Abstract This short commentary article considers veterinary education as a specific type of science professional education that is impacted by lack of participation of Māori and Pacific students in senior secondary science education. The veterinary profession in Aotearoa New Zealand faces a difficult challenge to overcome the severe under-representation of practising Māori and Pacific veterinarians. At the only veterinary school in the country, the first Māori professor of veterinary education is leading the VetMAP programme, which has been established to recruit and support more Māori and Pacific veterinary students. A related question involves addressing the monocultural nature of veterinary education, so key Māori concepts of whakapapa, kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga are discussed for their potential usefulness.

Young women’s longitudinal identity-negotiations in physics and mathematics throughout upper secondary education

Developing reading skills in English as a foreign language (EFL) constitutes a persistent pedagogical challenge, particularly in contexts where learners have limited exposure to the target language beyond the classroom. The main goal was toanalyze the use of gamified reading platforms to support the development of reading and comprehension skill from students at Pajan Public School. Platforms such as Raz-Kids, ReadTheory, Epic! and CommonLit combine educational technology with elements of gamification, fostering learner engagement while supporting the development of reading comprehension and written production skills. This project adopts a mixed-method approach, combining bibliographic analysis and field data collection through teacher surveys, to generate practical and contextualized knowledge that enriches the teaching and learning of English through artificial intelligence. Empirical evidence from recent educational studies indicates that the systematic use of digital reading platforms contributes to increased reading motivation and significant improvements in comprehension outcomes, particularly among students in primary and lower secondary education. Nevertheless, the effective implementation of these tools is contingent upon several contextual conditions, including equitable access to technological resources, reliable internet connectivity, adequate teacher training, and thoughtful curricular integration aligned with instructional objectives.

ABSTRACT Research collaborations between university scholars and K-12 educators have grown in recent decades, largely due to their ability to disrupt the top-down traditions of educational research and develop authentic practices informed by teachers’ knowledge. However, in-depth inquiry is needed to determine how those collaborations unfold at an interpersonal/relational level. In this self-reflexive qualitative study, we explored how our research team navigated strengths and tensions in an ongoing partnership with secondary science educators. A theme of ‘if it’s helpful’ (encouraging but not forcing) was apparent in our approach to both soliciting and responding to teachers’ ideas. We analyze how this theme may influence the balance of building a flexible and reciprocal project that supports a clear purpose while still producing deliverable materials. We connect our contextual analysis to the broader constraints and possibilities of co-design and action research, advocating for more researcher-teacher collaborations that are humble, self-reflexive, and cognizant of the challenges and power relations inherent in any partnership. This study may implicate co-design and action research alike by acknowledging common tensions and challenges but not treating these as necessarily failures.

From courtroom to clinic: How legal rulings shape cannabis use among adolescents and young adults in South Africa.

Unmet need for modern contraceptives and its associated factors among postpartum adolescent girls and young women in rural Mara, Tanzania: A facility-based cross-sectional study.

Civilizing the workplace: Does ethical leadership foster desirable workplace behaviors?

Overrepresentation of female teachers in secondary education and gender achievement gaps in PISA 2022

This study evaluated evening food vending businesses in Cross River State, Nigeria, with emphasis on socio-economic characteristics, marketing strategies, entrepreneurial abilities, profitability, and determinants of profit. Using snowball sampling, 210 evening food vendors were interviewed in five urban centers. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, cost–return analysis, multiple regression, and probit models. Findings revealed that evening food vending is largely female dominated (77.14%), with a mean age of 37 years, indicating an economically active population. Most vendors were married, had an average household size of five persons, possessed at least secondary education, and operated mainly as sole proprietors. The enterprises were largely informal, small-scale, unregistered, and self-financed, with most vendors having less than five years’ experience and employing no paid staff. Commonly sold foods included bole and fish, indomie, roasted maize, and “mama put,” reflecting strong urban demand for affordable and convenient evening meals. Marketing strategies focused on product variety, taste, attractive packaging, competitive pricing, long operating hours, and good customer relations. Vendors demonstrated notable entrepreneurial abilities, especially in risk-taking and supervision. Cost–return analysis showed that evening food vending is profitable, though raw food materials constituted the highest cost component. Semi-log regression results indicated that age positively influenced profit, while total operating cost, levies, and business registration negatively affected profit. Probit results showed that household size increased the likelihood of business continuity, whereas gender tilting towards male reduce likelihood of continuity. Major constraints included high input and transport costs, limited capital, low patronage, and weather challenges. The study concludes that evening food vending is a viable livelihood in Cross River State but is constrained by rising costs and regulatory pressures, highlighting the need for targeted training, improved access to credit, and supportive regulatory frameworks.

Critical questioning with generative AI: Developing AI literacy in secondary education

Blended learning in physical education: Examining the effectiveness of the "did you know?" model in gymnastics.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a pressing public health issue for young children in low- and middle-income countries like Somalia, significantly increasing risks of morbidity, mortality, and impaired development. High-dose Vitamin A supplementation (VAS) is a crucial preventative intervention, yet data on its coverage in Somalia's complex humanitarian context are scarce. This study aims to assess the prevalence of VAS and identify its sociodemographic determinants among Somali children aged 6-59 months. This study utilized a quantitative, cross-sectional design, analyzing data from 15,456 children aged 6-59 months from the nationally representative Somalia Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS) 2020. The outcome was maternal report of a child receiving a Vitamin A supplement in the preceding 6 months. To ensure the results were nationally representative, weighted descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were performed in Stata to account for the complex survey design. The prevalence of VAS receipt was critically low at 11.2%. Multivariate analysis revealed significant and unexpected disparities. Contrary to expectations, compared to children of mothers with no education, those with primary (AOR = 0.453, p < 0.001), secondary (AOR = 0.302, p < 0.001), or higher education (AOR = 0.327, p < 0.001) had significantly lower odds of their child receiving VAS. Children in nomadic households had significantly lower odds than those in rural households (AOR = 0.626, 95% CI: 0.549-0.714, p < 0.001). Compared to mothers aged 15-19, older mothers (≥ 35 years) had significantly lower odds of their child receiving VAS. Children of divorced mothers also had lower odds than those of married mothers (AOR = 0.799, p = 0.028). VAS coverage among young Somali children is alarmingly inadequate. The counterintuitive finding regarding maternal education suggests that conventional assumptions about health-seeking behaviors may not apply in this context. Targeted interventions and strengthened health system delivery are urgently needed to address these disparities.

This study was carried out to examine the effectiveness of financing options in the adoption of climate smart agriculture practices among farmers in delta state, Nigeria. Survey questionnaire was administered to 210 respondents in the study area through the use of multistage sampling technique. Descriptive statistics such as, means, percentage and frequency count was used to achieve the objectives and hypotheses were tested using binary logistics regression. The study shows that most respondents were female (71.0%), married (60.5%), aged 30–49 (62.9%), and operated small farms under 3 hectares (80.5%). Education varied, but 27.1% had secondary education. Many relied on personal savings (45.2%) and leased land (49.5%). Contact with extension agents was minimal (76.2% had none), and only 34.8% belonged to cooperatives. Access to CSA financing was highest through youth and women’s schemes like N-Power Agro (91.9%) and commercial bank green loans (64.3%), while access to schemes like NIRSAL, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, and CBN Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund remained low (&lt;30%). Effectiveness ratings of existing financing schemes were generally below average (mean &lt; 2.5), indicating weak support for CSA adoption, hindered by bureaucratic bottlenecks and poor outreach (Abioye et al., 2021; Oladipo et al., 2022). Severe challenges included high collateral, interest rates, and limited insurance (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2021). Innovative strategies like results-based financing and blended finance showed modest support (≈30%), while digital and insurance-based tools had low acceptance due to trust gaps (Adeagbo et al., 2022). Regression results showed education, farm experience, and credit access positively influenced CSA adoption. Based on the findings of this study it was recommended that Financial institutions such as NIRSAL, Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, and CBN Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund should lower collateral requirements, reduce interest rates, and extend repayment periods to make credit accessible to smallholders.

Taking the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as a case study, this paper explores the spatial distribution pattern and influencing factors of secondary education resources. It comprehensively employs methods such as kernel density analysis, average nearest neighbor, spatial autocorrelation, and the location quotient model to characterize the spatial differentiation features of secondary education resources, and utilizes a ridge regression model to identify key factors influencing their distribution. The study finds that: (1) The distribution of secondary education resources exhibits an agglomeration pattern characterized by "dense in the southeast and sparse in the northwest"; (2) At the prefectural city scale, secondary education resources are clustered in their distribution, but the degree of clustering varies among cities; (3) At the county scale, the distribution of secondary education resources shows significant spatial heterogeneity, with notable disparities in allocation equity; (4) The spatial pattern of secondary education resources among counties is primarily shaped by six factors: year-end total population, registered (hukou) population, number of students enrolled in regular secondary schools, number of students enrolled in regular primary schools, balance of urban and rural household savings deposits, and number of industrial enterprises above a designated size. This reflects a multi-dimensional driving response of "basic demand—deferred planning—economic support." The research provides empirical evidence for understanding the issue of spatial equity of educational resources in border ethnic regions and holds reference significance for promoting the optimal allocation of educational resources and balanced regional development.

The research paper has investigated the attitude of secondary school students regarding English as a medium of instruction and the quality of education. Moreover, the correlation between the medium of instruction, which is English and the quality of education at the secondary education level in Punjab, Pakistan. In addition, it also examined the quality of education under the influence of the English medium of instruction. Students from 3 districts of the Punjab province in Pakistan were the population of the study. A multistage sampling method was employed to select the sample of the study, which was 531 secondary school students in three districts. The questionnaire of AlBakri (2017) was adapted, amended and changed according to the needs of the research. The data were gathered with the help of disseminating a questionnaire using Google Forms and personal visits to schools. Statistical procedures were done on a one-sample t-test. test, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. The research article found that the attitude of secondary school students regarding English as a medium of instruction and the quality of education was positive. English as the medium of instruction and the quality of education were significantly correlated. Besides, the application of the English language as the language of instruction affects the quality of education greatly.

Indigenous folktales are culturally grounded resources for value and character education, yet schools often lack systematic procedures for translating narrative meaning into curriculum-aligned competencies and teachable tasks. This text-based study addresses this gap through a qualitative, document-based analysis of eleven Siulak–Kerinci folktales from Kerinci, Jambi Province, Indonesia. Using directed qualitative content analysis guided by the Pancasila Student Profile (Phase D), values were inferred from narrative episodes, character actions, and consequence sequences, then mapped to the Profile dimensions and translated into design implications for the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project (P5) in Indonesian junior secondary education. The analysis identified seven recurrent cultural values: religiosity, honesty, responsibility, tolerance, social care and mutual cooperation, work ethic, and local identity. These values align coherently with the six Profile dimensions at Phase D and provide a defensible rationale for curriculum mapping from indigenous narratives to competency-oriented learning aims. This study does not evaluate classroom implementation; proposed P5 tasks are presented as design implications rather than tested instructional guidance. Future research should examine feasibility and learning outcomes in P5 settings and strengthen reliability through inter-coder agreement procedures.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the 'factual effectiveness' of the “Notice on Student Life Guidance by Teachers” (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”), enacted in 2023, within the life guidance field of elementary school homeroom teachers. To this end, this paper systematically examines the factual effectiveness of the “Notice” by categorizing it into two dimensions: “objective effectiveness,” which pertains to the formal existence and hierarchy of the law, and “substantial effectiveness,” which refers to the substantive content. The results of the analysis are as follows: First, in terms of objective effectiveness, the “Notice,” as an administrative rule, entails a risk of undermining legal stability in the process of specifying the vague emotional abuse provisions of the superior “Child Welfare Act.” However, the provisions prohibiting the use of mobile phones, which previously had the potential to violate the principle of statutory reservation, have seen their objective effectiveness strengthened as the recent amendment to the “Elementary and Secondary Education Act” established a clear legal basis. Second, in terms of substantial effectiveness, the study confirms that the system is experiencing distorted implementation due to the absence of human and physical infrastructure for separation measures. Furthermore, it has been confirmed that indiscriminate child abuse reports and malicious complaints are effectively neutralizing legitimate guidance authority. In conclusion, the current “Notice” grants nominal authority to elementary school homeroom teachers but remains limited as it fails to provide the practical means and legal safeguards necessary to support such authority. Accordingly, as alternatives to enhance 'factual effectiveness', this study suggests: amending the emotional abuse provisions of the “Child Welfare Act,” establishing dedicated personnel and designated spaces for separated guidance, and building an effective judicial protection system to counter malicious reports.

This article considers the actual problem of development of the geometrical component of students' mathematical abilities, which is relevant not only for one national system of education, but as international monitoring studies (TIMSS, PISA, etc.) show in general and globally. The aim of the study is to identify personal characteristics (“geometric vision”, the ability of spatial representations, the role of students' intrinsic motivation, etc.) for use in the process of solving geometric problems. The technology was developed for use in the process of solving predominantly geometric problems, manifested in a personalized approach, prioritizing identified personal characteristics. As an example, a mathematical description of a stereometric problem is offered and its solution is analyzed in a psychological and pedagogical context, in the context of the development of the geometric component of students' mathematical abilities. The results of the analysis of theoretical and practical interpretation of the content, in the context of the problem under consideration, can serve as a basis for designing a modern model of teaching the younger generation: for building a model of development of the geometric component of their mathematical abilities and the technology of solving geometric problems (mainly stereometric), taking into account the priority tasks of secondary general education and federal working programmes of teaching the course ‘Geometry’.

The present work investigated changes in well-being during the transition out of upper secondary education (i.e., from shortly before graduating from upper secondary education to approximately one year later). The motivation for a post-school pathway (e.g., starting university or vocational training) was examined as a potential predictor of between-person differences in well-being trajectories. German-speaking high school graduates (N = 874 between ages 16 and 20; 69% female, 95% born in Germany) reported on their affective well-being in up to four surveys and indicated their motivation for their post-school pathway. At three measurement occasions, participants also participated in a three-week experience sampling phase, in which they reported on their daily well-being. Latent change models revealed an initial increase in well-being after graduation, but mixed evidence for subsequent trajectories, as both positive and negative affect decreased on average. Changes in well-being were more pronounced for global than for daily assessments of affective well-being. We did not find associations between the motivation for a post-school pathway and well-being trajectories. Overall, these findings highlight the complexity of well-being trajectories during the transition out of upper secondary education and the importance of using multiple time points and assessment methods to understand these dynamics.

The study analyzed how socioeconomic factors and newly released cassava varieties impact women's participation and income generation in the value chain, aiming to promote gender-inclusive agricultural development. This study examines the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of women involved in cassava production. Most participants are middle-aged (31–50 years), married, and head large households, highlighting their central role in household sustenance and income generation. The majority possess secondary education, which may enhance their adoption of improved practices. Women predominantly farm small plots (1–2 hectares), reflecting persistent land access constraints. Annual earnings are modest, with most earning ₦101,000–₦200,000, indicating limited economic empowerment. Farmers prioritize high-yielding cassava varieties, though early maturity and income potential are also valued. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting land access, improved varieties, and market opportunities. Ordinary least squares regression analysis revealed that 82.17% of the variability in women’s participation in cassava production in Imo State is explained by key socio-economic factors. Age and household size showed significant negative effects, indicating that older women and those from larger households are less likely to participate. In contrast, marital status, education, farmers’ association membership, and access to credit all had positive and significant impacts, with education and association membership being especially influential. Regarding income control, only 22.22% of women had full autonomy over cassava sales revenue, while the majority (77.78%) shared decision-making, highlighting both collaborative and independent financial roles within households. Key words: Women, Cassava, participation, Income generation