Search

This research investigates how a mobile-based archive application and digital literacy impact pre-service administrators' understanding of the smart village concept in rural governance. It uses a quantitative approach with a questionnaire given to 100 pre-service administrators to evaluate their attitudes towards these factors. Validity and reliability tests were conducted as part of the data analysis, and the data were assessed for normality assumption. The data were then analyzed using a multiple linear regression model. The coefficient of determination, which is 99.3%, suggests that nearly all variables related to the smart village concept can be explained through the archive application and digital literacy variables. Furthermore, the mobile-based archive application and digital literacy have a positive and significant impact on understanding the smart village concept, both simultaneously (0.000<0.05) and partially (0.000<0.05). We found a negative t value (-5.739) for the understanding of the smart village concept, which can be improved through the mobile-based archive application (9.299) and digital literacy (6.538) variables. The implications from these findings indicate that pre-service administrators in rural governance recognize the need for improvement in their understanding of the smart village concept.

This study delves into the intricate challenges surrounding incorporating information and communication technologies (ICTs) in education, particularly in regions characterized by digital exclusion, such as rural areas. By recognizing the potential of ICTs to support and expand student learning opportunities, this research explores the necessity for effective implementation through tailored professional development aligned with teachers' contextual conditions and needs. In addressing these challenges, the study explores the concept of technological appropriation, underscoring the significance of individual and contextual elements in adapting ICTs to users' specific needs and environments. Through unstructured face-to-face interviews with 21 teachers immersed in a digitally vulnerable rural context, this research unveils insights into how educators appropriate technologies to enhance student learning. The findings of this study contribute to the development of educational practices tailored to rural contexts, focusing on providing a meaningful and effective learning experience for students. By shedding light on teachers' strategies for navigating the digital landscape in challenging environments, the research aims to inform policies and practices that bridge the technological gap, ultimately fostering equitable access and enhanced educational outcomes in rural settings.

Among the East Asian nations, a recurring predicament faced by educational institutions is that of providing inclusive but high-quality education. Active involvement of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in education is valuable in China. Adream was such an NGO on education in China, established in 2008 with a singular and noble objective: promotion of equitable access to quality education within the disadvantaged regions of China. The trajectory of Adream's endeavor to secure equitable access to quality education in rural China stands as a compelling exemplar of the transformative potential that NGOs wield within the realm of education.

Textbooks socialise and legitimise cultural norms, and therefore, learners' social worlds should find expression in their textbooks. In the study reported on here we examined how Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks reflected learner diversity in South African schools as manifested in their racial, gender, occupational, ability and geographical profiling in the textbooks. Content analysis was used to systematically identify instances of diversity representation in Grade 4 English First Additional Language and life skills textbooks. Quantitative content analysis accounted for the ubiquity of human characters' reflection in textbooks on the diversity variables in question. Qualitative analysis focused on the depiction of characters' gender roles. Quantitative data suggest that learners' social worlds were generally represented in the selected textbooks. However, males enjoyed greater visibility than females, and the visibility of disabled people was low. The 2 life skills and 1 English textbook portrayed both urban and rural settings. The qualitative analysis uncovered some gender stereotyping, where, for example, women were depicted in lower positions compared to men's high-paying vocations like judges, scientists, or doctors. Boys were depicted receiving prizes for their Matric achievements. Implications for publishers and writers commissioned to write textbooks include the need to consider representation of learner diversity in textbooks. The Department of Education should develop guidelines that promote such representation.

In the study reported on here we explored the influence of life-design counselling intervention on high school learners with career indecision who hail from resource-poor contexts in rural South Africa. Purposeful sampling was used to select 17 participants from a resource-constrained area. A mixed-methods group-based intervention embedded in social constructionism was used to address the research questions. The qualitative outcomes for the 17 participants who constituted the intervention group are reported in this article. Data were generated using life-design-based intervention strategies and qualitative (postmodern) techniques. The intervention enhanced the facets of career adaptability of participants and improved their ability to make career decisions. The results show that participants benefited in planning their future and preparing to leave school. The value of the intervention described in this article can be confirmed in longitudinal research with larger samples of diverse participants and contexts as well as different design and assessment measures.

Reading is regarded as one of the basic learning processes that provides multiple skills and abilities for daily life. The study reported on here arose from evidence of reading comprehension difficulties of middle school students in Colombia, and from reflection on the didactic strategies used for the promotion and teaching of reading. The purpose of this research was to strengthen students' reading comprehension by taking advantage of the benefits of Easy-to-Read in the context of a methodology applied in Universal Design for Learning. The methodology was centred on the critical social paradigm, and the type of research was mixed with a design based on action research. The instruments used included non-participant observation, online questionnaire, standardised testing and a survey. The pedagogical proposal "Easy Reading" was designed and implemented to show progress in the students' reading comprehension skills, meeting the objectives set.

The Dong Grand Songs, renowned for their polyphonic choral arrangements, are a vital cultural heritage of the Dong ethnic group. This study investigates the contemporary educational approaches to the literacy and development of the Dong Grand Songs in Guangxi, China. Employing a qualitative design, the research includes fieldwork, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Key informants comprise school administrators, teachers, song teachers, cultural inheritors, students, and community members. The findings reveal that integrating Dong Grand Song courses into primary and secondary school curricula, with support from song teachers and cultural inheritors, effectively enhances musical literacy and preserves this tradition. However, challenges such as youth migration, modern entertainment influences, and the aging population of song masters threaten the continuity of this cultural heritage. The study suggests comprehensive approaches, including economic support for rural areas, increased public awareness, and sustainable cultural programs, are necessary to address these challenges. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and cultural practitioners on preserving intangible cultural heritage and promoting musical literacy through education.

Career counselors practicing in rural communities must understand and address social determinants of mental health (SDOMH). This conceptual article details the relationships between SDOMH domains and employment and provides evidence-based recommendations for integrating SDOMH into practice through a rural community health and well-being framework. Description of the adaptation of the framework for career counselors in rural communities, SDOMH assessment strategies and tools, and workflow adjustments are included. Conclusions suggest next steps for practice and research.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced universities into emergency remote learning. For universities situated in a country where internet connectivity prices are high, network coverage is low, and most students live in rural areas, this presented a unique set of problems. One of the issues is that traditional orientations were face-to-face for first-time entering students (FTENs) at universities, and they had to be moved online due to lockdown restrictions and the desire to save the academic year. For the university concerned, this presented challenges in accessing students due to their low digital literacy skills and infrastructure limitations. The study employed a quantitative exploratory research approach to assess whether WhatsApp, a low-cost communication tool offering features like affordable data bundles, group creation, and accessibility, could facilitate student engagement and support during the COVID-19 lockdown at a rural university campus. The aim was to investigate if utilizing WhatsApp could foster a sense of belonging among students, potentially mitigating dropout rates and preventing students from falling behind. The hypothesis posited a positive correlation between using WhatsApp for academic support and student retention, ultimately leading to enhanced success rates. The study used the 'Academic Dropout Wheel, a theoretical framework developed by Naaman (2021), which identifies key factors contributing to academic dropout and provides strategies for intervention. The results of a quantitative questionnaire on 181 of the 2022 cohort of FTENS at the campus revealed that students felt more at ease, had a feeling of belonging and ownership of the university, and knew where to ask for help through the effective use of WhatsApp. This paper concludes that if professionally managed, WhatsApp can be an effective tool to facilitate continued adjustment and integration of FTENs into the university.

In this policy brief, we use research findings to illuminate experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic of U.S. rural college students from poor and working-class backgrounds. We offer institutional, state, and federal policy lessons gleaned from such experiences. We show how rural, poor and working-class students' higher education success was impacted by COVID-19 and how the pandemic highlighted and exacerbated existing systemic geographic and social class barriers faced by such students pursuing college. In turn, we hope postsecondary policymakers at the institutional, state, and federal levels can learn from these experiences to better support rural, poor, and working class students in the future, even during times of continued crisis.

This qualitative case study explores the perceptions of school leadership that future school counselors have regarding leadership roles for women in rural Appalachia. Using a feminist-geographical lens, several cultural, economic, geographic, and identity-based themes were found. Participants' definitions of ideal school leadership included strong community collaboration, advocacy, and leading by example. Some aspects of participants' rural hometowns supported these ideals, such as a community culture offering high levels of cohesion and familial support, leading to them wanting to live there again. However, other characteristics of the community culture, such as being closed to change, sexism against women in leadership, and a lack of women role models, were perceived barriers. In addition, participants' leadership identity was nascent and context based. These factors, combined with poor perceptions of schools in the community, led to participants not to want to live and work in their hometowns. Overall, these participants appear to experience a complex push and pull between pursuing their careers in educational leadership and their desire to take on school leadership roles in rural communities.

This research is part of the "Ancient Xuzhou Houses in China: Cultural Memory, Symbol and Process Reconstruction in the Context of Rural Revitalization" project. Traditional houses contain a large amount of cultural value, literacy role, and historical memory. In order to sort out the transfer process more clearly between memory and people, this study set three research objectives. First, spatial memory transmission and literacy role needs to be studied and analyzed. Then, on this basis, we will further study the method of spatial memory transmission and literacy role. Finally, the appropriate medium for spatial memory transmission is analyzed. This study used descriptive analysis to summarize and discuss the results. The results show that spatial memory transmission and literacy is a process of maintaining and transmitting social and cultural values through the use and evolution of architecture and spatial design over time. Symbols in the memory space of residential buildings are containers for storing memories, just like a mobile hard drive that records relevant memory information. Residential buildings and people are like two devices that convey information and communicate through symbols. After comparison, in the dimension of cultural memory, symbols are more social and cultural and are more suitable as a medium for transmitting spatial memory and literacy role under cultural identity. This article explains the relationship between symbols and spatial memory, through spatial memory transmission to describe how common memories are shared and reproduced among collective members through cultural memory, literacy role and symbolic translation. It can transmit cultural and historical memories between different generations and acquires the importance of spatial positioning and environmental interaction in transmitting cultural memory.

Youyang folk songs represent a significant component of China's intangible cultural heritage from Youyang County in Chongqing Municipality, China. The study objective is to analyze the education literacy in preserving and transmitting Youyang Chinese folk songs within the cultural context of Chongqing Municipality, China. The research content encompasses various aspects, including integrating folk songs into educational curricula, artistic engagement in rural communities, government initiatives for transmission enhancement, and preservation through publication and book distribution. The research site primarily focuses on Youyang County, renowned for its cultural heritage and ethnic traditions. Three key informants include governmental bodies, educational institutions, private organizations, and individual custodians involved in preservation efforts. Data analysis involves qualitative methods such as document analysis and interviews with stakeholders. The research results highlight a concerted effort from stakeholders to preserve and transmit Youyang folk songs, emphasizing the importance of legislative support, increased funding, and community involvement in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Suggestions for further improvement include strengthening legislative support, increasing funding for preservation efforts, and enhancing community involvement in protecting intangible cultural heritage.

Prior research on college choice indicates parents are the preferred source of information about college, yet little research exists from the viewpoint of parents, and even less research from the viewpoint of rural and minoritized parents. Using Q methodology, this study explored rural parent viewpoints of what makes college possible. The study was framed in social capital, community cultural wealth, and Perna's conceptual model of college choice. Factor analysis showed five distinct viewpoints and three consensus viewpoints among the parents. The five distinct factor viewpoints focused on academic achievement, college costs, the influence of family and friends, hard work, and staying close to home. Most notably, three consensus statements across all five factors indicated parents did not view teacher or school counselor expectations as important for making college possible. Findings can inform college access program planning and school outreach to parents and offer direction for future research on parent and community capital in college access.

Background: The recent migration of early childhood care and education function brought with it many changes that affect the workplace well-being of practitioners and centre managers, yet little research has reported on the voices and experiences of those working on the ground. Aim: To find out the current state of well-being of practitioners working in resource-constrained contexts to help us theorise how might they take action to improve it. Setting: Early childhood care and education centres in rural and township areas in six different provinces. Methods: The first author conducted 10 semi-structured focus group interviews with 80 practitioners recruited by collaborating researchers at various universities. All ethical protocols were adhered to. The focus groups were audio-taped, transcribed and thematically analysed independently by the two authors before reaching consensus. Results: Two themes were identified: (1) participants experienced negative emotions arising from both internal and systemic aspects that were affecting their well-being. (2) Several factors promoted the well-being of practitioners despite their difficult circumstances. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it appears that close collaboration among practitioners within centres and, with other external stakeholders, was an important factor for enhanced well-being. Drawing from action learning theory, we suggest how practitioners can collaborate to sustain their well-being while addressing the challenges they face. Contribution: This collaborative action learning approach can be applied not only by ECCE centres, but to any organisation wishing to improve the well-being and practice of their members.

Background: Early childhood is a formative period during which distinguishable development has projections of bearing desirable outcomes within an individual. Hence, physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social independence are healthy components of a typical child's development that early childhood development (ECD) educators deem essential for Grade R readiness. Aim: This article aims to explore ECD educators' perceptions of typical 4-year-old learners' aspects of development and how this supports their readiness for Grade R. Setting: This study was conducted in an ECD centre in a marginalised rural context of the Mandlankala area, Empangeni, north of Zululand. Methods: An interpretive qualitative case study methodological design framed within Bronfenbrenner's person-proximal processes-context model was adopted. Purposive convenient sampling was used to select three ECD educators from an ECD centre. Semi-structured interviews and learners' physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social behaviour observations were used to generate data. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Findings revealed that early childhood educators perceive 4-year-old learners' readiness for Grade R differently based on criteria such as their personalities based on developmental milestones and the educator's experience in the field and training. Conclusion: This study concluded that the learner's level of physical, language, cognitive, emotional and social development influences their readiness for Grade R. Contribution: School readiness skills allow school teachers to expand and further develop learners' skills in the specific areas of social interaction, play, language, emotional development, physical skills, literacy and fine motor skills.

This case-study examines how first-year educators renegotiated their teacher identities as they transitioned from pre-service teachers (PSTs) to professionals. Both participants graduated from the same Teacher Education Program (TEP) and conducted their student internship in the same school as their first year of teaching. The results of this study have unique implications on first-year teachers working in the location of their student internships, as they reported isolation, internalized infantilization, and inconsistent identities. The author argues for TEPs to intentionally prepare PSTs for navigating this transition, and challenge preconceived notions of the benefits of student teaching and working in the same K-12 institution.

This paper provides evidence gathered from two suites of non-formal science activities that were intended to increase engagement in science by culturally diverse groups. Both studies involved the delivery of science activities that were designed, implemented and evaluated to show culturally contextualised science. The activities were run in two very different contexts (urban and very rural areas) and were designed to be of relevance to two distinctive cultural groups (those with links to South Asia, and those being educated through the medium of Gaelic, an indigenous minority language in Scotland), while also actively engaging with those beyond the target group. The link between language identity and culture was incorporated into the design of both sets of activities as well as the qualitative evaluation. The latter considers how the participants' assessment of the interventions, implemented by writing or drawing on a blank postcard, was designed to provide unstructured responses and explores what the resulting data revealed about the impact of the interventions. The findings suggest that the set of activities that most strongly engaged participants on the value of diversity in the creation of scientific knowledge, as well as increasing their focus on the consequences of scientific activity, were those that facilitated a more exploratory approach to the subject matter. By contrast, activities that had to be done according to a standard scientific protocol produced growth in subject-specific knowledge. The present paper explores the principles of the inclusive pedagogies that informed the design of the activities and discusses how these were operationalised in two very contrasting cultural contexts. The key finding was that presenting science as social practice, rather than as being socially neutral, is key to promoting engagement, along with the benefits of explicitly demonstrating the relevance of science to participants' daily lives.

Through a multistakeholder partnership, this research aims to catalyze the development of a blue economy corridor (BEC) through community-based asset mapping in the eastern portion of the Tar-Pamlico River Basin in North Carolina, a geographic area predominated by physically and culturally rural landscapes. Underpinned by appreciative inquiry, this project aims to counter a deficit model of community development in this portion of eastern North Carolina by increasing awareness of quality of life assets that communities currently possess and may leverage for sustainable economic, environmental, and social development through their inclusion in a digital interactive map freely available to the public.

This mixed-methods study delves into rural community service-learning (CSL) partnerships, shedding light on the complexities and dynamics of collaboration between colleges and rural communities. Through quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, the research amplifies the voices of rural community partners, emphasizing the crucial role of trust, communication, and reciprocity. Challenges such as staff demands and organizational mismatches underscore the need for rural institutions to better prepare students and allocate resources to support their community partners effectively. The study advocates for transformative CSL approaches that prioritize community needs and nurture long-lasting collaborations. By providing insights into the impact of CSL on rural partners and organizations, this research offers valuable recommendations for improving future practices and fostering meaningful engagement in both rural and urban settings.

The Dayak Simpakng community in Batu Daya village, Simpang Dua sub-district, has knowledge of making plaits by utilizing plants in the surrounding environment. The introduction of woven plants to students needs to be done to preserve the knowledge and woven plants of the Dayak Simpang tribe. This research aims to develop an encyclopedia of Dayak Simpang woven plants that is valid and feasible to use in learning. This research is a Research and Development (R&D) research with the Borg and Gall model. The instruments used are validation sheets, questionnaires, observation sheets, and interview sheets. The data were analyzed using a Likert scale questionnaire. This research involved three material expert validators, three media expert validators, and three language expert validators. The development trials were conducted in smallscale trials and large-scale trials. A total of 42 students were involved in the trial with a division of 12 students in the small-scale trial, and 30 students in the large-scale test. The results of validation by material experts obtained 92.18% (very valid), the results of validation by media experts obtained 96.66% (very valid), and the results of linguist validation obtained 93.51% (very valid). Based on the results of the small-scale trial, the score was 85.06%, and the results of the large-scale trial obtained a score of 85.50%. These results show that the encyclopedia of woven plants is very feasible to use in learning and get a positive response.

We, four teachers in Ojibwe or majority-Ojibwe schools and three teachers in teacher preparation at a small ecologically focused liberal arts college, tell stories to reorient ourselves, centering place in ways accessible to our emerging practice. In these narratives, anchored in the seasons, we describe our challenges and successes in adapting education programs to better evoke the lifeways that predominate in our shared part of rural northern Wisconsin immersed in the lands of the Ojibwe. We relied on experiences, both ours and of Ojibwe learners, to illuminate the rhythms of our place and the seasons of learning defined by boreal forest, an inland sea, the sugar bush, and the wild rice harvest, in the hope of better outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous teacher candidates (and their future students) in our evolving program. This narrative work cobbles a frame enabling connection to create rural, fugitive, decolonized teacher preparation that centers respect, reciprocity, and agency.

The Cheyenne and Arapaho Department of Education (CADOE) functions as a tribal education department (TED) in western rural Oklahoma, situated within a tribal government that has a total membership of 13,212; 3,160 of whom are ages 3-18 years. CADOE has supported and advocated for equal opportunity and access for Cheyenne and Arapaho families and students since its inception. The purpose of this article is to utilize the Liberating Sovereign Potential framework to illustrate how CADOE continues to employ tenets from the model to liberate their sovereign potential, often serving students and families in rural contexts. While significant literature addresses Indigenous education, a gap still exists when considering the unique perspectives of TEDs and how they serve their rural tribal communities. Our goal is not only to improve educational outcomes for Cheyenne and Arapaho families and students, but also to assert our sovereign rights in educational systems. Here we outline various programs and efforts we have undertaken as we work to liberate our sovereign potential as Cheyenne and Arapaho people.

Interdisciplinary service-learning (IDSL) has become a staple of healthcare education over the last two decades as a mechanism of training students to provide cohesive, team-based health care in a complicated and sometimes fragmented health care system. This case study describes the perceived learning of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students from [Blinded] University who attended a week-long interdisciplinary, interuniversity service-learning trip in rural [Blinded]. Qualitative data from two consecutive year teams (n = 26) were collected via surveys and focus groups and thematically analyzed for motivation to attend the trip and perceived learning. Intrinsic motivation to "give back" and desire to hone professional skills were the primary drivers for desiring to attend the trip. Three themes of perceived learning that emerged were: 1) impact on core values, 2) perceived improvement in para-clinical (soft) skills including interdisciplinary fluency and cultural competence, and 3) improvement of clinical (hard) skills. The dominant theme was the impact the trip had on students' core values. The learning occurred predominantly in Bloom's affective domain and aligned with the physical therapy profession's Core Values and Code of Ethics.

Purpose -- Balochistan, which makes up roughly 44 percent of Pakistan's total land area, is home to 6 percent of the nation's inhabitants. Due to long distances and low population density, service delivery is particularly challenging. The province's educational services are impacted by natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, droughts, and migration. Disaster risk reduction is a widely recognized concept that emphasizes appropriate education to lower an individual's personal, familial, and communal vulnerability. The role of the school is crucial in Disaster Risk Reducation (DRR) education. As a result, the study's goal was to explore the approaches adopted for the inclusion of DDR through teaching in classroom and school activities. Methodology -- A focus group discussion with three groups of Pakistan studies and Geography teachers was conducted that consisted of 10 male and 14 female members. Findings -- Findings demonstrate that the current textbook continues to teach students less about disaster risk reduction; teachers include knowledge from their personal experience in planning lessons about DRR. School assemblies, child clubs and activities designed by school management, and social organizations play a prominent role in DRR education. Further, the role of teachers and school management was identified in psycho-social support during disasters and pandemics. Significance -- The study concludes that in addition to extracurricular activities and the teacher's role, prior disaster experience, school, and social organization played a significant role in DRR education in rural Balochistan. The study results will assist curriculum developers, policymakers, and education leadership in developing more effective school disaster management plans. The results will also clarify how schools and teachers can close the knowledge gap in disaster preparedness education. Organizations working on disaster risk education and education in emergencies will also benefit from additional research to respond to the need readily and effectively.

This study examined the effect of a professional development training programme on 20 second-year preservice mathematics teachers' knowledge in foundational mathematical concepts at a rural university in South Africa. The training programme aimed to enhance preservice teachers' mathematical knowledge for teaching. An embedded mixed-methods case study design was employed. Baseline and endline assessments were administered before and after the training. A participant feedback survey was also administered after the training. Results showed that the training significantly improved the preservice teachers' understanding and confidence in the selected concepts, despite their low baseline scores. The participants also expressed satisfaction with the knowledge they gained and appreciated the integration of theory and practice in the training. These findings suggest the need for teacher training institutions to ensure that preservice teachers are well versed in both university-level and school-level mathematics. They also support the need for collaboration with other stakeholders to provide preservice teachers with relevant and engaging professional development opportunities that can enhance their mathematical knowledge for teaching.

A questionnaire for measuring Context University Skills and Workplace-Recognized Skills (LCUS-WRS) requires a validated and reliable instrument. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire to measure learning of context university skills and workplace-recognized skills, in order to carry out an advanced psychometric properties analysis of Work-Integrated Education (WIE) students and the skills of LCUS-WRS, including internal and external reliability. Methods: We conducted multi-stage random sampling, with a sample consisting of 728 students WIE from 20 rural colleges in Thailand. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed on a subset of the sample (n = 279), and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted on another subset (n = 449), both in different subgroups. Additionally, the researcher analyzed the internal consistency and temporal reliability of the scale in the instrument. Results: Using exploratory factor analysis with 39 items 6 factors and accounted for 55.881% of variance was identified of the variance for the CFA model. The model achieved a goodness-of-fit of chi-square (X[superscript 2]) = 582.907, df = 308, p = 0.000, X[superscript 2]/df = 1.90, GFI = 0.979, AGFI = 0.985, RMSEA = 0.030, SRMR = 0.030. Conclusion: LCUS-WRS scale has solid construct of validity and excellent internal consistency which to analyze psychometric properties It has optimum temporal reliability. Therefore, the indicated that the dimensions of measuring of LCUS-WRS guaranteed its use in higher education institutions. Keywords: learning of context university skills, workplace-recognized

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the Virginia Cooperative Extension internship program from the perspective of student participants and their supervisors. Three focus groups were conducted with internship supervisors from the summer of 2019. Student survey data was used to identify concerns from the student perspective to inform the supervisor focus group questions. In addition to the questions, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was also used to collect qualitative data within the supervisor focus groups. Findings suggest areas of strength that can be used in marketing as well as opportunities for program improvement.

This study addresses the overlooked aspect of evaluating pre-service teachers' preparedness for technology-based instruction. Focusing on EFL pre-service teachers at a remote university, it explores their readiness to integrate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into teaching while navigating associated challenges. Employing a mixed-method design, data were collected through a Likert scale questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Participants included pre-service EFL teachers enrolled in an English education program at a university in East Nusa Tenggara. The findings highlight the region's pre-service teachers' readiness to incorporate technology, despite encountering barriers such as inadequate knowledge, perception, confidence, financial constraints, limited student access, and inadequate facilities. Consequently, universities must consistently provide assistance, instruction, and essential resources, ensuring prospective educators acquire the necessary skills to integrate technology into future pedagogical inquiries seamlessly.

This study aims to identify the elements that contribute to the digital competencies of primary school teachers working in the mountainous region of Northern Vietnam and assess the significance of these factors. The research sample consisted of 260 primary school teachers from this region. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate regression methods are used. The results of this research indicate that seven characteristics have a substantial impact on the digital abilities of teachers: ability to incorporate digital technology into teaching, conditions for digital transformation in teaching and learning activities are found to be influential, ability to create digital resources is highlighted as an important factor, ability to select teaching content with opportunities for technology usage, professional development needs of teachers, school policy and ability to select digital resources. These results offer education administrators a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing primary teachers' digital competencies and enable them to implement strategic changes and prioritize each element. Moreover, this study provides a valuable reference for future researchers seeking to explore new research directions in this field and analyze the correlation between factors to propose solutions to develop digital competencies of primary school teachers suitable to specific contexts and conditions.

This paper investigated the literacy practices, challenges, and coping strategies of the More Knowledgeable Others (MKO) in helping the learners accomplish literacy tasks included in the online and modular worksheets during the lockdown period because of COVID-19 pandemic. MKO is a person who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the learner; this includes the teachers, the parents, and the guardians. This study focused on the parents and guardians as they assume two significant roles during the time of pandemic, namely a teacher and a parent. Two hundred six parents and guardians were surveyed, and selected respondents were requested to participate in the semi-structured interview to provide opportunities to express their experiences during the pandemic. The results revealed that MKO's practices include their role as a: (1) support in children's school tasks; (2) spending read aloud time with their children; and (3) their use of Internet and gadgets. For the challenges, four subthemes emerged: (1) duality of roles; (2) lack of knowledge and skills; (3) Internet connectivity; and (4) financial challenges. With the challenges come MKO's coping strategies: (1) managing time wisely; (2) they provide unfathomable moral support; and (3) their faith in God. With the findings, this paper recommends creation of consultative body among parents so they can be included in the curriculum design for the education of their children.

Land-based literacies scholars have worked to expand understandings of literacies to include often marginalized cultures who understand literacy as resulting from human and more-than-human relations. In this article, we contribute to this broadening of literacies with an analysis of how nature influences the meaning-making practices of rural, subaltern communities in the Global South. Our inspiration stems from indigenous scholars who have advanced indigenous and relational epistemologies, seeking to bridge the nature/culture divide that remains prevalent in Western thinking. The central question that guides this article is: How are Land-based literacies produced through the felt and sensed relationships with nature, history and culture in the Callemar community? Drawing on micro-analysis of participant-generated video data from two walks with Colombian youth and adults from the Callemar community, we illustrate ways naturecultures, specifically the assemblages of Land, collective memory and cultural practices, produce Land-based literacies. We describe Land- walking, including forest- and creek-crossing practices, as literacies that require reading and meaning-making with the Land, and that which allow individuals to relate to other beings and thrive in the changing landscape of their rural community. Our description and discussion of Land-based literacies in this rural community poses important implications for informing pluriversal literacies pedagogies that draw on local knowledges and contexts to make literacy learning more relevant and equitable. Furthermore, we describe the relevance of Land-based literacies for sustainable stewardship of the Land during times of drastic environmental change.

Studies of non-linguistic statistical learning (SL) have often linked performance in SL tasks with differences in language outcomes. Most of these studies have focused on Western and high-income educational contexts, but children worldwide learn in radically different educational systems and communities, and often in a second language. In the west African nation of Côte d'Ivoire, children enter fifth grade (CM-1) with widely varying ages and literacy skills. Across three iteratively-developed experiments, 157 children, age 8-15 years, in rural communities in the greater-Adzópe region of Côte d'Ivoire watched sequences of cartoon images with embedded triplet patterns on touchscreen tablets, while performing a target-detection task. We assessed these tablet-based adaptations of non-linguistic visual SL and asked whether the children's individual differences in performance on the SL tasks were related to their first and second language and literacy skills. We found group-level evidence that children used the statistical regularities in the image sequence to gradually decrease their response times, but their responses on post-test discrimination did not reflect this learning. When evaluating the correlation between SL and language skills, individual differences related to other task demands predicted oral language skills shared by first and second languages, while SL better predicted second language print skills. These findings suggest that non-linguistic SL paradigms can measure similar skills in Ivorian children as previous samples, but they also echo recent calls for further cross-cultural validation, greater internal reliability, and tests for confounding variables (such as processing speed) in studies of individual differences in statistical learning.

Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among children aged 3-5 years in two African countries, South Africa (SA) and The Gambia (GM), and to explore shared and distinct predictors of EFs in these settings. The SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income communities within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. In GM, participants (N = 171, 49.7% female) were recruited from the rural West Kiang region. EFs, working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC) and cognitive flexibility (CF), were measured using tablet-based tasks. Associations between EF task performance and indicators of socioeconomic status (household assets, caregiver education) and family enrichment factors (enrichment activities, diversity of caregivers) were assessed. Participants in SA scored higher on all EF tasks, but children in both sites predominantly scored within the expected range for their age. There were no associations between EFs and household or familial variables in SA, except for a trend-level association between caregiver education and CF. Patterns were similar in GM, where there was a trend-level association between WM and enrichment activities but no other relationships. We challenge the postulation that children in low-income settings have poorer EFs, simply due to lower socioeconomic status, but highlight the need to identify predictors of EFs in diverse, global settings.

The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of mental health services from the perspectives of adolescents with no prior service experience. Thirty students in the Transition Year (fourth year) of secondary school participated in this study: 22 females and 8 males, aged 15 to 16. There was equal distribution across rural and urban settings. Participants had no prior experience of accessing mental health services. Data were collected in secondary school settings in the Republic of Ireland. An interpretive description approach guided this study. Data were collected through individual interviews. To complement interviews, participants drew images of mental health care environments and mental health staff members; drawings were not subjected to analysis. Data (participant interviews) were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Three themes were identified. Participants suggested that "mental health services" differed from "psychiatric services," with the latter term perceived more negatively. Uncertainty about how to access these services was voiced. Considering the vulnerability of adolescents to the experience of mental distress, education around mental health services is warranted. It is expected that provision of education in this area would enhance service delivery, improve adolescents' help-seeking behaviors for mental distress, and reduce stigma.

Suicide rates among Black youth have risen faster than any other racial/ethnic group in the past two decades. Black youth residing in rural areas are subject to systemic challenges such as minimal access to mental healthcare providers, generational poverty and oppressive social structures that lead to racial discrimination. Racial discrimination places rural Black youth at increased risk for anxiety, depression, and suicide. Protective factors have been found to mitigate the negative impact of racial discrimination on mental health, but there is limited research covering suicidality and Black youth. This scoping review explores what is known about the role of protective factors in moderating the association between racism/discrimination and suicide risk among Black youth in the United States. Findings were mixed regarding the influence of protective factors in moderating the effects of racial discrimination on suicide risk and more exploration among Black youth in impoverished rural areas is warranted.

Purpose: Many young children in need of early intervention are not identified in a timely manner. This preliminary study explored the emerging role of speech language pathologists (SLPs), providing training to improve the use of developmental screening in pediatric primary care. Method: A quantitative, descriptive methodology with a one-group pretest, posttest interventional design was utilized to assess the impact of an SLP-led educational intervention on the knowledge of 17 paraprofessional medical support personnel to administer a standardized developmental screening tool. Results: Data analysis revealed a significant increase on knowledge posttest scores from pretest scores. Conclusion: SLPs providing educational training in pediatric primary care is an important first step in identifying solutions to improving the early identification of children with developmental concerns.

Female, Black, Latinx, Native American, low-income, and rural students remain underrepresented among computer science undergraduate degree recipients. Along with student, family, and secondary school characteristics, college organizational climate, curricula, and instructional practices shape undergraduates' experiences that foster persistence until graduation. Our quasi-experimental project, "Improving the Persistence and Success of Students from Underrepresented Populations in Computer Science" (I-PASS), is designed to augment students' persistence until they earn their computer science degree. Drawing on prior research, including Tinto's model of effective institutional actions for retention, I-PASS Scholars--all low-income, female and/or members of underserved demographics groups--receive a four-year scholarship; mentoring, tutoring, advising; and opportunities to integrate into the academic and social life of the campus. Students' written reflections and attitude surveys suggest I-PASS's components foster their retention by, among other mechanisms, enhancing their computer science identity development and sense of belonging in the major.

The article presents a SWOT analysis of a long-term outdoor environmental education program, on-going since 1996. In this program, the fifth-grade classes in a public elementary school in a rural region of northern Israel have been contributing to the conservation of the Lesser Kestrel, an endangered species. The program is based on outdoor activities, continuing throughout the year. Students learn about the Lesser Kestrels, usually outdoors, build nesting boxes, and guide an adult audience on a special day held as part of their outdoor activities. The aim of the study was to understand the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) that enable the ongoing existence of the Lesser Kestrel outdoor environmental education program at this school. Twenty-four professionals from different backgrounds, all having several years' familiarity with the program, participated in the study and provided their perspectives. The SWOT analysis was based on the deductive content analysis and used a triangulation, including a focus group, semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire. The results relate to the Lesser Kestrels, students, teachers and school administration, parents, and the regional council. The strengths and opportunities seem to outweigh the threats and weaknesses of such a program, enabling the program's long-term success. In summary, it can be proffered that long-term outdoor environmental education programs which enable the achievement of environmental education goals over time can have significant positive impacts, both environmentally and with the communities involved, and are sustainable, given appropriate attention is given to relationships involving experts and funding bodies.

The role and importance of sustainability are increasing multi-fold, and responsible organizations across the globe are aligning with the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Integrating the UN SDGs into marketing education, especially curriculum, has received scant attention in the marketing education literature, even though 880 business schools have become Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatories. This exploratory study attempts to address the gap. It describes an instructor's attempt to integrate two SDGs, 8 and 12, into a marketing elective course, BoP & Rural Markets, using an experiential rural market project. The students were asked to use the lens of SDG 8 and 12 to understand the rural marketplace and its stakeholders during their field visit. This article describes the rural market project, spread across four experiential learning stages, and assesses its impact on sensitizing the students about SDGs. The whole experience, with its challenges and potential areas for improvement, is shared, and some lessons for marketing educators are identified. Finally, this article highlights some limitations of the approach and pinpoints directions for future work. In sum, this experiential project, a unique pedagogical intervention, helped increase the participants' awareness and encouraged them to come up with possible recommendations for the issues around the two SDGs.

Background: With the growing integration of technology in education, the adoption of blended learning (b-learning) has gained attention. B-learning combines traditional classroom teaching with online components, holding potential to enhance student outcomes and educational efficiency. Yet, current research predominantly concentrates on higher education institutions in urban areas, creating a void in understanding its impact on K-12 education, particularly in rural settings. Objectives: This qualitative study aims to propose recommendations for successful implementation of blended learning in rural K-12 areas by addressing the key stakeholders influencing its adoption and identifying the main factors affecting its success. Methods: We performed a content analysis of grey literature documents detailing the implementation of b-learning in K-12 education. Additionally, interviews with crucial stakeholders such as teachers, principals, and experts in rural schools in South America provide insights into the challenges and prospects of b-learning adoption in these contexts. Results and Conclusions: The study identifies pivotal stakeholders for effective b-learning implementation, outlining their roles and addressing challenges inherent in rural settings. Recommendations for enhancing b-learning's implementation in developing countries are also proposed. The research underscores the significance of involving diverse stakeholders such as governmental bodies, school leaders, educators, students, and families to ensure a holistic and efficient approach to blended learning.