Search Results (907)

Objectives: This study investigated the interplay between pre- and post-match physiological responses and subsequent emotional changes in male water polo players competing in the Italian Serie C league (third national level, sub-elite), focusing on differences between official championship (competitive) and non-competitive (training) settings. Methods: Sixteen male Italian Serie C water polo players participated. Salivary biomarkers (cortisol, immunoglobulin A (IgA), and uric acid) were measured, alongside psychological assessments of cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence. Measurements were taken before and after both training and competition matches. Results: A significant anticipatory rise in salivary cortisol was observed before competition matches compared to training, highlighting the psychological stress associated with competitive events. Post-match, cortisol levels remained elevated to a greater extent after competition. Salivary IgA levels decreased significantly following both training and competition, with a more pronounced reduction after official matches, and exhibited a negative correlation with cortisol. Salivary uric acid, a marker of oxidative stress, increased post-exercise and was significantly higher after competition. Players reported higher somatic and cognitive anxiety and lower self-confidence before competition compared to training, and pre-competition cortisol levels were positively correlated with both anxiety measures and negatively correlated with self-confidence. Conclusions: These findings highlight the distinct physiological and psychological responses elicited by competitive versus non-competitive settings in water polo, emphasizing the importance of considering the emotional context when monitoring athletes’ stress and recovery. The social meaning of competitive contexts may be embodied, impacting stress and immune responses. Full article

This paper examines leadership characteristics within local self-governments in the Republic of Serbia through a comparative analysis of leaders’ self-assessments and associates’ evaluations. Drawing on the Johari Window framework, the study explores differences in the perception of leadership attributes from two complementary perspectives. The sample consisted of 150 participants occupying managerial positions within different municipal administrations. The findings indicate that capability is the dominant leadership attribute across both respondent groups, followed by energy, reliability, intelligence, and responsibility. However, notable discrepancies were identified between self-perception and external evaluation, particularly regarding adaptive and interpersonal characteristics. The results further suggest that leadership perception in transitional institutional environments is strongly influenced by organizational uncertainty and institutional instability. Emotional and relational attributes appear to be less emphasized, whereas functional competencies and managerial effectiveness remain highly valued. The study contributes to contemporary leadership research by highlighting the importance of contextual and relational dimensions in the interpretation of leadership characteristics. In addition, the findings offer practical implications for leadership development within public administration systems. Full article

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity among risk leaders in Indonesia’s financial services sector, adopting a workplace accountability perspective to explain how leadership behavioural competencies support effective risk ownership, risk communication, and accountable risk decision-making. Drawing on survey data from 280 board-level executives holding the Qualified Risk Governance Professional credential, the study measures emotional intelligence using the Bar-On EQ-i and enterprise risk management maturity using the RIMS Risk Maturity Model. The findings reveal a strong and positive association between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity, with interpersonal competence and adaptability exhibiting the strongest associations with ERM maturity, while no significant differences are observed across job roles or organisational size. By empirically examining the association between leadership emotional capabilities and the institutionalisation of risk governance, the study contributes to global management and the literature on risk by extending enterprise risk management research beyond technical frameworks and compliance models, particularly within emerging market contexts. The results suggest that emotional intelligence may represent a transferable governance capability that is relevant to organisations operating in complex, uncertain, and globally interconnected environments. Practically, the study suggests that emotional intelligence development may represent a useful complement to leadership and risk capability programmes aimed at supporting risk culture, cross-functional engagement, and accountability. Full article

This study aimed to develop and validate a Social–Emotional Competence instrument for college students. The questionnaire includes 30 items across five dimensions: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, interpersonal communication, and sense of responsibility. The items were selected from an initial pool of 42 items generated through a comprehensive literature review, semi-structured interviews, and expert evaluation. A total of 1008 valid responses were collected from undergraduate students. The dataset was randomly divided into two independent samples. Sample 1 (n = 504) was used for item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, while Sample 2 (n = 504) was employed for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and assessing the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis supported a five-factor structure, accounting for 60.619% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the model fit the data reasonably well, with CFI = 0.915, TLI = 0.905, RMSEA = 0.063, and SRMR = 0.046. The questionnaire demonstrated excellent internal consistency (α = 0.958) and maintained strong stability over time, as evidenced by a test–retest correlation of r = 0.939. Criterion-related validity was supported by significant positive correlations with interpersonal competence and negative correlations with emotion regulation difficulties and depressive symptoms. Taken together, these results provide preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the instrument, suggesting that it may serve as a practical tool for evaluating social–emotional competence among college students. Full article

Within the conceptual framework of the Unified Flexibility & Mindfulness (UFM) model, the current study applied a contextual behavioral science lens to understanding the challenges and dynamics of classroom teaching in the United States. In particular, the study sought to highlight the specific flexibility processes linked to lower teacher burnout and to greater use of adaptive instructional and behavior management strategies—deepening the conceptualization and operationalization of teachers’ Social and Emotional Competence (SEC). Toward that end, a sample of 308 K-12 teachers (79% female, 85% white, M_age = 42 years old) with an average of 13 years of teaching experience completed a relational task (RT) indirectly assessing relational thinking about students along with teacher-report measures of: (1) their own use of 14 forms of mindful flexibility (and distracted, reactive inflexibility) in the classroom, (2) their conscious perceptions of student engagement and disaffection with learning, (3) their use of adaptive instructional and behavior management strategies, and (4) a measure of work-related and student-related burnout. Exploratory network analyses largely supported the Unified Flexibility and Mindfulness model shaping teachers’ functioning in the classroom. The results further highlighted unique links from categorical thinking on the RT (i.e., viewing all positive or negative adjectives as essentially the same in students) to greater burnout and unique links from more nuanced thinking on the RT (i.e., the ability to see negative and positive traits coexisting in students) to greater perceptions of both student engagement and disaffection. Teachers’ engagement of committed action and self-as-context (maintaining a broader perspective in the face of disruptive behavior) along with perceptions of greater student engagement emerged as some of the most robust predictors of using adaptive classroom strategies. In contrast, teachers’ engagement in fusion and inaction (along with perceptions of greater student disaffection and lower student engagement) emerged as the most robust predictors of teacher burnout. Implications are discussed. Full article

The present study investigated the stress-reducing effect of emotional management (EM) for teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopting the conservation of resources (COR) theory perspective, we employed a stratified random sampling design to conduct a survey of elementary school teachers in Taiwan with 211 valid responses. Questionnaires were used to assess EM, psychological capital (PsyCap), and perceived work stress. The moderated regression analysis indicated that EM was negatively related to perceived work stress, suggesting that teachers with better emotional management competencies experienced lower levels of work stress during COVID-19. Furthermore, we found a significant interaction between EM and PsyCap on perceived work stress. The interaction was significant for the overall PsyCap and all four components, namely, self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience. Although the simple slope test was not significant for hope, the pattern of interaction was consistent. Specifically, teachers with higher EM perceived lower work stress when they had higher overall PsyCap, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. These findings offer evidence to support the COR proposition, showing that PsyCap amplifies the benefit of EM and works together in alleviating teaching stress during the height of the pandemic. The present study contributes to theoretical development by integrating the EM and PsyCap research under a unified theoretical framework of COR. Our finding that teachers with an abundance of resources fared the best under stress also informs the practical training programs to foster teachers’ EM and PsyCap as personal resources for adaptive coping and thriving. Full article

Aligning information technology (IT) workforce demands with educational assessments is essential for bridging skills gaps; yet, no prior corpus maps IT task reasoning to Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) proficiency levels. This paper introduces a large language model (LLM)-powered framework aligning IT competencies with PISA 2022 and the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Learning Compass 2030, drawing on O*NET v30.2 (Occupational Information Network), ESCO (European Skills, Competences, Qualifications, and Occupations) v1.2.1, PISA descriptors and OECD definitions. The framework operates in two stages: Stage 1 aligns 562 IT task statements with minimum PISA 2022 proficiency levels via LLM annotation and cross-model validation; and Stage 2 extends this mapping to the OECD Learning Compass 2030 through the semantic clustering of task embeddings and a bidirectional gap analysis of 95 ESCO transversal skills. Using Gemini 2.5 Flash, 562 tasks are annotated with minimum PISA levels across Mathematical, Reading, and Science literacy (first stage). Annotation reliability is assessed through a five-model cross-validation against a blind human domain expert (treated as a reference benchmark, not a gold standard) on a stratified 100-task sample (17.8% of the corpus), with agreement ranging from fair (Gemini 2.5 Flash, κ = 0.29) to moderate (Claude Haiku 4.5, κ = 0.50; LLaMA 3.3 70B, κ = 0.44). A bias-correction sensitivity analysis confirms that distributional findings remain stable after accounting for the primary annotator’s systematic overestimation, and OLS-calibrated alignment against O*NET ability ratings provides directional plausibility support. Validated tasks are embedded and clustered into 25 technical profiles via K-Means, each classified against OECD dimensions. The framework is extended to 95 ESCO transversal skills in 24 clusters. Bidirectional analysis reveals that, while every PISA proficiency level is engaged by at least one transversal cluster, 33% of these clusters, covering creative, ethical, social–emotional, and dispositional competencies, fall entirely outside PISA’s cognitive scope. This boundary mapping identifies where the PISA-based alignment is valid and where complementary tools are required for a full readiness assessment. Full article

Food waste remains a persistent sustainability challenge within independent restaurants, where operational pressures, cultural norms, and resource constraints limit systematic waste management. This study examines how an industry–academia partnership enabled the co-creation of food-waste reduction practices between hospitality students and sixteen independent restaurant operators in Wellington, New Zealand. Adopting the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach, data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with operators and focus group discussions with hospitality students. Findings reveal that food wastage in the study units is shaped by time pressure, customer service expectations, tacit kitchen routines, and uncertainty in forecasting the demand. The study identifies three mechanisms—emotional disruption, shared reflection and experimentation—through which sustainability competencies become a part in professional identity. It offers theoretical grounded and practically actionable insights for industry–academia collaboration in resource-constrained hospitality environments. Full article

This experimental study investigated the impact of embedding social and emotional learning (SEL) in science instruction on the academic and social–emotional outcomes of Arabic-speaking sixth graders, including those with reading difficulties (RD). Children from two schools in northern Israel (n = 101) were randomly assigned to either an intervention group, which received SEL-enriched science lessons featuring collaborative, reflective activities over 30 sessions, or a control group receiving traditional instruction. Pre- and post-tests assessed SEL competencies, motivation towards science, and academic achievements in science and mathematics. Results showed significantly greater gains in SEL skills, and in science motivation and science achievement in the intervention group compared to controls, whereas mathematics outcomes remained unchanged. Typically developing students and those with RD benefited similarly. Integration of SEL into science curricula thus enhances cognitive and social–emotional learning dimensions, particularly in linguistically and socio-economically marginalised populations. Implications for inclusive pedagogy and future research directions are discussed. Full article

University professors’ emotional competencies are increasingly discussed as relevant dimensions of teaching professionalism that may shape students’ academic engagement, motivation, and psychological well-being. This qualitative study explores how university students perceive professors’ emotional and relational practices and how students perceived these practices as shaping their academic experience. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate and master’s students at an Italian university and analyzed through thematic analysis. Five interconnected themes were identified: (1) empathy and the humanization of the professor–student relationship; (2) relational and communicative styles shaping classroom climate and motivation; (3) emotional regulation in high-stress academic situations, particularly examinations; (4) perceived differences across teaching modalities and disciplinary contexts; (5) students’ expectations regarding balanced emotional openness and faculty development. Students described empathetic, approachable, and emotionally regulated professors as helping to reduce stress, strengthen academic confidence, foster engagement, and support a sense of belonging. Conversely, rigid, distant, or humiliating interactions were associated with anxiety, withdrawal, and disengagement. Rather than treating emotional competence as an individual disposition, the study proposes that it should be understood as a professional and institutional dimension of university teaching. It further develops the notion of student-perceived academic psychological safety as a relational mechanism through which professors’ emotional competencies may influence students’ well-being and participation. The findings highlight the need for faculty development initiatives and institutional policies that recognize the emotional and relational dimensions of teaching as integral to higher education quality. Full article

Reading has long been recognised as a central mechanism for second language development, particularly in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) contexts where exposure to the target language is limited. However, learners do not seem to benefit equally from comparable reading demands, suggesting that factors beyond linguistic competence influence developmental outcomes. This study examines the relationship between reading self-efficacy and English language proficiency among undergraduate students enrolled in a Degree in English Studies at a Spanish university. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed with a sample of 141 participants and data were collected using the Reader Self-Perception Scale 2 (RSPS2) and a standardised multilevel English placement test aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The results revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between reading self-efficacy and language proficiency, whereas literary epistemological beliefs did not show a comparable association. Among the RSPS2 dimensions, perceived Progress and Physiological States emerged as the strongest correlates of proficiency, indicating that learners’ sense of development and emotional comfort while reading is particularly relevant to language achievement. The study argues that reading self-efficacy is related to textual exposure and language development, shaping whether learners engage with texts in sustained and productive ways. By linking learner self-perception to measurable proficiency outcomes, the study contributes empirical evidence to current discussions on affective variables in language learning and offers pedagogical implications for fostering engagement in higher education EFL contexts. Full article

This study investigates the psychological and pedagogical architecture predicting environmental communicative agency among 304 primary school students (grades 5–6) participating in a climate change education programme. Aiming to bridge the persistent “knowledge–action gap” in sustainability education, the research identifies the cognitive, emotional, and instrumental pathways that transform children into active agents of low-carbon, pro-sustainability change in their everyday lives. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with a latent climatic knowledge literacy construct, the analysis reveals that the latent construct of General Environmental Knowledge, comprising Conceptual Climate Knowledge and Relational-Systems Climate Knowledge, is the strongest direct predictor of Environmental Communicative Agency. Intrinsic curiosity emerged as a dominant driver of practical competence, while future-oriented tools function as the critical mediator between understanding and social action. Together, these mechanisms outline a school-based pathway through which climate literacy and motivation can be converted into household-level behavioural change and intergenerational climate resilience. The findings advocate for a paradigmatic shift from knowledge transfer to building operative sustainability agency, offering a pedagogical roadmap that fosters “constructive hope” and positions children as “trusted messengers” who catalyse intergenerational learning and reverse socialization toward more sustainable lifestyles. Full article

Writing is both a cognitive–linguistic activity and an emotional academic experience. For students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs), written production may involve tension, anticipated failure, reduced confidence, and frustration, especially when handwriting demands compete with idea generation, spelling control, and text organization. These emotional responses are educationally important because they may influence persistence, written productivity, revision behavior, and academic participation. This study examined emotional responses to handwritten and digitally supported computer-based writing among 60 secondary education students, including 40 students with formally diagnosed SLD and 20 students without learning difficulties. Each participant completed two writing tasks, one handwritten and one digitally supported computer-based, in a counterbalanced order. The computer-based condition functioned as a digitally supported writing environment, with spell-checking and grammar-checking enabled. After each condition, students completed the Writing Emotional Response Scale (WERS), a 12-item study-specific instrument assessing writing anxiety, writing confidence, writing frustration, and perceived ease. The WERS was developed as a preliminary measure of immediate, task-specific emotional responses. Students with SLD reported lower anxiety, lower frustration, higher confidence, and higher perceived ease during digitally supported writing. The study contributes to educational psychology by linking writing modality, SLD, and emotional accessibility. Full article

Socio-emotional competencies are increasingly recognized as a relevant dimension of educational sustainability because they are theoretically and empirically linked to student well-being, school coexistence, participation, and the development of more inclusive educational communities. This article examines self-perceived emotional metaknowledge in 181 first-year secondary school students from two Chilean schools located in contrasting territorial contexts: Santiago and Quillón, Ñuble Region. The TMMS-24 was used to assess three dimensions: Emotional Attention, Emotional Clarity, and Emotional Repair. After data cleaning, 181 valid cases were analyzed. Given the repeated-measures structure of the data, a mixed ANOVA was conducted, with emotional dimension as the within-subject factor and locality as the between-subject factor. Reliability analyses, assumption checks, effect sizes, confidence intervals, and Holm-adjusted post hoc comparisons were also included. The results showed no significant main effect of locality, suggesting that the overall level of self-perceived emotional metaknowledge did not differ significantly between Santiago and Quillón. However, a significant main effect of emotional dimension and a significant dimension × locality interaction were found. Emotional Repair obtained the highest scores in the total sample, while Santiago showed significantly higher Emotional Attention than Quillón. These findings suggest that emotional metaknowledge should be interpreted as a multidimensional construct, with specific differences across emotional dimensions rather than broad territorial contrasts. From the perspective of SDG 4, the study suggests the relevance of socio-emotional learning approaches that are context-sensitive, territorially aware, and oriented toward quality, equity, inclusion, and school coexistence. Full article

Negative online reviews play a critical role in shaping consumer decision-making in the hospitality sector. Drawing on cue utilization theory and signaling theory, this study examines how different types of negative reviews and host responses affect potential guests’ booking intentions, as well as the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions. Across three scenario experiments, the proposed framework was tested. Study 1 reveals a significant interaction between the type of negative reviews (informational vs. social) and host response strategies (problem-focused vs. emotion-focused), highlighting that aligning response strategies with review types is critical for effective negative review management. Study 2 demonstrates that perceptions of host competence and attitude mediate these effects, indicating that potential guests make decisions through psychological inference. Study 3 finds that platform-endorsed credibility signals, such as host badges (Superhost vs. non-Superhost), significantly moderate these relationships. When hosts are Superhosts, informational negative reviews paired with problem-focused responses further enhance competence perceptions and booking intentions; for non-Superhosts, social negative reviews paired with emotion-focused responses improve attitude perceptions and booking intentions. The findings advance theoretical understanding of how signaling mechanisms shape consumer behavior in home-sharing hospitality platforms, and offer practical guidance for hosts and platforms to manage online reputations strategically and effectively. Full article