The following study describes motivation and lexical availability in Chilean university students learning English as a second language (L2). A non-experimental, cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 136 English pedagogy students from San Sebastián University, from all available academic semesters. Data collection integrated: (1) a lexical availability test across three semantic fields (body parts, professions, household objects); (2) a 43-item Likert scale from 1 to 7 Attitude/Motivation Test Battery (AMTB); and (3) a sociocultural survey. Descriptive statistics and inferential analyses (ANOVA, Tukey post-hoc) were employed. Results revealed high overall motivation (x̄= 5.9, SD = 0.66), though a slight dip occurred mid-program (fifth semester). Lexical production increased significantly with academic progression (η2 = 0.182, p < .001), rising from M = 38.03 tokens (first semester) to M = 50.50 (ninth semester), plateauing after the seventh semester. Sociocultural level (SCL) exerted a smaller but significant effect (η2 = 0.053, p = .027), with high-SCL students producing 7.39 more tokens on average than low-SCL peers (p = .020). Semantic field analysis showed body parts elicited the highest token production (2,354) and cohesion (0.10), while professions yielded the most diverse lexicon (281 types). Prototypical terms (e.g., “teacher,” “head”) dominated high-availability responses. The study highlights the critical role of academic progression in lexical development and confirms sustained motivation among samples. It expands on motivation and lexical availability within a single Chilean context, offering pedagogical insights for curriculum design.

The decrease in natural infiltration into the soil due to the increase of impermeable surfaces in cities has been a problem during the rainy season. One way to solve this problem is through permeable pavements, which allow water to pass through concrete, allowing rainwater to seep into the soil. Despite this, it is not a widely used solution because of scarce information and technical support for practical applications, such as for parking lots. The requisite strength of the mixture associated with the application and forms of construction has not yet been established. In this research, the flexural strengths required for parking lot applications were achieved, with 2.4 MPa. for full slabs and 1.5 MPa. for short slabs, considering light vehicles, which are lower than those required by SERVIU (Housing and Urban Planning Service) for general permeable pavements. In the experimental work, two types of mixes were used, and a smaller-scale pavement was built to analyse constructability. The optimum blend achieved a flexural strength of 2.77 MPa. and permeabilities higher than those obtained in previous studies. Therefore, this type of concrete is considered a solution for parking lots.

Quality of education is an increasingly important aspect for universities, since it helps attract students, ultimately ensuring the sustainability of educational projects. Integrating students into the university in the first year is a critical factor for retention, since they must adapt to a new academic and social environment. This is done through an adequate welcoming process and the generation of a strong sense of belonging to integrate students into the new educational environment, which translates into better academic engagement. This study analyses the relationship between sense of belonging and the three dimensions of academic engagement (cognitive, emotional and behavioural) in first-year engineering students. The sample consisted of 554 students, comprised of 75.09% males and 24.91% females. Significant and moderate correlations were found between belonging and the three dimensions of engagement. Additionally, significant differences were identified in the level of academic engagement and sense of belonging among the various study programmes of the faculty of engineering. It is concluded that implementing welcoming programmes enhances the integration, motivation, and academic performance of students, promoting student retention. They serve as key elements to the sustainable development of educational projects. Resumen La calidad de la educación es un aspecto que cada vez cobra mayor relevancia para las universidades, ya que atrae a estudiantes, asegurando la sostenibilidad de los proyectos educativos. La integración de estudiantes a primer año se vuelve un factor crítico para la permanencia, dado que estos deben adaptarse a un nuevo entorno académico y social. Para ello, un adecuado proceso de bienvenida y la generación de un fuerte sentido de pertenencia favorecen la integración del estudiantado al nuevo entorno educativo, lo cual se traduce en un mayor compromiso académico. El presente estudio analiza la relación entre el sentido de pertenencia y las tres dimensiones del compromiso académico (cognitiva, emocional y conductual) en estudiantes de primer año de ingeniería. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 554 estudiantes, integrada por un 75,09% de hombres y un 24,91% de mujeres. Se encontraron correlaciones significativas y moderadas entre la pertenencia y las tres dimensiones del compromiso académico. Adicionalmente, se identificaron diferencias significativas en el nivel de compromiso académico y el sentido de pertenencia entre las diversas carreras de la facultad de ingeniería. Se concluye la importancia de implementar programas de bienvenida en el ámbito universitario, con el fin de potenciar la integración, la motivación y el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes, promoviendo así la retención de los estudiantes, elementos clave para promover el desarrollo sostenible de proyectos educativos.   Palabras Clave: sentido de pertenencia; compromiso académico; estudiantes de primer ño; educación superior

As the social-ecological transformation permeates ever more sectors of society, workplaces present themselves as critical leverage points, with labour unions playing an essential role in shaping just and sustainable working conditions. This exploratory, qualitative research, conducted in collaboration with the Economy for the Common Good (ECG) movement, investigated how unions define and practically advance both social and environmental employee-level sustainability. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with union representatives, and the collected data was processed with an inductive thematic analysis. The findings showed that unions frame employee-level social sustainability as a dynamic interplay of values, conditions, and mechanisms, fundamentally centred on human rights, dignity, and equity, and reflected in working conditions such as job security, living wages, and safe working environments. Environmental sustainability, though less prominent, is increasingly integrated through the independently developed “Just Transition” framework. Rather than separating the social and environmental, unions view them as inherently interwoven. However, union sustainability efforts are consistently shaped by practical and system constraints where political realities, internal member resistance, and practical limitations frequently steer towards reformist, incrementalist and system-compatible strategies over more transformative ones. Despite these constraints, sustainability on the employee level is gaining ground in union agendas, not as a dilution of traditional labour concerns, but as their evolutionary next step. Contemporary unions emerge as both navigators and co-creators of labour sustainability paradigms as they project traditional labour ideals onto novel realities.

This study analyses the relationship between well-being, burnout, and teacher engagement in southern Chile, while considering contextual variables such as the number of enrolled students and the vulnerability indices of educational institutions. Validated instruments such as the MBI-ES, UWES-9 and a teacher well-being scale were applied to study a sample of 223 teachers from different institutions. The results indicate generational differences: senior teachers tend to display stronger engagement alongside reduced burnout, whereas early-career educators exhibit the opposite trend. Particularly, teachers working in secondary education report lower well-being than their peers at other educational levels. Furthermore, it is observed that schools with high enrolment also tend to have lower levels of teacher well-being. A moderate correlation was found between the components of well-being and levels of burnout and engagement. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the socioeconomic and occupational aspects of objective well-being are the main predictors of the dimensions of burnout and engagement. The study also offers a comprehensive look at how the conditions of the educational environment influence the well-being of teaching professionals. These findings suggest that addressing specific aspects of well-being could be key to reducing burnout and fostering teacher engagement.

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in Kenya is an infrastructure megaproject that was completed through the cooperation between Kenya and China. This paper examines the environmental narratives of three key actors involved in the construction of the SGR: the Kenyan government, the Chinese government, and Kenyan conservationists. Utilizing Foucauldian discourse analysis and Jäger’s (2012) critical discourse framework, this paper investigates how these actors exercise discursive power to frame the discourse surrounding the SGR and its environmental impacts. The findings reveal a stark contrast between governmental narratives that emphasise economic advancements while largely omitting ecological concerns; and the narrative of conservationists that foregrounds environmental and wildlife destruction, which is often marginalised in the dominant framings of the discourse. The Kenyan and Chinese governments utilised strategies that prioritise national development and compliance with legal regulations, presenting themselves as responsible actors while downplaying dissent. Conservationists, in contrast, leverage public opinion, legal mechanisms, and critiques of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) to assert their agency and challenge dominant narratives. The analysis highlights imbalances in the discursive power of the actors, resulting in the constrained agency of civil society actors. This study contributes to understanding the perspective of non-state actors and their exercise of agency to show how they navigate and exercise power in the context of infrastructure megaprojects in Kenya.

This research identifies the attitudes of Northern Irish youth towards peacebuilding in Northern Ireland 26 years after the Troubles. This study used qualitative research to conduct two focus group discussions with 21 young people aged 13–18, six semi-structured interviews with youth and peacebuilding experts, and desk research. This study identifies the attitudes of young people in three areas: how they identify peacebuilding, how they identify their role in peacebuilding, and the influence of low political trust on their attitudes. The study found that young people identify peacebuilding as recognising historical tensions, addressing sectarian divisions, and tackling discrimination and negative behaviour. The role young people identified for themselves was expressing positive behaviour towards others, addressing broader societal challenges, creating and participating in dialogue in neutral spaces, and advocating for meaningful engagement. The study also found that low political trust impacts young people’s attitudes towards peacebuilding by reducing engagement and creating apathetic feelings. These findings conclude that the attitudes of young people towards peacebuilding are fundamental to establishing an inclusive quality peace in Northern Ireland.

This study examines the influence of dominant climate change communication frames on ideological divides. The research integrates a content analysis of 100 social media posts and news articles to identify dominant frames and a mixed-methods survey with 45 respondents to assess the perception of these frames among publics from diverse ideological backgrounds. Additionally, three expert interviews were conducted to enrich the findings. Some frames, such as the Climate Policy, the Moral Duties and Climate Justice, and the Science Uncertainty and Hoax frames, emerge as more divisive, often due to moralistic or alarmist tones and politicised messaging. Others, like the Destruction of Nature and Responsibility and Accountability frames, show greater potential to transcend divides when framed through a positive lens. Overall, the main findings highlight the importance of aligning messages with audience values, avoiding blame-driven narratives, using simple and relatable language and emphasising positive, solution-oriented approaches. By illustrating how different frames resonate with diverse ideological segments, this research offers valuable insights for practitioners and academics seeking to reduce polarisation through climate communication strategies.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is an emerging field in higher education focused on generating a greater level of awareness for sustainability-related matters and worldviews. However, there is a need to discover new approaches to expose learning communities to information in most effective and efficient ways. This study explores Transformative pedagogy (TP) in line with sustainable transition which emphasises transformation. It explores existing theory on the subject along with educators applying TP in their teaching practice, and new insights were drawn based on the experiences shared by the interviewees. The research shows that educators who decide in favour of transitioning towards TP, are most likely to be successful in conveying their message and enforcing transformation and change within and beyond their learning communities. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the individual and shared competencies necessary for implementing TP in higher educational settings. Moreover, this article provides limitations and risks associated with the practice.

The illegal practice of border pushbacks by sea along Greece’s borders has become standardised and normalised despite the severe human rights violations associated with it. Refugees and asylum seekers subjected to border pushbacks endure numerous forms of abuse, including physical, emotional, and verbal violence, which exacerbate the trauma from their perilous journeys in search of safety on European shores. The study aimed to identify the psychological impact of border pushbacks on refugees and asylum seekers in Greece, analysing both the repercussions of these human rights violations and the insufficiencies of mental health support for people on the move. This study adopted a deductive qualitative approach, with a primary dataset comprising individual expert interviews based on non-probability sampling and a secondary additional dataset of 73 online pushback testimonies from people on the move in Greece in 2019 and 2020. The findings confirmed that systematic neglect by Greek authorities of severe human rights violations during border pushbacks, coupled with inadequate psychological support services, has significantly harmed the psychological state of people on the move. Negative effects included heightened risks of psychological disorders such as anxiety, PTSD, and psychosis, alongside the resurfacing of past trauma from their difficult journeys. These experiences compounded existing trauma, creating new layers of distress and further exacerbating their vulnerability and fragility. Consequently, the persistent psychological challenges faced by refugees and asylum seekers in Greece contributed to a growing mental health crisis on the Greek islands and mainland.