Century Challenges Research Articles

Innovative Strategies in Education Management: Adapting to 21st Century Challenges

In the face of rapidly evolving technological advancements, shifting societal expectations, and increasing demands for personalized learning, education management systems must adapt to remain effective and relevant. The 21st century has brought about rapid changes in technology, society, and the job market. These changes necessitate a reevaluation of traditional educational practices and the adoption of new strategies that can effectively address current challenges. This research article explores innovative strategies in education management that address the challenges of the 21st century. By examining the implementation and impact of technology integration, data-driven decision-making, personalized learning approaches, and collaborative leadership models, this study provides a comprehensive overview of how education management can evolve to meet contemporary demands and enhance educational outcomes. As the demands of the 21st century continue to evolve, it is essential to prepare students for success in a dynamic and complex world. Innovative strategies in education management play a crucial role in equipping students with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed for future success.

Cameroon and its 21st Century Challenges towards Achieving Sustainable Development: Appraisals and Proposals

Purpose: This study presents an appraisal of some of the dynamics which Cameroon continues to face in the 21st Century in its quest to achieve sustainable. Using various indicia, the study identifies and proffers explanation why the country continues to face surmountable challenges in its pursuit towards achieving sustainable development. To attain this objective, a broad review of published literature was employed using various journal articles, textbooks, internet sources, etc. Methodology: The study adopts a qualitative research methodology in the interpretation of data. These data are both primary and secondary derived from laws, text books, journal articles, reports, working papers and other internet sources. This study adopts an analytical approach in the interpretation of the available data. Findings: The study observes that irrespective of existence of deterrent penal laws, policy formulations from international organization and support from foreign donor institutions, the country is not yet on the path towards sustainably sound environmental practices. Cameroon is engulf in a number of challenges both internal and external, which has accounted for continuous impoverishment of its population, social progress and economic advancement of the country generally. The Study employs the post-colonial and dependency theories of development to justify some of the key findings. The internal challenges revealed in the study ranges from the continuous prevalence of poverty and hunger, corruption and misappropriation, lack of judicial independence, the prevalence of conflicts, environmental degradation and poor enforcement measures. Similarly, this study also found the underlying external challenges to include the Structural Adjustment Programmes, the influence of Foreign Financial Institutions, and neo-colonialism. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study therefore concludes that strengthening enforcement measures, effective implementation of poverty alleviation policies, fight against corruption and misappropriation, and citizen participation can positive contribute to sustainable development in the Cameroon.

Attracting a new generation to materials science

Abstract ASM International, an organization like DGM, has more than 15,000 members worldwide. The society was founded in 1913 as the Steel Treaters Club in Detroit. Their headquarters have been in the Cleveland, Ohio, area since 1920. ASM International has 6 Affiliate Societies including the International Metallographic Society. In 1952 the need for a focused effort in education in Material Science was recognized and the ASM Materials Education Foundation (ASM Foundation) was established. Their mission is as follows: develop and deploy materials science content and hands-on, minds-on instructional strategies to inspire, engage, and empower future generations to create STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) solutions for 21st century challenges. The ASM Foundation has developed a multiprong approach to fulfil this mission and to draw young people to the field of materials science. Materials Camps for Students Teacher Education and Empowerment Mini Camps During Conferences Expansion of Camps to Europe, India and Beyond In addition, the ASM Foundation awards scholarships to undergraduate and community college students in materials science.

Twenty First Century Challenges in the Context of Sustainable Architecture from Islamic Perspective

Twenty First Century Challenges in the Context of Sustainable Architecture from Islamic Perspective

Impacts of ethnoveterinary medicine integrated with livestock farm technologies on the performance and antimicrobial resistance of indigenous goats in South Africa –A review

Ethnoveterinary medicine and livestock farm technologies represent a junction of innovation and tradition with the aim to accomplish livestock systems that are resilient, productive, and sustainable to meet 21st century challenges, especially the antimicrobial resistance issue. This article aims to emphasise the impacts of integrating ethnoveterinary medicine with livestock farm technologies on the performance of indigenous goats in South Africa. With the growing concern over antimicrobial resistance in livestock, there is a pressing need for complementary approaches to the health of animals and their productivity. In this review, the aim evaluated whether an integrative approach could offer a sustainable alternative that benefits animal health and productivity while addressing the concerns of antimicrobial resistance. Comparative study designs across multiple indigenous goat farms were used to integrate specific medicinal plants in ethnoveterinary medicine with present-day livestock technologies that are used to monitor the effects on livestock performance indicators and antimicrobial resistance patterns. In the treated populations, the outcomes were indicative of substantial improvements in reproduction and growth rates, and alongside, there has been a notable decrease in the markers of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is proposed that through these discoveries, the integration of these traditional and modern approaches not only improve the performance of indigenous goats but also contribute immensely to the mitigation of risks associated with antimicrobial resistance.

Exploring Students’ Creativity Using STEAM-Based Reading Texts

Creative thinking is one of the important skills required to face the 21st century challenges. However, students’ creativity assessment is challenging. Grounded on the paradigm that creativity is a tangible parameter, this study aims to explore students’ creative thinking skill via a reading-based creativity test. The test was developed by considering the creativity indicators defined by Paul Torrance, i.e., fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. In this creativity test, the reading and the questions were designed to make students integrate their science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) knowledge. Based on the empirical validation, the creativity test had a reliability of 0.897, indicating that the test was reliable to measure students’ creativity. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the test was conducted online to 108 junior high school students in East Java, Indonesia. In general, the students achieved the highest level of creativity in terms of originality that gained average score of 3.63 (with scale 4.00). Meanwhile, they underperformed on the aspects of elaboration having average score of 2.40. There were 93 and 79 students who responded very well on the originality and fluency aspects, respectively. In contrast, respectively over 30% and 50% of students showed a lack of creativity on the aspect of flexibility and elaboration. These creativity assessment data are beneficial for educational stakeholders especially to increase the quality of teaching and learning related to STEAM education.

Implementation of Design Thinking on Match-up Interactive Media for Cell Learning

Student-centered learning is able to bring out the creative and innovative thinking of students which are needed to face the twenty-first century's challenges. A mindset that can bring out the creative potential in everyone is Design Thinking. The current study employed a theoretical perspective from design thinking with problem-solving activities consisting of 5 stages, namely emphatize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. In-depth observations and interviews were conducted to identify problems faced by high school students at SMA Negeri 6 Palu. Sample selection was based on criteria of extreme right sample and extreme left sample. The results obtained in the form of Interactive media in the form of Match-ups as discussion material and gamification on cell material were designed to be used in the learning process.

How Learning from Informal Settlements Contributes to the Community Resilience of Neighbourhoods

Urbanization in the twenty-first century has experienced a significant slowdown, particularly in the Global North. However, population growth continues to escalate, with most of this increase occurring in the Global South. Most of that growth manifests in the urban environment as informal settlements. These types of neighbourhoods deploy unique strategies to emerge and grow and can teach us much about the value of neighbourhoods as urban units in an uncertain future plagued by the challenges imposed by climate change, political polarization, and urban conflict. However, literature on neighbourhoods devotes little time to exploring these urban manifestations as areas of exploration and learning; instead, most of the scholarship focuses on ways to eradicate these places from our cities. As a result of this perspective, I argue that we have overlooked three important lessons that can be gleaned from informal settlements: incrementality, sustainability, and self-reliance. These characteristics contribute to the resilience of the communities, making informal settlements the predominant neighbourhoods of the twenty-first century. This paper examines global informal neighbourhood practices, unveiling unique community strategies. It reassesses neighbourhood value and offers insights into the urban changes necessary to tackle the next century's challenges.

Assessing Self-Reliance among Generation Z in Junior High School: An Analysis Using Rasch Model

Generation Z in Indonesia is facing conditions where there are a lot of challenges such as violences in school, career, and sustainibility development. Therefore, Indonesia has developed an Independent Curriculum to acomodate and promote student’s self-reliance as a part of Pancasila Profile dimensions as a preventive action to face 21st century challenges. This research aims to assess student’s self-reliance among generation Z in Junior High School. This study is quantitative research explaining the quality of instrument and classifying student’s abilities based on questionnaire analyzed by using Rasch Model. The sample used in this research consist of 104 students from Junior High School that have been given a P5 program and required to be tested using 26 test items. The result of self-relliance quistionnaire is analyzed using the rasch model. The findings explained that students score and mostly get the lowest score in gender or demographic analysis. In conclusion, student’s self-reliance among generation Z is still unequal and low neither in gender or demographic. Furthermore, school should train student’s self-reliance intensively to prepare students facing future challenges.

21st Century Challenges of Social Accountability in Post-Soviet Estonian Local Governments

Contemporary European social work is based on the principles of collective responsibility, human rights, and social justice. The preparation and adoption of the Social Care (Welfare) Act in 1995 followed the general principles of the corresponding law from 1925, in that the responsibility for organizing social welfare fell to local government. Thus, at the end of the 20th century, the main public social work` organizer in Estonia is the local government. Following an accountability-based approach, this research has aimed to explore the accountability of social work in the rural local government. The utilized methodology has been the collective case study (Mills 2010). I followed the information-oriented selection: the cases of maximum variation by size and location. Triangulation has been used as a procedure for acquiring data (Ragin 2011). The lack of state regulation together with an insufficient understanding of social work has affected the local government’s ability to interpret the required duties. An agreement has been missing for sharing the responsibility between the state, the local government and the families. There is also the problem of the local-centered practice, whereby the local government’s own practice of social work has been politically loaded.

Reframing sustainability initiatives in higher education

Amidst the ever-changing and increasingly complex challenges facing the planet and humanity, there is a growing need to educate the next generation of environmental stewards and leaders who are global citizens with sustainability mindsets. Universities have come a long way in developing sustainability programs – both in the curriculum and in terms of campus operations. Many research universities are highly focused on cutting-edge science and technology to address global challenges, and funders are looking for that innovation and entrepreneurialism. These are noteworthy efforts, but do they give students what they need or want? Has the commercialization and corporatization of college campuses led to a shift away from the notion that higher education is a public good that benefits society, not just individuals? Beyond the technical expertise, 21st century challenges demand that the workforce be diverse and capable of recognizing and tackling ethical, cultural, and equity issues for a sustainable and just future. An ethics-driven and interdisciplinarity curriculum framed around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), civic engagement, and experiential learning that allows students to put their knowledge into action is needed to prepare individuals for such a workforce. This paper provides both a critique of areas in which higher education is falling short of its responsibilities and some translatable models and opportunities for improvements in reframing sustainability initiatives on campus, including in the curriculum.Policy and Practice Recommendations• Campus leaders and faculty should take note of surveys of younger generations, especially Gen Z and Gen alpha, as they provide valuable insights into what youth are focused on and what knowledge and set of skills they desire to become innovative problem solvers and builders of more resilient communities.• To prepare the next generation of environmental stewards and leaders, high impact practices that move knowledge to action are needed.• Sustainability topics should be incorporated across the curriculum on campuses, not just in certain majors.• Higher education needs to re-embrace the notion of service to the public good and work collaboratively across institutions and sectors to address complex societal challenges.

Verbal painting as a way of overcoming fragmentary perception

In our rapidly changing world, young people inevitably face the negative impact of technological progress on the development of mental processes. Thus, the issue of overcoming digital natives’ fragmentary perception is an urgent objective of modern science. The author aims to present the results of studying verbal painting as a means to develop the perception integrity of art works and speech utterances in the context of the 21st century challenges. Research methods included scientific and methodological literature analysis; modelling the verbal drawing teaching process; generalization of language and literature teachers’ experience, including the author’s own experience; generalisation of the results of pedagogical experiments; an analysis of written works by students in years 5 to 7. As a result, the study has identified the principles for preparing schoolchildren for verbal painting in Russian language and literature lessons. They are as follows: concentration on ideas, specification and detailing of ideas, imagination boosting, emotional involvement, subjective modality. The paper also provides examples of exercises and assignments for implementing these principles. In order to demonstrate their effectiveness, samples of students’ works are analysed. Conclusions. The principles of preparation for verbal painting that the article formulates contribute to the integrity of the perception of the world around us and help overcome its fragmentary nature. After such instruction, schoolchildren acquire the ability to create complete verbal pictures accompanied by details and expressive elements.

AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH ON BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CONSOLIDATION ROUTINE IN LSP TEACHING - A CASE STUDY ON ECONOMICS STUDENTS IN ROMANIA

Considering the constant concern expressed by worldwide policy makers and regulatory bodies in the education sector for the need to adjust learners’ knowledge, skills and competencies in an attempt to meet the 21st century challenges, one could no longer consider learning effective unless it is voluntary, self-motivated and a lifelong practice. For a long time now, teaching has gone beyond the bare conveyance of information, with the educators permanently striving to apply modern teaching methods and strategies, to ensure relevant and sensitive content, to not overlook students’ learning profile and to include relevant global social issues in all their teaching. This paper researches and presents a case study showing relevant data on students’ individual consolidation habits in terms of: students’ motivation to continuous self-improvement, frequency of self-study activities, preferred method/activity and desire to improve, against the author’s endeavour to raise students’ awareness of the importance of building self-study habits. The paper foregrounds the exploitation of conceptual and applied methods in LSP teaching, with the purpose of enhancing students’ predilections towards individual consolidation of newly-acquired knowledge. The beneficiary target group consists of first-year Economics students from the Bucharest University of Economic Studies - ASE, Romania, majoring in Management and Finance and Banking.

Enhancing disaster management in smart cities through MCDM-AHP analysis amid 21st century challenges

In the era of rapid urbanization and technological progress, smart cities offer a promising solution to multifaceted global challenges, leveraging advanced technologies to optimize resources and enhance the quality of life; however, this interconnectedness also exposes them to novel vulnerabilities, particularly in the face of natural and man-made disasters, necessitating inventive strategies to ensure resilience against cyber threats and extreme weather events. This article delves into the exploration of smart cities’ diverse aspects and the categories of disasters they face, followed by an analysis of strategic mitigation approaches and their underlying criteria; it subsequently introduces the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methodology, particularly Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), as a robust tool for systematic evaluation and prioritization of disaster management strategies in the increasingly complex landscape. The study’s analysis of relative weights underscores the pivotal role of resilience enhancement and communication redundancy as primary considerations in evaluating disaster management strategies for smart cities, while other criteria such as accuracy and timeliness, scaleability and adaptability, cost-effectiveness, ethical and privacy considerations, and training and skill requirements assume varying degrees of importance in supporting roles, providing valuable insights into the decision-making process. The assessment of alternative strategies highlights their prioritization in effective disaster management for smart cities, with notable emphasis on citizen engagement and education, early warning systems, and data analytics; further strategies such as integrated communication systems, resilient infrastructure design, drones and robotics, artificial intelligence algorithms, and IoT-enabled sensors and monitoring exhibit varying degrees of significance, offering insights into their roles and potential contributions to disaster management strategies based on their weighted sums. This research has practical significance, guiding stakeholders like urban planners, policymakers, and disaster management professionals to enhance smart city resilience and prioritize strategies based on critical factors, ultimately enabling effective disaster management in smart cities amid 21st-century challenges.

The Gospel of John and Contemporary Society: Three Major Theological Contributions

The motives for a 20-year project on the Gospel of John, and the approach taken, are described. Then three major contributions to the twenty-first century are explored: first, the essentials of a Christian worldview; second, who Jesus Christ is, and his presence to readers of the Gospel now; and, third, the spirituality of Christian discipleship as one of learning, loving, and praying, encouraging daring improvisation in the Spirit now. The culmination is the potential of John’s wisdom and pedagogy of desire for a wide range of twenty-first century challenges, and an invitation to a Johannine Renaissance today, shaped through the double simplicity of trusting testimony and habitual rereading.

International Investment Law and Climate Change: Reframing the ISDS Reform Agenda

Abstract Ongoing investment law reform processes take the investment treaty system as the starting point. While this can generate actionable reform options, it also entrenches ‘path dependency’ and forecloses space for more foundational questions. This article argues that, in the context of climate change, effective reform requires re-embedding debates within a policy space that places climate at its centre. The argument entails recognising: (i) climate change as a comprehensive ecological, economic and social challenge; (ii) the preferential nature of the protections investment treaties establish for foreign investment; and (iii) the structural misalignments that exist between this legal regime and climate action. It also involves interrogating the normative considerations invoked to justify investment protection treaties. The findings highlight the need to reorient collective reflection towards designing reforms that – rather than address narrowly defined concerns within the current system – develop a new system that can respond to 21st century challenges.

Experiences of Senior Secondary School siSwati Teachers on Use of Project-Based Learning

Purpose: The 21st century challenges make Project-Based Learning (PBL) “the” language teaching method that develops skills with learners. The study explored experiences of Eswatini senior secondary school siSwati teachers on use of PBL, a case study of schools in the Manzini region, Kwaluseni cluster. The objectives of the study were to; ascertain senior secondary school siSwati teachers’ views on use of PBL and to determine senior secondary school siSwati teachers’ views on the factors that allow for effective use of PBL.
 Methodology: The study employed the qualitative design; a six (6) item online interview guide and a focus group discussion guide with four (4) items designed by the researcher were used for data collection. Purposive sampling was used to select five (5) schools and ten (10) teachers as participants from Manzini region, Kwaluseni. Data was analyzed using content analysis.
 Findings: Teachers viewed use of PBL as practical; offering opportunity for use of ICT resources and parental/guardian involvement. Teachers’ experiences were that availability of resources; parental support and teacher-knowledge on use of PBL were factors that allow for effective use of PBL.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study concluded that PBL is not only a practical but a collaborative approach that engages the learner with human resources; the teacher and the parent and physical resources as well. The recommendations were; provision of resources; revival of teacher-learner-parent relationships and capacitation of teachers on use of PB to teach and assess.

The messy coloniality of gender and development in Indigenous Wixárika communities

ABSTRACT Understanding the coloniality of gendered lives, family dynamics, social arrangements, and political structures in Indigenous communities begins with confronting and interrogating a history written largely by and for men in positions of power. The archives are limited in terms of what can be gleaned about gender equality and what existed before the proliferation of European patriarchy. Indigenous Wixárika people tread a delicate balance between a lifeworld that is organised around a ritual–agricultural cycle, and the accelerating incorporation of the imperial mode of living and the coloniality of being, into their communities and culture. The ‘coloniality of gender’ explains how Indigenous women and men have been drawn into and shaped through contact zones, these sites of imperial intervention that have brought social, cultural, and structural changes to gender. Problematically, this concept assumes a one-way process of domination, whereby modern European power structures were imposed on Indigenous people. A critical exploration reveals how gender dynamics and equality were influenced by a much messier process, entangled with Wixárika’s cultural and religious systems as well as the leveraging of political collateral. This paper will draw on findings from a historical and ethnographic study of the coloniality of gender in Indigenous Wixárika communities. We will critically examine archival evidence alongside oral histories to suggest how social, development, and political interventions from the late 20th century challenge the idea of the ‘coloniality of gender’, and discuss how past and present actants collide and dialogue to bring about social change and greater gender equality.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice regarding WASH among Community Dwellers of District Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

The sustainable development in communities and improved quality of life is the utmost adjective of various development programs globally. The 21st century challenge for community development is unprecedented and multilayered with diversity of stakeholders. Within the community context, individuals are strongly associated with their knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) in daily life. Poor knowledge and unsafe practices of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among community dwellers are among the chief vehicles for transforming infections diseases, which are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity, especially among children. To understand the actual condition of KAP regarding WASH a cluster random sampling technique was applied to obtain samples from target communities of district Sargodha. Various univeriate and bivariate analysis applied through SPSS-21 for insight the individual practice. The findings indicated that two third of community dweller had moderate level of Knowledge attitude and practice (KAP) regarding WASH. The findings from T-test show that there is signification variation existed with respect to gender and socio-demographic aspects of community. The community dwellers somehow understand the importance of safe WASH practices, however, there is an intensive need for essential awareness among community dwellers regarding WASH.

A Structural Equation Modelling of Organizational Culture and Total Quality Management at the Islamic University in Uganda

This study aimed at examining the influence of organisational culture (OC) towards total quality management (TQM) at the Islamic University in Uganda. The study’s research Objectives were; examine whether the hypothesized model of organizational culture and total quality management fit the data. To establish whether the items for measuring organizational culture and Total quality management fit the model? To find out whether organizational culture construct statistically influence total quality management practices as perceived by staff at Islamic University in Uganda? To arrive at the intention of this study, a quantitative research design was employed, and a cross-sectional survey technique was used to attain data from 372 randomly chosen respondents. Data analysis was done using structural equation modelling. The findings of the study reflected that; the questionnaire items for OC and TQM fitted the data whereby CMIN was 1852.328, CMIN/DF 3.750, RMSEA .086, CFI .782 and DF 494.Further analysis to establish the influence of OC towards TQM reflected that CFI was .906, RMSEA .070, CMIN/DF 2.798, CMIN 506.362 AND DF 181; thus, the model fits the data. The influence of OC towards TQM was obtained at a .94 coefficient with a p-value of .000. The factor loadings for both constructs OC and TQM and their sub-constructs deemed reasonable at above 0.70. Thus, proving the model and theory worthy of employment in the management of HEIs so as to produce quality graduates with quality skills for addressing the 21st century challenges. More studies can be done using longitudinal surveys and other data analysis techniques to establish whether the results will differ. Lastly, it is recommended that leaders and their management teams in HEIs should change their perceptions towards running institutional businesses to fit the needs of the 21st century. Today’s world requires quality graduates with quality skills and culture to transform themselves and their community into a quality nation. However, these efforts cannot be achieved if HEIs leaders do not understand TQM’s meaning towards OC. This is because today's staff, students and other stakeholders are far different from the previous ones regarding their rights, services needed, input, the process and the output.