues, such as the state’s role in education, higher education policy, and employability. Method: According to the perspective of neoliberal governmentality, answers to the above four research questions are likely to be embedded within discourses in documents related to higher education policies. Consequently, this study adopts a qualitative approach by analyzing official documents, including government reports, official statistics, circulars and official statements. Documents were collected and subjected to content analysis, with a particular focus on the period from 2005 to 2021. The technique of content analysis was applied to decode keywords and core concepts of these documents. Findings: Neoliberalism is exerted through human capital discourse in China particularly in the changes in higher education policies moving from quantitative expansion to quality control via employment or employability. Such changes highlight that the principle of “n”eoliberalism is more suitable for illustrating the practice of free market logic in different social contexts. The modifications of neoliberalism adopted by the Chinese government reflect that the state’s mission is to secure social security or the common good, so that public managerialism - in the form of programs for employment, internship and entrepreneurship - is adopted in the name of the public interest and the collective mission. Public managerialism now is not only targeted towards social institutions but the population more generally, incarnated here by college graduates. Its practice is not only to renovate organizational cultures but to activate people’s commitment to national development.

Keywords: employability, higher education expansion, neoliberalism, human capital discourse

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Authors: Razan Salem

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This study aims to investigate the investment behavior of Arab women (in regards to their herding behavior, risk tolerance, confidence and investment literacy levels). This study aims to investigate the relationship between three demographic factors (age, income, education) and the investment behavior of Arab women. On average, women in the Arab region face several obstacles that limit them from fully participating in stocks investments. In the context, this study focuses on extending the existing literature to include Arab women individuals and their investment behaviors. To achieve the study’s objective, the researcher distributed 600 close-ended online questionnaires to a sample of Arab male and female individual investors in both Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The researcher used quantitative statistical methods (frequency distribution along with the Kruskal-Wallis H Test and the Mann-Whitney U Test) to analyze the 550 questionnaire respondents. The findings indicated that only age, educational level, and annual income level are associated with the investment behavior of Arab women, where age is only negatively associated with their financial risk tolerance levels. Additionally, income level is positively associated with Arab women‘s confidence and investment literacy levels, while educational level is only associated positively with their investment confidence levels. According to annual income, Arab women with lower incomes have lower confidence and investment literacy levels. The limited income level might prevent the sample Arab women from investing in the financial information and advisors that may help in improving their investment literacy levels. Furthermore, Arab women with lower educational levels have lower investment literacy levels and thus, this may limit their stock investments. Overall, the study contributes to the existing literature by focusing directly on examining the investment behavior of Arab women and its association with age, annual income, and education. Generally, there are scarce existing studies that investigate the association of demographic factors with the investment behavior of women only in regards to their herding behavior, risk tolerance, investment confidence, and investment literacy levels (combined), especially Arab women investors.

Keywords: Arab region, demographic factors, investment behavior, women investors

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Authors: Shem Ikoojo Ayegba, Ye Qi

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Public-private partnerships (PPPs) can potentially be a transformative mechanism for advancing affordable housing in Nigeria., considering the current housing deficit between 17 – 24 million. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is marred by persistent unethical practices such as corruption and the utilization of subpar materials. Through a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, this study delves into the ethical quandaries within Nigerian housing construction and their cascading effects on the success of PPPs. Semi-structured interviews encompassing seasoned construction professionals and an in-depth content analysis of ongoing housing policies and projects in Nigeria reveal a culture of corruption across the value chain. This malaise is exacerbated by glaring deficiencies in oversight and a lack of transparent practices. A robust statistical survey involving diverse professionals, including engineers, architects, and project managers, echoes these findings, emphasizing that a frail institutional framework facilitates the persistence of substandard material use, professional negligence, and rampant bribery. Such compromised construction standards place residents in potential jeopardy and impede the achievement of broader sustainability objectives. This study propounds a suite of policy interventions to pave the way for thriving affordable housing PPPs: initiating transparent bidding processes, establishing non-negotiable quality benchmarks for construction materials, and incorporating independent third-party audits throughout the building phase. Furthermore, cultivating a culture of professional integrity through targeted ethics training for all construction personnel is imperative. This research furnishes pragmatic strategies that can radically enhance the potency of housing PPPs, thereby ensuring safe, durable, and affordable housing solutions for Nigeria's underserved populace.

Keywords: public-private partnerships, affordable housing, unethical practicies, housing policies, construction ethics

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Authors: Kabiru Adamu

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The Nigerian electricity industry was deregulated and privatized in 2005 and 2014 in line with global trend and practice. International and multilateral lending institutions advised developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, to adopt deregulation and privatization as part of reforms in their electricity sectors. The ideological basis of these reforms are traceable to neoliberalism. Neoliberalism is an ideology that believes in the supremacy of free market and strong non-interventionist competition law as against government ownership of the electricity market. This ideology became a state practice and a blue print for the deregulation and privatization of the electricity markets in many parts of the world. The blue print was used as a template for the privatization of the Nigerian electricity industry. In this wise, this paper, using documentary analysis and review of academic literatures, examines neoliberalism as an ideology and model of economic governance for the electricity supply industry in Nigeria. The paper examines the origin of the ideology, it features and principles and how it was used as the blue print in designing policies for electricity reforms in both developed and developing countries. The paper found out that there is gap between the ideology in theory and in practice because although the theory is rational in thinking it is difficult to be implemented in practice. The paper argues that the ideology has a mismatched effect and this has made its application in the electricity industry in many developing countries problematic and unsuccessful. In the case of Nigeria, the article argues that the template is also not working. The article concludes that the electricity sectors in Nigeria have failed to develop into competitive market for the benefit of consumers in line with the assumptions and promises of the ideology. The paper therefore recommends the democratization of the electricity sectors in Nigeria through a new system of public ownership as the solution to the failure of the neoliberal policies; but this requires the design of a more democratic and participatory system of ownership with communities and state governments in charge of the administration, running and operation of the sector.

Keywords: electricity, energy governance, neo-liberalism, regulation

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Authors: Joseph Udofia, Isaac Olufadewa

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Everyday, the size of Electronic Health Records data keeps increasing as new patients visit health practitioner and returning patients fulfil their appointments. As these data grow, so is their susceptibility to cyber-attacks from criminals waiting to exploit this data. In the US, the damages for cyberattacks were estimated at $8 billion (2018), $11.5 billion (2019) and $20 billion (2021). These attacks usually involve the exposure of PII. Health data is considered PII, and its exposure carry significant impact. To this end, an enhancement of Health Policy and Standards in relation to data security, especially among patients and their clinical providers, is critical to ensure ethical practices, confidentiality, and trust in the healthcare system. As Clinical accelerators and applications that contain user data are used, it is expedient to have a review and revamp of policies like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR), all aimed to ensure data protection and security in healthcare. FHIR caters for healthcare data interoperability, FHIR caters to healthcare data interoperability, as data is being shared across different systems from customers to health insurance and care providers. The astronomical cost of implementation has deterred players in the space from ensuring compliance, leading to susceptibility to data exfiltration and data loss on the security accuracy of protected health information (PHI). Though HIPAA hones in on the security accuracy of protected health information (PHI) and PCI DSS on the security of payment card data, they intersect with the shared goal of protecting sensitive information in line with industry standards. With advancements in tech and the emergence of new technology, it is necessary to revamp these policies to address the complexity and ambiguity, cost barrier, and ever-increasing threats in cyberspace. Healthcare data in the wrong hands is a recipe for disaster, and we must enhance its protection and security to protect the mental health of the current and future generations.

Keywords: cloud security, healthcare, cybersecurity, policy and standard

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