Search Results (604)

Background: Armed conflict and geopolitical instability increasingly affect mental health beyond directly exposed populations through continuous media exposure and digital information dissemination. Nursing students may be particularly vulnerable because of high academic demands, emotional sensitivity to human suffering, and intensive engagement with social media and online news platforms. This study examined the association between conflict related news exposure and depression, anxiety, and stress among nursing students in Saudi Arabia during the February 2026 regional military escalation involving Iran, and explored the role of perceived safety concern and the potential indirect associations involving sleep difficulty and study disruption. Methods: A multi-center cross sectional study was conducted among nursing students from different public universities across five regions of Saudi Arabia. Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. A composite conflict exposure index was developed from conflict news following frequency and exposure intensity measures. We used Gamma generalized linear models, interaction analyses, and structural equation modeling to evaluate associations, moderation by information source, and mediation pathways. Results were reported as arithmetic mean ratios (AMRs) with 95% confidence intervals, representing the relative change in mean psychological distress scores associated with each predictor. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic, academic, and living-related factors. Results: A total of 247 nursing students were included. Moderate to severe depression, anxiety, and stress were reported by 50.2%, 59.9%, and 32.4% of participants, respectively. Our findings showed that higher conflict exposure was associated with increased stress levels (AMR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.02–1.34), while associations with depression (AMR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.99–1.30) and anxiety (AMR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.99–1.28) were weaker. Associations between conflict-related exposure and depression, anxiety, and stress were substantially attenuated after accounting for perceived safety concern, which remained strongly associated with all psychological distress outcomes (AMR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.19–1.47), anxiety (AMR = 1.31, 95% CI: 1.18–1.44), and stress (AMR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.24–1.51). Compared with television news users, students relying on online news demonstrated substantially higher depression (AMR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.32–2.78), anxiety (AMR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.29–2.64), and stress scores (AMR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.29–2.74). Structural equation modeling identified significant indirect associations involving sleep difficulty and study disruption, whereas direct associations between exposure and psychological distress were comparatively weak. Conclusions: Conflict-related media exposure was associated with poorer mental health among nursing students, with perceived insecurity, sleep difficulties, and study disruption showing strong associations with psychological distress and patterns consistent with indirect relationships. Universities and nursing education programs should consider implementing mental health support, media literacy interventions, sleep health promotion, and psychosocial support strategies during periods of regional geopolitical instability. Full article

Digital transformation in education enables the integration of interactive tools that foster engagement, creativity, and sustainability awareness among young learners. GameOn! is a serious game using Minecraft Education Edition (MEE) to promote sustainability, inclusivity, and peace among primary school students aged 6–11. Grounded in Constructionism, Experiential Learning Theory, and Citizen Science (CS), it is designed to support connections between classroom experiences and real-world environmental actions. The project followed a co-design methodology involving international partners and educators to develop the GameOn! MEE world and a complementary teacher toolkit. The game was later tested in three Italian primary schools, involving 100 students through both guided and free play sessions. Findings show that 95% of students enjoyed the game, 89% learned new concepts, and teachers observed great focus and engagement during structured play. These results align with our observations: most children quickly engaged with the game, adapted to its mechanics, and demonstrated understanding of key tasks. Some usability challenges emerged, emphasizing the importance of facilitation. Overall, the findings suggest that GameOn!, consistent with the pedagogical potential of other serious games, could enhance sustainability literacy, active citizenship, and environmental awareness in early education. Future work will expand its implementation and further strengthen the integration of CS-based activities. Future work will expand implementation and strengthen the integration of CS-based activities. Full article

Background: Mpox is a re-emerging viral zoonotic disease that remains relevant for public health preparedness, risk communication, and vaccination literacy. University students are an important population for infectious disease communication because they are socially active, digitally connected, and may act as knowledge multipliers. This study assessed Mpox-related knowledge, risk perception, preventive practices, and willingness to receive Mpox vaccination among university students in Aktobe, Kazakhstan, and identified independent predictors of adequate knowledge and vaccination willingness. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among students from three universities. The questionnaire collected socio-demographic characteristics, Mpox-related knowledge, information sources, attitudes, preventive practices, perceived risk, and vaccination willingness. Knowledge was summarized using a three-item score; adequate knowledge was defined as a score of at least 2 out of 3. Two multivariable logistic regression models were fitted: one for adequate Mpox-related knowledge and one for willingness to receive Mpox vaccination. Results: The final descriptive dataset included 482 respondents. Most participants were female (66.8%), from urban areas (80.5%), and aged 17–18 years (61.6%). Only 217 students (45.0%) had previously heard about Mpox, 193 (40.0%) correctly identified rash as the main symptom, and 179 (37.1%) knew that vaccination against Mpox exists. Adequate knowledge was observed in 201 students (41.7%), while only 150 students (31.1%) were willing to receive Mpox vaccination. In the multivariable model, adequate knowledge was independently associated with studying at Marat Ospanov West Kazakhstan Medical University (aOR = 5.66; 95% CI: 2.95–10.84), use of medical websites as an information source (aOR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.09–2.69), and following infectious disease news (aOR = 2.81; 95% CI: 1.76–4.48). Vaccination willingness was independently associated with considering Mpox a dangerous infectious disease (aOR = 2.04; 95% CI: 1.11–3.77) and perceiving Mpox as a threat to Kazakhstan (aOR = 2.16; 95% CI: 1.30–3.59). Conclusions: Mpox-related knowledge among university students in Aktobe was limited, while vaccination willingness remained low despite moderate perceived risk. Reliable information exposure improved knowledge, whereas vaccination willingness was more strongly associated with perceived disease threat. These findings support university-based health literacy, vaccine literacy, and risk communication interventions aimed at improving preparedness for emerging infectious diseases. Full article

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools, particularly generative models, in the last five years has fundamentally transformed the framework and methodologies of learning in higher education. Students are integrating AI for producing new ideas, assisted and personalized search, academic writing, advanced data analysis, and personalized learning. For this reason, an update of the theoretical and conceptual framework regarding the adoption of technologies in the educational environment is required. Based on traditional Technology Acceptance Model/Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (TAM/UTAUT) models, we propose a new Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) model developed for the context of AI in higher education. The novelty of the model lies in the integration of the mediating relationship through trust (trust in AI outputs, TAIO) between perceived academic integrity risk (PAIR) and behavioral intention to use (BI), while anchoring perceived learning utility (PUL) and perceived effort expectancy (PEE) in AI literacy-specific self-efficacy (AILSE). The model is tested using a sample of 339 higher education students from economics and computer science specializations and validated using the R environment and the SEMinR package as specific software tools. Our proposed research hypotheses consider six reflective latent constructs and a mediating relationship, which we analyze using validated PLS-SEM techniques. All items included in the model constructs are formulated for use in university educational contexts and are adapted to specific AI tools for learning in the university environment. Full article

In contemporary society, dominated by visual communication and the intensive use of social media, educating learners to interpret images critically has become an essential task for all educational contexts. New generations live immersed in digital environments where images, often decontextualized or manipulated, contribute to shaping identities, relationships, and perceptions of reality. Within this scenario, image education should be understood not merely as technical literacy but as a critical and formative practice aimed at developing awareness, autonomous judgement, and analytical competence. The present contribution proposes a pedagogical reflection on the urgent need to integrate structured pathways of visual media literacy within school curricula, with particular attention to the role of schools as educational bastions in preventing phenomena such as the erosion of critical thinking or the diffusion of distorted and unrealistic visual models. This work situates itself within the interdisciplinary debate on Visual Education, highlighting the need to train teachers and educators capable of guiding children and adolescents in decoding visual messages and developing reflective thinking. Full article

Background/Objectives: Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly consulted for information about cleft lip and palate (CLP), yet the reliability of their outputs across clinical domains has not been evaluated. This study aimed to compare the quality of CLP-related information generated by GPT-4o and Gemini 2.5 Pro across multiple thematic domains using a validated quality instrument and a reliability-first analytic framework. Methods: Fifty-four standardized CLP questions across six domains were submitted to GPT-4o (OpenAI) and Gemini 2.5 Pro (Google DeepMind) on 25 September 2024 via their public interfaces, using new, history-free sessions and default settings, yielding 108 responses. Three independent, CLP-experienced raters scored each response using the Global Quality Score (GQS; 1–5 scale assessing accuracy, completeness, and clinical usefulness). Before comparing models, we applied a reliability-first filter: only domains where all three raters showed substantial agreement (Fleiss’ kappa [κ] ≥ 0.60) were included in statistical comparisons. Domains that failed this threshold were analyzed qualitatively to identify the source of disagreement. A descriptive taxonomy of errors was developed for low-scoring responses. Results: Three domains met the reliability threshold (General Care Information, General Cleft Information, and Pre-Treatment Information; 30 paired questions). Both models performed at a high and practically equivalent level: GPT-4o median GQS 4.33 (IQR 4.00–5.00) versus Gemini 2.5 Pro 5.00 (IQR 4.00–5.00); the difference was not statistically significant (Wilcoxon V = 139.00, p = 0.691; Hodges–Lehmann median difference 0.00, 95% CI −0.33 to 0.67). Three domains were excluded because rater agreement was insufficient; qualitative review showed this reflected genuine clinical practice variation rather than clear model errors. The most common inaccuracies were overgeneralization of outcomes, outdated surgical timing, and omission of multidisciplinary team roles. Conclusions: Both models provided high-quality CLP information in domains supported by clinical consensus, indicating they may serve as useful adjuncts for general patient and family counseling. Clinicians should, however, verify any treatment-specific content against current institutional protocols before relaying it to patients. Future research should assess readability, alignment with health literacy, and patient comprehension of AI-generated CLP information. Full article

As global education steps into a new era marked by core literacy and sustainable development, teacher literacy has become a critical pillar for fulfilling United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Guided by the Educator Spirit and based on the logical framework of dual professional roles and four professional relationships, this study constructs a teacher literacy model for Chinese teachers in the new era, which consists of seven dimensions: disciplinary literacy, general literacy, learning support literacy, holistic education literacy, communication and collaboration literacy, development and improvement literacy, and teacher ethics literacy. Adopting systematic literature review and international comparative research methods, this study integrates mainstream international teacher literacy frameworks issued by the European Union, OECD, UNESCO, the United States and Australia with China’s educational policies and practical experience to establish the proposed model. It further elaborates how the model directs sustainability-oriented teacher education, facilitates transformative teaching approaches, boosts interdisciplinary teaching practice, highlights social justice and global citizenship awareness, and embeds sustainable development principles into curriculum design and teaching practice. This model can effectively tackle prevailing practical dilemmas including teachers’ weakened professional identity, vague professional development paths, unitary evaluation systems, inadequate digital teaching competence, insufficient interdisciplinary integration capacity, deficient ESD literacy and inefficient collaborative education mechanisms. It can systematically support teachers in carrying out sustainability-oriented teaching, innovating curriculum design, conducting transformative teaching and promoting students’ sustainable learning while practicing social justice and educational equity and cultivating global citizenship awareness in educational scenarios. It also provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for promoting the transition of Chinese teachers toward high-quality, professional and sustainable development, and also offers localized solutions with distinctive Chinese characteristics and universal international implications for the implementation of global ESD initiatives and the achievement of SDG 4. Full article

In the digital era, sustainable finance is increasingly expected not only to expand financial access, but also to strengthen ESG transparency, accountability, and the alignment between corporate disclosure and actual practice. Against this backdrop, this study examines whether digital finance enhances corporate ESG disclosure–practice consistency by mitigating corporate ESG decoupling. Using Chinese A-share listed firms from 2011 to 2024 as the sample, we further investigate the moderating roles of corporate digitalization and executives’ digital background. The results show that digital finance significantly reduces corporate ESG decoupling, and this finding remains robust after alternative variable specifications, sample adjustments, stricter fixed-effects settings, and instrumental-variable estimation. Across the environmental, social, and governance dimensions, digital finance exhibits a stronger mitigating effect on social and governance decoupling. Corporate digitalization and executives’ digital background, acting as key micro-level enabling mechanisms through which regional digital finance translates into firm-level governance improvement, both significantly strengthen the mitigating effect of digital finance on corporate ESG decoupling. Further analysis shows that this effect mainly operates through easing financing constraints and reducing information asymmetry. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable finance, digital governance, and corporate sustainability by providing new evidence on how digital finance can narrow the ESG disclosure–practice gap and improve the consistency between corporate ESG disclosure and actual performance. It also offers practical implications for advancing the high-quality development of digital finance, strengthening firms’ digital capabilities, and enhancing the digital literacy of corporate executives. Full article

Social media has become a primary news source for post-secondary students in Hong Kong; however, there is substantial disinformation and misinformation on these platforms. This study offers an initial qualitative window into how Hong Kong post-secondary students identify and respond to online disinformation and misinformation on social media. The qualitative interviews were conducted based on the traditional “Content–Appearance–Motivation” (CAM) framework. The findings show that students actively draw on common-sense reasoning and CAM-related cues. The study proposes a provisional Contextualized Dual-Loop Verification Model in which traditional CAM assessment is embedded within a broader loop of platform literacy, technical authenticity awareness, perceived risk and efficacy, and metacognitive regulation, highlighting the need for journalism and media education to move beyond conventional information literacy toward AI-era verification competencies. Future large-scale and cross-cultural studies are needed to test and refine this model. Full article

This study examines the relationship between Sudanese audiences’ exposure to digital media coverage of the civil war and their psychological immunity and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms while also investigating the mediating role of psychological immunity. Data were collected through an online survey from a sample of 774 Sudanese respondents residing both inside and outside Sudan. The findings indicate a relatively high level of exposure to digital news coverage, particularly through social media platforms such as Facebook, reflecting the growing centrality of digitally mediated news environments in conflict reporting. The results also reveal moderate levels of psychological immunity and relatively high levels of PTSD symptoms, especially in the hyperarousal dimension. Statistical analysis shows a negative association between media exposure and psychological immunity, and a positive association between exposure and PTSD symptoms, with psychological immunity partially mediating this relationship. Beyond these findings, this study highlights important implications for journalism practice and media responsibility. The intensity and emotional nature of digital war coverage raise critical concerns regarding ethical news production, the circulation of distressing content, and the potential psychological impact on audiences. These findings underscore the need for more responsible digital journalism practices, including content moderation, trauma-sensitive reporting, and the promotion of media literacy, in order to mitigate the potential harm associated with repeated exposure to crisis-related news content. Full article

Background: This study fills a gap in the literature by examining how perceptions of health news are associated with interpersonal trust in physicians and institutional distrust in the healthcare systems, particularly in the Türkiye context. While previous studies have examined trust in physicians and distrust in healthcare systems separately using different independent variables, evidence remains limited on the simultaneous association between health news perception and both trust in physicians and distrust in the healthcare system, particularly in the Türkiye context and using validated measurement tools. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the association between health news perception, trust in physicians, and distrust in the healthcare system. Methods: The population of this cross-sectional study consisted of individuals aged 18–60 residing in the central district of Kutahya. The study data were collected face-to-face using a two-part questionnaire. A total of 719 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Results: 58% of the participants in the study were aged 41 and above. Commercial concerns and advertising, consumption promotion, behavioral change, health behavior exploitation, and trust in health news were positively associated with distrust in the healthcare system (β = 0.119, β = 0.196, β = 0.054, β = 0.061, β = 0.046; p < 0.01, p < 0.05). The model explained 22.4% of the variance (R² = 0.224). Commercial concerns and advertising, consumption promotion, behavioral change, health behavior exploitation, and trust in health news were negatively associated with trust in physicians (β = −0.221, β = −0.014, β = −0.014, β = −0.127, β = −0.211; p < 0.05, p < 0.01). The model explained 25.3% of the variance (R² = 0.253). Conclusions: The study found that health news perception was associated with trust in physicians and distrust in the healthcare system. Therefore, understanding the associations between health news perception, trust in physicians, and distrust in the healthcare system is important for improving individual and public health. For this reason, it is of great importance to raise the level of health and digital health literacy in society through policies developed under the leadership of public health experts. Full article

The algorithmic overproduction of images that increasingly characterizes our media environment reveals a radically new relationship with visual representation. What emerges is not merely an inability to distinguish an iconographic model from its real referent, nor simply the dissolution of the boundary between true and false, reality and simulacrum (Baudrillard), but rather a growing indifference toward such distinctions. The incapacity to discern between “real” and “fabricated” images no longer appears problematic; the very categories of true and false tend to collapse into one another, resulting in the abandonment of interpretative engagement. After analyzing this phenomenon, the article proposes a pedagogical framework designed to respond to such a condition. It argues that neither image decoding (visual literacy) nor creative production alone are sufficient. What is required is a form of training in imagination, enacted through an ethics of the gaze and a digital archeology; through practices of digital estrangement; as well as through exercises in embodiment and sensory re-anchoring. The ultimate goal is to develop tools that shift the relationship with images from consumptive to interrogative—fostering what we call Exit Literacy: the capacity not only to read the world, but to desire to exit its passively offered version, reclaiming an active role in critique and meaning-making. Full article

The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education and creating new opportunities that are associated with the development of perceived professional competencies. At the same time, the accounting profession increasingly requires graduates who can evaluate sustainability disclosures and form informed judgments regarding sustainability-related information. However, limited research has examined how AI-supported learning relates to sustainability-oriented decision-making capabilities in accounting education. Drawing on Decision Support Systems (DSS) theory and constructivist learning theory, this study examines the associations between generative AI-supported learning and students’ perceived sustainability judgment capability. Specifically, the study investigates the mediating roles of perceived critical thinking and perceived sustainability knowledge, as well as the moderating role of AI literacy. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed using self-reported survey data collected from 721 accounting students, and the proposed relationships were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings indicate that generative AI-supported learning is positively associated with students’ perceived critical thinking and perceived sustainability knowledge. In turn, both constructs show significant positive relationships with perceived sustainability judgment capability, with perceived sustainability knowledge demonstrating a stronger association. Additionally, AI literacy strengthens the relationships between generative AI-supported learning and the cognitive constructs. Importantly, the study captures students’ self-reported perceptions of their cognitive and judgment-related capabilities and does not assess objective cognitive performance or demonstrated judgment ability. The study contributes to the literature by positioning generative AI as an educational decision-support mechanism associated with perceived sustainability-oriented judgment capability through cognitive pathways, while highlighting the importance of aligning theoretical claims with perceptual measurement approaches. Full article

This qualitative review of the literature explores current conversations about the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on teacher education in general and pre-service teachers in particular. Recent advances in AI are beginning to influence teacher education, where curricula, practicum, and school field experience now incorporate AI in curriculum-based instruction and as a context for teaching digital literacy, not as an isolated tool. Researchers regularly situate these shifts alongside broader educational practices and policy. There is also substantial literature dealing with pressing ethical and practical questions such as data privacy and algorithmic bias, equitable access to technology, and the challenges experienced by under-resourced schools. Together, these studies indicate that teachers are redefining and reconfiguring both their own teaching and teacher education, enabled by AI in new, more flexible and responsive ways. Within this shifting paradigm, pre-service and in-service teachers are not conceived as mere end-users but as reflective practitioners who take up such tools, critically question their ramifications, and, sometimes, lead the way in utilizing AI in educational practice, including mainly pedagogical practices. To explain the shared components identified in the present review, this paper offers a post hoc conceptual synthesis of eight recurring dimensions of sustainable AI integration in teacher education. Full article

The representation of the sexuality of people with disabilities in contemporary media is often characterized by stereotypes, omissions, and heteronormative narratives that deny the complexity and richness of their emotional experiences. This essay explores the potential of photovoice-based methodology as a tool of visual empowerment to foster processes of authentic and self-aware self-representation through the immersive dynamic that this methodology can activate. Through an interdisciplinary theoretical approach that combines special pedagogy with recent research on digital media and immersive technologies, the study seeks to understand whether virtual spaces can be configured as protected environments in which people with disabilities have the opportunity to explore and communicate their sexual identity. Photovoice thus becomes a tool of narrative resistance that overcomes barriers and counters mediatized representations, often conveyed through dynamics of ableist cyberbullying and online discrimination. The contribution highlights how the combination of participatory visual storytelling and immersive environments can generate new forms of inclusive media literacy, promoting a Visual Education that recognizes and values the diversity of human experiences. Particular attention is devoted to the educational potential of these tools in the training of educators and social workers, as well as in raising awareness within the broader community. The paper proposes a theoretical and methodological framework for the implementation of visual self-representation projects capable of transforming social perceptions of disability and promoting a culture of authentic and respectful inclusion. Full article