Sustainable School Research Articles

The effect of trust in neighbourhood on parents' decision to drive their children to school: Insights from a hybrid choice model

IntroductionThe growing trend of children being driven to school has become a cause of concern in developed countries, with parents' perception of trust in neighbourhoods emerging as a key determinant. Previous research has mainly investigated the influence of either the mother's or the father's perception on children's school travel. While the contribution of each parent's perception to the final decision, and the factors affecting this contribution, remains unclear. MethodsThis study leverages data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) to examine the distinct roles of mothers' and fathers' perceptions of trust in the neighbourhood on their children's school travel mode. It proposes a hybrid choice model (HCM) to measure the contribution of each parent's perception as a function of their socio-economic status (SES) in the school travel mode decision. ResultsThe results indicate that a higher parental perception of trust in the neighbourhood significantly reduces the likelihood of using private car to take children to school. The study also identifies several factors that influence parental perception of trust, highlighting differing impacts on mothers and fathers. Neighbourhood SES has a more pronounced positive impact on mothers’ perceptions of trust, whereas homeownership and urban residency exhibit stronger effects on fathers' perceptions. The analysis further delineates the contribution of individual parents to the overall parental perception of trust, demonstrating that higher levels of income decrease this contribution. ConclusionThis study highlights the significant role of parental perception of neighbourhood trust in children's school travel mode, with both mothers' and fathers' perceptions playing crucial roles. Neighbourhood SES, homeownership, urban residence, and ethnic diversity shape parents' perceptions, with differing effects on mothers and fathers. Future policy initiatives should focus on fostering trust and social inclusion through community events, multicultural programs, and social activities to enhance neighbourhood cohesion and support sustainable school travel choices.

Avoiding hedonic contrast to increase acceptance of healthy sustainable school meals

Abstract To promote sustainable eating in schools, new approaches for embracing plant-based (PB) meals are needed. Hedonic contrast (HC) describes how liking for one item is influenced by the recent experience of other items of different hedonic valence. Despite its established impact on liking, HC’s effect on intake, particularly in repeated exposure experiments, is limited. Moreover, its effect on food-related emotions remains largely unexplored. Hence, this study investigated how HC influences liking, emotions and intake of an innovative co-created PB dish, served as part of a course meal, at school in a repeated exposure study. Two groups of students (N (HC) =71, mean age=14.5 and N (control) =57, mean age=15.3) were served the same neutrally liked main PB dish (pumpkin stuffed lentils balls (LPA)) after a starter dish (rice with vegetables) which was altered in taste through seasoning and cooking methods to be more (HC) or less (control) tasty. The exposure was repeated once/week for 5 consecutive weeks. Liking and emotional responses for the dishes were recorded through a questionnaire and food consumption by weighting plate waste. HC led to lower liking (p = 0.037) and lower positive emotions (cheerful, pleasure) with high arousal (surprise) for LPA, while increasing negative valence emotions (disappointed). Moreover, LPA consumption was significantly lower in the HC group vs the control (45% vs 60% respectively, p = 0.040), resulting in lower protein intake in the HC group (p = 0.029). The effects of HC remained stable with time. This study, for the first time, reveals a sustained rise in food-related positive high arousal emotions, when foods are presented following less liked food. Since new foods evoking positive valence and high arousal emotions have higher chances to be appreciated than foods evoking positive valence and low arousal emotions, this work opens new perspectives on how to propose new, healthier and more sustainable PB dishes in school canteens. Key messages • Avoiding negative contrast between school meals is a promising strategy to ensure higher liking, intake and increased positive emotions over repeated exposure for innovative plant-based dishes. • To enhance adolescent’s acceptance and uptake of new plant-based dishes in school canteens, it is better to serve them after less tasty options.

School canteens healthier for children and the planet in the Valencian Region

Abstract Issue SchoolFood4Change (SF4C), an EU Horizon 2020 project in 12 EU countries, aims at making school meals healthier for children and the planet through innovative and sustainable food procurement, promotion of planetary health diets and cooking, and a Whole School Food Approach. In the Valencian Region two subsequent market dialogues (MDs) were organised to explore a new school food procurement and feeding model. Description In our context, most children have lunch at school daily. SF4C sees schools as catalysts for a systemic change. Two intersectoral MDs were conducted with the participation of public authorities, food procurers, cooks and schools. The first one MD1, 23 attendees, used a gamification dynamic through building blocks. MD2, 58 participants, used a World Cafe methodology to analyse nutritional, environmental, educational, social and economic determinants. Results MD1 highlighted the need to increase food education in the curricula, value regional products and cuisine, improve culinary training and reduce food waste. It suggested establishing percentages of local and organic products in tenders and improving communication between the public administration and the educational community. MD2 emphasised the objective of promoting the Mediterranean diet and sustainability in canteens. To that end, participants identified the importance of establishing requirements in public tenders, annual planning of procurement, optimising logistics and integrating the canteen into the educational project. This would enhance predictability, economic sustainability, and social support for a new innovative model. Lessons Structured interaction between stakeholders was essential to devise innovative and sustainable solutions. The creation and dynamization of intersectoral working groups is an effective public health strategy to build networks for the co-creation of viable alternatives to achieve a healthier and more environmentally sustainable school feeding. Key messages • Structured interaction in intersectoral working groups is an effective public health strategy for the co-creation of viable alternatives to make school feeding healthier for children and the planet. • Tailored innovative and sustainable solutions entail a framework for structured discussions, specific context analysis, negotiations between stakeholders and locally adaptation of good practices.

Optimizing educational environments: microclimate analysis and energy efficiency through courtyard orientation in UAE schools

Sustainable school design is becoming increasingly important worldwide, particularly in the UAE, where schools are significant energy consumers. This study explores the impact of courtyard orientation on microclimate and energy consumption in UAE schools, utilizing a standardized template applied across 70 existing schools. By employing advanced simulation tools, ENVI-met and IES-ve software, the research provides a comprehensive analysis of air temperature and energy use related to different courtyard orientations, specifically on key dates of September 21st and March 21st, representing seasonal variations. The results indicate that North-facing courtyards consistently provide cooler microclimates compared to other orientations. Specifically, North-facing courtyards showed temperature reductions of 1.31°C in September and 1.9°C in March compared to the least favorable orientations. This orientation recorded the lowest average mass temperatures of 29.36°C in September and 25.13°C in March, surpassing the West-facing orientation by 0.39°C and 0.45°C, respectively. The primary factor for this improvement is the reduced solar radiation exposure on East-West aligned courtyards, which significantly lowers the heat gain. Additionally, the study assessed Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET) readings and cooling demands, both of which were found to be lower in North-facing courtyards. Cooling load reductions varied between 1% and 4%, depending on the day, further emphasizing the efficiency of this orientation. These findings suggest that strategic courtyard orientation is a critical design consideration for enhancing thermal comfort and energy efficiency in school buildings. The implications of this research are significant for sustainable design and construction practices. By highlighting the benefits of optimal courtyard orientation, this study offers practical solutions for reducing energy consumption and improving the indoor and outdoor thermal environments of schools. These insights contribute to the broader goal of developing greener, more sustainable educational facilities, particularly in hot climates like the UAE. This research not only informs architects and urban planners but also supports policymakers in implementing effective sustainability strategies in the educational sector.

The Drivers of Sustainable Development in South African Economy: The Role of Female Advancement

Contemporary societies have challenges in achieving sustainable development, while African economies remain quite distant from this ideal course for sustainable growth. Likewise, official statistics in South Africa show a wide gap between male and female involvement in economic activities. Given this, the study investigates the connection between three dimensions of sustainable development and female advancement in South Africa using auto-regressive disturbed lags (ARDL), Structural Vector autoregressive (SVAR) and Ganger non-causality approach. The three dimensions of sustainable development considered in this study are economic, environmental and social, proxies by adjusted net national savings, carbon emissions and adjusted net national income per capita, respectively. The female advancement indicators are proxies by employment, wages and salaries, and secondary school enrolment. The result from the ARDL shows that female advancement indicators promote short (SR) and long-run (LR) economic sustainability. Also, female wages and salaries have a positive relationship with carbon emissions in the SR but not significantly in the LR. At the same time, female employment and secondary school enrolment have a positive relationship with carbon emissions in the SR but are negative in the LR. The primary causes affecting long-term environmental sustainability are GDP per capita, financial development, population density, trade openness and urbanisation. Also, female advancement indicators promote social sustainability, especially employment, wages and salaries. More so, the SVAR results show that the forecasting error shock of GDP has minimal effect on carbon emission with notable variation in the population density. The causality result shows a unidirectional relationship between economic sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, environmental sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, and social sustainability and female secondary school enrolment, all flowing to female secondary school enrolment. Based on the findings, the study recommended improving female educational standards and increasing involvement in economic participation.

Development and Validation of the Teachers’ Perceptions of Classroom Climate Scale for the Portuguese Population

To improve learning outcomes, evidence-based processes suggest that classroom climate is a means of creating more sustainable schools committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning. Therefore, valid measures of classroom climate are necessary to enable comparative studies focused on teachers' perceptions, including important dimensions such as cooperation. As no validated instruments exist for the Portuguese context, we developed and validated the Teachers' Perception of Classroom Climate (TPCC), consisting of five dimensions: teacher support, peer support, academic competence, satisfaction with the school, and cooperation. Following a quantitative research approach, the construct validity was analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis, internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient, and test-retest reliability was assessed using univariate and multivariate General Linear Models and Spearman’s rho correlations. The study supported the five-factor structure of the TPCC and demonstrated good psychometric properties. These results support the use of the TPCC to evaluate teacher perceptions of classroom climate.

Knowledge-Based Recommendation System for Plate Waste Reduction in Latvian Schools

Food waste indicates ineffective and irresponsible consumption of resources, particularly during the food consumption stage. The aim of our research study is to optimize the catering management process at Latvian schools by reducing the amount of plate waste. The experts developed a set of recommendations aimed at improving the catering management process at schools. The recommendations developed were supported by measurable parameters, which must be monitored by school staff. The capability-driven development approach was applied to model the recommendation system. A plate waste predictive module and a large language model classifier were integrated into the system to support sustainable decision-making. The large language model classifier was trained to filter questions and recommendations. Three training methods were compared: training from scratch and finetuning by using datasets DBPedia and News Category Dataset. As a result, we present the list of recommendations based on the literature review, and the prototype of the knowledge-based recommendation system was developed to audit the school catering management process and promote sustainable school management and decision-making. The recommendation system aims to reduce plate waste due to deficiencies in the implementation of the catering process and to promote responsible food consumption at schools.

Apping lunch and earning keep: Eco-Schooling in an unequal world

Eco-Schools is the world’s largest sustainable school program. Drawing on biopolitical theory and fieldwork conducted in Rwanda, South Africa, Sweden and Uganda, this article explores and compares how Eco-Schools is enacted in contexts marked by widely differing socio-economic living conditions. Attention is drawn to the biopolitical rationalities and techniques through which Eco-Schools is rendered operable and to how the program’s peculiar combination of global standardization and flexible adaptation to context enables differentiation. The analysis demonstrates how poor students become educated for micro-entrepreneurial subsistence and community self-reliance, whereas wealthy students are targeted as mass consumers and rendered aware of problems that exist elsewhere for ‘others’. Ultimately the article suggests that the biopolitical rationalities and techniques though which Eco-Schools operate undermine the program’s efficacy to challenge inequality. These findings support previous studies arguing that current modes of local adaptation of sustainability education risk reproducing a global biopolitical divide between rich and poor.

Sustainable School Lunches: A Comparative Analysis of Lunch Quality in Primary Schools in Warsaw and Zagreb

Sustainable School Lunches: A Comparative Analysis of Lunch Quality in Primary Schools in Warsaw and Zagreb

Parental Contributions to Enhance Sustainable School Feeding Programme in Public Primary Schools in Gairo District Council, Tanzania

This study aimed to find out the parental contributions to enhance sustainable school feeding programmes (SFP) at public primary schools in Gairo District Council, Tanzania. It is guided by the two objectives; identify the kind of parental contributions in enhancing sustainable SFP and highlight the parents' perceptions in supporting sustainable school feeding programme (SFP). The study had a sample of 177 respondents who were selected using simple random, snowball and purposive sampling techniques. The study sample involved 98 students, 18 teachers, 60 parents, and 1 District Primary Education Officer. The study employed the mixed method approach and data was collected through a questionnaire, interview, FGD, observation and documentary review. The quantitative data was analysed by using SPSS version 25.0 and the qualitative data was analysed thematically according to the two research objectives. The findings of the study showed the existence of SFP in all 6 schools and the parents had positive perceptions as revealed through contributing food crops, cash money and physical labour to the SFP for constant supply of students' meals. The study recommended the policymakers, government and the community to act on their part for the success and sustainability of SFP

Developing Sustainable Islamic Boarding Schools Economic Model: A Case Study from Indonesia

Islamic boarding schools as educational institutions as well as social institutions have a strategic role in building community independence. In reality, people often underestimate the role of Islamic boarding schools, assuming that Islamic boarding schools can only produce thinkers in traditional sciences, religionists and/or preachers. The aim of this research is to describe the role, economic activities, economic role and economic model of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia. The analytical method used to achieve several research objectives is the descriptive method. It is stated that the descriptive method is a method for examining the status of a group of people, an object, a set of conditions, a system of thought or a class of events in the present. The aim of this research is to create a systematic, factual and accurate description, picture or painting of the facts, properties and relationships between the phenomena being investigated. The results show that Islamic boarding schools have a very important role in people's lives in Indonesia. Islamic boarding schools have educational, social and economic roles. In the economic field, Islamic boarding schools have a significant role in creating jobs, increasing people's income, welfare and quality of life in the form of education and health. Some Islamic boarding schools have their own economic models that can be adopted and used as Islamic boarding school economic models that create independence.

Sustainable School Financial Education: a possibility in the Early Years of Elementary School

School Financial Education is a subject that has yet to be widely disseminated in Brazil, although indicated in official documents. That said, there is a lack of material aimed at children. This research is justified by proposing a Teaching Guide that seeks to respond to the problem of how to work on Sustainable School Financial Education in the Early Years of Primary School. This paper aims to present the results of a doctoral research project that looked at the value of things, the fundamental and the superfluous, ethics, economics, and sustainability. The methodological approach applied was Didactic Engineering. The main result was confirmation of the hypothesis that students aged between 7 and 9 can work on the themes and put their learning into practice.

The Role of HRM Functions in the Sustainable Performance of Pakistani Private Schools: A Post-Pandemic Status Quo Analysis

The following quantitative study assess the role of HRM functions to drive the sustainable performance within the Pakistani private schools in the post-pandemic context. The COVID-19 pandemic has been able to fundamentally disrupt the educational decorum worldwide, forcing the schools to possibly adapt towards unprecedented issues. In this study, we investigate the ways in which HRM operations—including hiring and selection, training and development, performance reviews, and staff retention—have bolstered Pakistani private schools' resilience and long-term viability. Data was gathered from a representative sample of HR staff members, teachers, and administrators at private schools using a survey-based methodology. The association between HRM practices and sustainable school performance was determined by statistically analyzing the data with an emphasis on academic quality, staff well-being, and operational continuity. The findings of the study reveal that effective HRM practices have played an important role to mitigate the negative influences of the pandemic, specifically through the strategic workforce planning, employee engagement, and professional development. Schools which adapted towards a proactive HRM approach exhibiting higher employee retention levels, rectified academic outcomes and job satisfaction in comparison to those with relatively less structured HR functions. The study presents that investment within the strong HRM functions is important to assure the sustainable performance of the educational institutions for the future crises. The research in consideration provides actionable insights related to the policymakers and school administrators to strengthen the HRM frameworks to increase the long-term viability of the private educational institutions in Pakistan.

Let us go with the flow − Impact of a dynamic social norm nudge on parents’ school menu selection

Designing more sustainable school meal offerings not only contributes to environmental protection and climate change mitigation but also promotes children’s health, provides food education, and raises awareness on sustainability issues. The present study, using a between-subject experimental online survey (N = 617), proved the effectiveness of a dynamic social norm nudge in encouraging parents to make more environmentally friendly choices when selecting school menus for their elementary school children. In addition, nudging was more successful in promoting sustainable food choices among parents with lower levels of education and those who are more actively involved and responsible for child-related practices. Disentangling the individual traits that leverage the effectiveness of nudges should allow public entities to fully exploit the potential of these interventions and design tailored approaches for targeted subpopulations.

Participation of Parents in the Implementation of Education at KBTK Labschool Jakarta

This research explores strategies to increase student-parent participation and parent participation management at KB TK Labschool Jakarta. This research uses qualitative and descriptive research methods with data collection techniques through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results showed that the participation of parents in KB TK Labschool Jakarta has proven effective and efficient in terms of planning, organizing, leadership, and controlling. This research provides several recommendations for schools, principals, teachers, and POMG to maintain and maximize sustainable school partnerships.

The impact of local microclimates and Urban Greening Factor on schools’ thermal conditions during summer: A study in Coventry, UK

Thermal comfort in schools affects children's wellbeing and educational outcomes. Global warming and frequent heatwaves have worsened the overheating issue in schools, especially in Western European countries, like the UK. While previous studies have mainly focused on residential and commercial buildings, school-related research often emphasised indoor thermal conditions, neglecting the broader influence of microclimates on the overall thermal conditions. Therefore, this research explores the thermal conditions in schools, during the summer of 2023, with a specific focus on the impact of greenery and materials. Urban Greening Factor (UGF) and its relationship with indoor and outdoor air temperatures were explored for the first time.Field studies were conducted in four primary schools in Coventry, UK, measuring indoor air temperatures and micrometeorological parameters. Tree shade demonstrated a substantial cooling effect, reducing air temperature and mean radiant temperature by up to 6.4 °C and 22.9 °C, respectively. Considerable difference between measured air temperatures in sunlight and official meteorological records highlights the need for microclimatic studies in schools. Thermal imagery identified high surface temperatures on artificial grass (67 °C) and asphalt (55 °C). Urban Greening Factor showed a strong correlation with classroom temperatures but failed to account for spatial greenery distribution and subsequently outdoor thermal conditions. The study concludes that optimising tree shade and replacing dark and artificial materials, are necessary for effective heat mitigation, offering valuable insights for policymakers and urban planners to create thermally comfortable and sustainable school environments.

Obstacles Facing the Implementation of Sustainable Schools in Iraq

Obstacles Facing the Implementation of Sustainable Schools in Iraq

Towards a sustainable school culture

Currently, we live in a continuously transforming society, which has led to the educational system facing changes and new challenges. It is necessary to change the previous models and didactic methodologies, which were markedly expository, and the memoristic learning of students, to incorporate profound innovations in the methods used in the training of students at all educational levels, where the student must be the main actor in their own education (Sharma et al., 2023).The learning needs of today's students, who must learn to live in a globalised, digitalised, intercultural, changing society that produces vast amounts of information, require different teaching methods from those used 20 years ago (Ermakova, 2020). In this sense, in recent decades, there has been a resurgence of pedagogical renewal centres in Spain, which aim to adapt the educational system to the needs of students by integrating methodologies and approaches focused on their personal, competential development and progress within the educational system (Beneyto et al., 2023). These centres can be considered as catalysts of change that have significantly improved students' socio-emotional skills and academic performance through the implementation of innovative practices and resources adapted to the characteristics of the students (Aliaga, 2022).This renewal not only focuses on the curricular content but also on the way in which teaching is delivered, always seeking greater inclusion and equity (Engel and Coll, 2022). In this regard, teaching and learning methodologies play a crucial role in the implementation of innovative and renewing processes in education. Therefore, didactic approaches should evolve to give greater prominence to the student and organise teaching based on the acquisition of skills necessary for the professional development of students, such as the ability to collaborate and work in teams, creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy, among others. Ultimately, they should provide students with tools for autonomous and lifelong learning.This methodological-didactic renewal requires the use of different models and active methodologies in the classroom that grant a fundamental role to students, such as Flipped Learning, collaborative learning, gamification, project-based learning, among others. Frequently, these methodologies are mediated by the use of various digital tools. Digital technologies applied to training and education offer a wide range of possibilities when designing educational activities in the teaching and learning processes, allowing for the representation of information, collaboration, and knowledge construction (Guerrero-Quiñonez et al., 2023).In the process of implementing active methodologies, the teacher plays a very relevant role in designing activities and selecting the appropriate digital tools that enhance the effectiveness of these methodologies for student learning. Continuous teacher training is essential to ensure the effective implementation of innovative methodologies and to adapt them to the specific context of the classroom, promoting deep and meaningful learning (Balladares-Burgos and Valverde-Berrocoso, 2022). AI tools can enhance innovative methodologies and continuous assessment, improving the effectiveness of educational institutions and supporting the continuous training of teachers. Thus, AI becomes a crucial ally in pedagogical renewal and the promotion of sustainable education (Forero-Corba et al., 2024). Teacher training is a determining factor in educational quality, as well-trained teachers can transform the learning experience. They must be equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to adapt to the demands of an ever-evolving education.

Analyzing the Traffic Operational Performance of School Pick-Up and Drop-Off Dynamics in Saudi Arabia

In seeking sustainable, safe, and efficient school commuting tours as non-recurring sources of congestion, it is essential to investigate the dynamic interaction between school students’ pick-up and drop-off (P&D) movements and the traffic operational performance of the surrounding area. This study investigates the traffic operational performance in the vicinity of schools at various P&D time intervals. The Travel and Planning Time indices (TTI, PTI), along with the Level of Service (LOS) are utilized as traffic operational performance indices in this article. A Python script was developed to employ the Google API for estimating the travel times from a real traffic dataset comprising 40 schools distributed across six cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results indicate that LOS varies from C to D for all cities except Riyadh, which exhibits the poorest traffic performance during P&D time intervals. This paper serves as a guideline for city planners and policymakers seeking to provide valuable insights to enhance traffic operational performance in Saudi Arabia.

Ensuring a sustainable and healthy primary school of the future: Finding answers through group concept mapping

Objectives: Overweight and obesity among school-aged children pose a threat to both their academic performance and public health. The Healthy Primary School of the Future (HPSF) initiative was established to address this issue. Our objective was to explore the conditions that make HPSF sustainable based on the perspectives of relevant stakeholders. Design: The study utilised Group Concept Mapping, a structured methodology for conducting mixed-methods participative research, combining qualitative data collection with quantitative data analysis measures. Method: Participants included parents, teachers, school directors, politicians, labour unions, educational, nutrition and health scientists and policymakers. They were asked to respond to the prompt, ‘A necessary condition to make the HPSF sustainable is . . .’. The statements generated were then assessed for their importance and feasibility. Using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses, we identified the shared vision among the stakeholders. Results: A total of 106 unique statements were generated and grouped statistically into 10 clusters. The most significant clusters were identified as Financing; Accessibility for everyone; and Content/Lifestyle/School Programme. The clusters that were deemed most feasible included Content/Lifestyle/School Programme; Accessibility for everyone; and Evaluation. Conclusion: Achieving sustainability for the HPSF requires a comprehensive approach that addresses the conditions outlined in all 10 clusters. Based on the ratings of feasibility and importance, our recommendation is to prioritise implementation of Content/Lifestyle/School Programme and Accessibility for everyone. Subsequently, efforts should be directed towards realising the less feasible but crucial conditions, such as Financing and Evaluation, followed by the remaining six clusters of conditions as identified.