Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science

Awareness–Implementation Gap in Activity-Based Learning: Challenges Faced by Elementary School Teachers in Rural Odisha, India

Umakanta Mahapatra, Manjushree Bagh — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Activity-Based Learning (ABL) is a widely endorsed learner-centred pedagogical approach for elementary education in India, formally promoted through the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023. Despite high levels of teacher awareness, ABL implementation in rural elementary schools continues to face significant structural and contextual barriers. This study examined the awareness levels of elementary school teachers and headmasters regarding ABL and systematically documented the challenges they experienced in its classroom implementation. An exploratory survey method with a mixed-methods design was adopted. A sample of 20 respondents, comprising 10 headmasters and 10 teachers, was drawn from government elementary schools in Bheden Block, Bargarh District, Odisha, through simple random sampling. Two instruments were administered: a researcher-developed Awareness Scale (15 Likert-type items; maximum score = 75) and a Semi-Structured Interview Schedule (20 open-ended items). Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework. Findings revealed a high awareness level (Total Mean = 66.05/75; Item Mean = 4.41/5.0). However, thematic analysis of interviews identified five major challenge themes: resource and material constraints (90%), time and curriculum pressure (85%), classroom management difficulties (80%), training and professional development gaps (75%), and assessment and evaluation challenges (65%). The study's central finding is an awareness–implementation gap: teachers and headmasters possess strong conceptual knowledge of ABL but face substantial systemic barriers to sustained classroom practice. Given the small, single-block sample, the findings are preliminary and context-specific; they may nonetheless offer useful exploratory insights for teacher educators, policymakers, and school administrators seeking to understand the structural prerequisites for effective ABL implementation, pending confirmation through larger-scale research.

Role of Product Factors that Shape Consumer Attitudes toward Organic Fruits and Vegetables: A TPB Approach

Uzma Ara, Asad Rehman — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Background: The global demand for organic fruits and vegetables is increasing due to rising health consciousness and environmental concerns. However, in emerging economies like India, adoption remains relatively limited due to cost barriers, accessibility constraints, and behavioural factors influencing consumer decision-making.

Purpose: This study explores how product attributes and behavioural factors influence consumer attitudes toward purchasing organic fruits and vegetables (OFV) in India. Despite rising interest in healthy and eco-friendly diets, the adoption of OFV remains limited. The research examines the effects of product price, quality, knowledge, and availability, alongside subjective norms and perceived behavioural control from the TPB (Theory of Planned Behaviour), to understand drivers of sustainable food choices.

Significance of the Study: This study uniquely integrates product-related attributes with psychological constructs from the TPB into a single empirical model. Unlike prior research that emphasised awareness or health motives, it highlights the combined role of product cues and behavioural factors in shaping consumer attitude toward OFV in India, offering context-specific evidence from a semi-urban retail environment.

Methodology: A quantitative design was employed, with data collected from OFV consumers in Aligarh, India. Constructs were measured using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale. SEM with Amos tested the measurement and structural models, while CFA ensured validity and reliability. The sample comprised consumers familiar with organic products, ensuring informed responses.

Findings: Results show that product quality, knowledge, and availability significantly enhance consumer attitudes. SN and PBC also positively influence the role of social approval and ease of access. Price exerted a weaker effect, suggesting consumers prioritise authenticity and quality over cost. Overall, product attributes combined with TPB predictors effectively explain OFV purchase behaviour in India.

Practical & Policy Implications: The research offers concrete guidance for both marketers and policymakers to enhance the uptake of organic food ventures OFVs). Enhancing supply chain access, improving certification visibility, and delivering knowledge-based communication can reduce the attitude-behaviour gap. Emphasising quality, nutrition, and environmental benefits may attract value-driven consumers, while leveraging social influence through community initiatives and expert endorsements can broaden sustainable consumption practices.

Experiences of Distance Education Students with Online Information Literacy Instruction at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ghana

Hawa Osman, Hannatu Abue Kugblenu-Mahama — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Information literacy is the ability to find, evaluate, and ethically use reliable information to solve problems and create knowledge in academic and professional settings. This study explored the lived experiences of distance education students with online information literacy instruction at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), Ghana, and examined the perceived challenges and learning benefits associated with this mode of instruction. A qualitative research approach was adopted, involving semi-structured interviews with 20 sandwich nursing students selected through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo software. The findings revealed that students generally perceived online information literacy instruction as structured, relevant, and beneficial for their academic and professional development. Four themes emerged regarding students’ experiences: exposure to structured but unevenly accessible instruction, reliance on blended learning and recorded materials, development of digital academic competencies, and the influence of clinical and community work environments. Challenges identified included poor internet connectivity, high data costs, limited access to digital devices, and competing professional responsibilities, which often disrupted participation in synchronous sessions. Despite these barriers, participants reported significant improvements in database searching, critical evaluation of information sources, evidence-based practice, academic writing, and confidence in using digital resources. The study concludes that online information literacy instruction plays a vital role in supporting distance learners’ academic success and professional growth. It recommends strengthening asynchronous learning opportunities, enhancing digital infrastructure, and providing continuous technical support to improve equitable access and learning outcomes.

Science Attitude as a Partial Mediator of Informal Science Learning and Biology Conceptual Understanding among Junior High School Students in Manay District, Davao Oriental

Ryan M. Paguio, Marites S. Erespe — Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the mediating role of science attitude in the relationship between informal science learning opportunities and conceptual understanding in biology among Grade 10 students in Manay North District, Davao Oriental. It specifically described students’ engagement in everyday and school-led science learning, their self-directed efforts and anxiety towards science, and their reported conceptual understanding in biology. A quantitative descriptive-correlational design with mediation analysis was employed. The participants were 110 junior high school students from five integrated schools, selected through universal sampling. Data were gathered using adapted, expert-validated and pilot-tested Likert-scale instruments that measured informal science learning opportunities, science attitude and conceptual understanding in biology. Descriptive results showed high levels of engagement in informal science learning opportunities (M = 4.08, SD = 0.60), science attitude (M = 4.02, SD = 0.47) and conceptual understanding in biology (M = 3.94, SD = 0.72). Correlation analysis indicated significant positive relationships among the three variables. Informal science learning opportunities were positively associated with conceptual understanding in biology, and science attitude was also significantly associated with conceptual understanding. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of informal science learning opportunities on conceptual understanding through science attitude (estimate = 0.179, p < .001). The direct effect remained significant (estimate = 0.552, p < .001), indicating partial mediation. These findings suggest that students’ attitudes towards science may help explain the association between informal science learning experiences and biology conceptual understanding. The study highlights the relevance of everyday and school-led science learning experiences in supporting students’ engagement with biology and indicates the importance of fostering positive science attitudes among junior high school learners.

Lived Experiences of First-Year Students in Information Literacy Classes at a Public Health Sciences University in Ghana

Hawa Osman, Hannatu Abue Kugblenu-Mahama — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study explored the lived experiences of first-year undergraduate students receiving information literacy (IL) instruction at a public health sciences university in Ghana and examined how participants perceived its influence on their academic adjustment, study practices and learning development. A qualitative research design was adopted, using semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected first-year students from diverse health-related programmes. Data were analysed thematically to capture participants’ experiences, perceptions and meanings attached to IL instruction during their transition into university education.

The findings revealed that students initially experienced emotional and cognitive challenges, including anxiety, intimidation and uncertainty, particularly among those with limited prior ICT exposure. Participants reported that IL instruction was more demanding than expected, as it extended beyond basic library orientation to include scholarly databases, referencing, plagiarism awareness, research skills and information evaluation. Despite these early difficulties, students described gradual adaptation to university-level learning and the development of more independent academic practices.

Participants further reported changes in their information-seeking behaviour, including increased use of scholarly databases and reduced reliance on general web sources. They also perceived improvements in assignment preparation, academic writing, referencing practices, study habits, confidence and autonomy. However, continuing challenges were identified, including unreliable internet connectivity, limited access to computers, large classes, time constraints and difficulties accessing full-text resources. The study is limited by its single-institution setting, small purposive sample and reliance on self-reported experiences. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that IL instruction can play an important role in supporting first-year students’ academic transition and learning development. The study recommends strengthened technological infrastructure, differentiated instructional approaches, additional hands-on support and enhanced librarian-led guidance to improve the effectiveness of IL programmes in higher education.

Influence of Ethical Leadership on Work Ethics of Public School Teachers in Digos City, Philippines

Lea Niña C. Tambilawan, Kirt Anthony R. Diaz — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ethical leadership is widely recognised as an important factor in shaping professional conduct within educational institutions. This study examined the association between ethical leadership and the work ethics of public-school teachers in Digos City. Guided by Bandura's Social Learning Theory (1977), the study assessed teachers' perceptions of ethical leadership in relation to demonstrating integrity, encouraging innovation, and developing others, and determined whether ethical leadership significantly predicted teachers' work ethics. A quantitative descriptive-regression design was employed. Data were gathered from 110 public school teachers selected through purposive and simple random sampling from five large public schools in the Digos City Schools Division. The validated questionnaire showed acceptable reliability, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.705 to 0.782. Descriptive statistics and simple linear regression were used for data analysis. Results showed that teachers rated both ethical leadership (M = 4.65) and work ethics (M = 4.66) at an extreme level, although the uniformly high scores may indicate a ceiling effect or social desirability bias. Regression analysis confirmed that ethical leadership significantly predicted work ethics (B = .338, β = .403, p < .001), explaining 16.3% of the variance. Social responsibility and community engagement received the highest work ethics rating (M = 4.69), while competence in culturally diverse environments received the lowest rating (M = 4.65). The findings indicate that ethical leadership is associated with stronger professional conduct among public school teachers.

Key Success Factors for the Integration of Industry and Education in Maritime and Foreign-related Business Majors in Chinese Universities

You-Yu Dai, Xiaofei Chen — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aims: This study examines the key success factors for integrating industry and education in maritime and foreign-related business majors at universities. It focuses on professional contexts such as cross-border commerce, shipping logistics and maritime-related services, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of these fields in terms of cross-border positioning, maritime relevance, international compliance and bilingual competence.

Study Design: This study categorises the key success factors for industry-education integration into four groups: school-based factors, enterprise-based factors, school-enterprise coupling factors and external environmental factors. These groups are further divided into secondary indicators, including schools' organisational R&D capabilities, schools' reputation and authority, and teachers' practical abilities.

Place and Duration of Study: This study focuses on maritime and foreign-related business majors at vocational colleges, applied undergraduate colleges and research universities in Shandong Province.

Methodology: Using context analysis, the Delphi method and importance-performance analysis (IPA), the study systematically explores the key success factors and proposes targeted optimisation paths.

Results: The results indicate that school-related factors, the organisational coordination ability of maritime/foreign-related enterprises, cross-border school-enterprise communication mechanisms and cross-cultural coupling are important and perform well. The compatibility of talent training programmes, collaboration in knowledge and technology innovation, the quantity and diversity of maritime/foreign-related job supply, the scale of maritime/foreign-related industry-education resources, cross-border information coupling and the atmosphere of industry-education integration are important, but their performance is unsatisfactory.

Conclusion: The study therefore identifies areas that should be maintained, moderately adjusted, actively strengthened or prioritised for improvement. Its findings may support more targeted implementation of industry-education integration in maritime and foreign-related business majors.

Gender Differences among Bachelor's Degree Graduates at the University of Guadalajara (2021-2025)

Salvador Sandoval Bravo, Victor Hugo Gualajara Estrada — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines gender differences among bachelor’s degree graduates at the University of Guadalajara from 2021 to 2025. Although women’s participation in higher education has increased, gender gaps persist in the distribution of graduates across degree programmes, fields of knowledge, and the urban centres where university campuses are located. Using public data on degrees issued, a database was constructed with year, gender, degree programme, field of knowledge, and campus urban centre as variables. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics to identify overall gender distribution, field-level concentration, territorial patterns, and degree programmes with the greatest and smallest disparities. A total of 81,769 graduates were recorded, comprising 48,568 women and 33,201 men. Women represented 59.4% of all graduates, while men represented 40.6%. Women predominated in health sciences (72.3%), social sciences and humanities (63.4%), and economic-administrative sciences (62.2%). Men predominated in exact sciences and engineering, including computing and electronics (65.5%). Graduation was concentrated in the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (65.7%). The findings indicate that women outnumbered men among graduates, but this overall advantage did not eliminate gender segmentation by professional field. Further research incorporating enrolment, dropout, terminal efficiency, and academic trajectories is needed to clarify the origins of these differences within the observed period.

Investor Awareness, Perception and Attitude towards Selected Investment Avenues: A Descriptive Survey of Individual Investors in Hyderabad, India

S. Shravani, P. Mohan Reddy — Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Investment awareness, perception and attitude are important behavioural factors that influence the savings and investment decisions of individual investors. This study examines the savings pattern, investment behaviour, awareness, perception and attitude of individual investors towards selected investment avenues in Hyderabad. The study is descriptive in nature and is based on primary data collected from 101 respondents through a structured questionnaire administered using Google Forms. Convenience sampling was used for data collection. The data were analysed using percentage analysis, cross-tabulation, weighted mean score analysis and Chi-square tests. The findings show that home purchase was the major objective of saving among the respondents, followed by children's education and retirement planning. Relatives and friends emerged as the major source of information regarding investment avenues. Chit funds were the most preferred investment avenue, followed by bullion investments, stock market investments, insurance and bank deposits. Most respondents preferred a moderate risk and moderate return combination, indicating a cautious and balanced investment attitude. Weighted mean score analysis showed that risk was the most important factor influencing investment decisions, followed by return and capital appreciation. The study found a statistically significant relationship between income level and savings behaviour. Further, awareness level had a significant association with preference towards stock market investment, whereas no significant association was observed with preference towards chit funds and insurance. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution because the study is based on a limited sample selected through convenience sampling. The study highlights the need for investor awareness programmes, financial literacy initiatives and better guidance to support informed investment decisions among individual investors.

Effects of Inclusive-Geoboard and Braille Mathematical Codes on Geometry Achievement among Students with Visual Impairment in Nigeria

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study examined the effects of inclusive-geoboard instruction and Braille mathematical codes on geometry achievement among students with visual impairment in South-West Nigeria. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest non-equivalent control group design was adopted. Using a multistage sampling technique, 135 students were selected from designated mainstream junior secondary schools, comprising 90 students in the experimental group and 45 in the control group. The intervention lasted 12 weeks. Data were collected using the Geometry Achievement Test, Braille Mathematics Competence Scale, Geoboard Instructional Guide, and Classroom Observation Schedule. The instruments were validated, and reliability coefficients were obtained for the Geometry Achievement Test (alpha = 0.82) and Braille Mathematics Competence Scale (alpha = 0.77). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance at the 0.05 level of significance. The results showed a significant effect of inclusive-geoboard instruction, F(1, 131) = 31.42, p < .001, and Braille mathematical codes, F(1, 132) = 38.37, p < .001, on geometry achievement. A significant interaction effect was also found, F(1, 130) = 18.14, p < .001, with the model explaining 37.9% of the variance in achievement (R² = 0.379). The findings indicate that tactile manipulation and Braille notation can support access to geometric concepts among students with visual impairment. The study recommends the provision of tactile instructional resources and improved teacher training in Braille mathematics.

Enhancing Student Engagement through Structured Personal Tutoring: A Critical Literature Review

Anastasia Sofroniou, Bhairavi Premnath, Hooriya Tahir, Mohamed Sakikhales — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Structured personal tutoring has become a central mechanism through which universities seek to support student engagement, retention and success. Yet the evidence base underpinning this practice remains fragmented across disciplinary silos, institutional case studies and loosely related theoretical traditions. This review synthesises the literature on structured personal tutoring and its relationship to student engagement, drawing together research on student engagement theory, self-determination theory, sense of belonging, mentoring and peer tutoring, and the practical implementation of tutoring schemes in higher education. The review finds consistent, if moderate, evidence that structured and curriculum-embedded tutoring arrangements are associated with improved engagement, a stronger sense of belonging and better retention outcomes, particularly for first-generation and widening-participation students, although effect sizes vary considerably according to programme design, frequency of contact and tutor training. The review also identifies persistent weaknesses in the field: heavy reliance on single-institution qualitative studies, limited experimental evidence specific to personal tutoring as distinct from peer tutoring or academic advising, and unresolved tension between the pastoral and professional dimensions of the tutor role. Tutor confidence, workload recognition and the boundary between academic support and mental health gatekeeping emerge as recurring points of institutional strain. The review concludes that structured personal tutoring is a promising but underspecified intervention whose future development depends on clearer theorisation, better-designed evaluation studies and more explicit attention to equity of provision across diverse student populations.