Search Results (40)

Working equids support millions of people globally, especially in low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries. However, they commonly suffer from poor welfare and are typically overlooked in policy and funding decisions. This scoping review aimed to collate evidence on two topics related to working equid use in low- and middle-income countries: their socioeconomic value to their owners and the impact of educational interventions for owners/handlers aiming to improve equid welfare. Original research published from 2014 onwards was eligible for inclusion. This scoping review followed the JBI methodology and PRISMA-ScR framework. One search strategy encompassing both topics was applied to five databases (CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and IBSS) on 24.04.24. Key characteristics and findings of eligible studies were charted. In total, 3514 sources were independently screened by two reviewers. In total, 61 socioeconomic value studies (47 journal articles, 2 reports, and 12 conference contributions) and 23 educational intervention studies (11 journal articles and 12 conference contributions) were included. Working equids supported their owners’ livelihoods in wide-ranging ways and contributed to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Educational interventions employed varied approaches, and most reported success. Multilevel initiatives and those developed through participatory engagement may be more likely to directly improve equid welfare in the long term. These aspects should be prioritised during intervention development. The included studies used inconsistent terminology and were of variable quality. This review highlights the importance of including working equids within policy and funding strategies and provides recommendations to increase the discoverability, quality, and impact of working equid research. Full article

Addressing the urgent need for sustainable transformation in higher education, this paper explores how a collaborative action research group of teacher educators from different institutions contributed to higher education transformation through sustainable education approaches. Drawing on cultural–historical activity theory (CHAT), we analyze how cross-institutional partnerships fostered personal and professional development through digital collaboration, regular online meetings, and reflective dialogue. The study employed participatory action research, using weekly reflective journals and group meetings as mediating tools supporting sustained professional learning. Findings indicate that building common ground across institutional contexts and investing in trust-building cultivated a meaningful collaborative environment, a “third space” that mediated expansive learning and professional transformation. Within this space, the diversity of institutional backgrounds enriched the activity system, and productive contradictions served as generative mechanisms that catalyze expansive learning by exposing participants to diverse institutional perspectives. The study further shows that sustainable collaboration emerged not from formal institutional structures but from shared ownership, cultural alignment, and relational commitment. These social and cultural processes supported the development of systems-thinking, strategic-thinking, and interpersonal competencies supporting sustainable professional development. The study highlights the potential of sustainable cross-institutional spaces as a model for professional growth in higher education. Full article

Background: Childhood Obesity is a significant and growing Public Health threat among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) children and adolescents in Australia. Health sectors in Australia have been focusing on health intervention programs across various states to prevent childhood obesity. This review aims to analyse the impact of obesity intervention programs conducted among children and adolescents of ATSI communities across Australia and report on the best practices for conducting future research. Objectives: This scoping review synthesised existing literature on the obesity prevention interventions programs among ATSI Children and Adolescents in Australia and examined their scope, implementation, and outcomes; evaluated their cultural appropriateness; and highlighted critical enablers and barriers. Methods: This scoping review analysed scholarly journal articles that reported on the findings of obesity intervention programs delivered across ATSI children and adolescents. Only Quasi-experimental and Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) were selected for the review. A full search has been carried out in Health databases such as Cochrane Library, Medline, PubMed, and ProQuest Central for the past 15 years. The framework of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for Scoping reviews was followed throughout this review. Results: Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. Findings were clustered into five themes: (i) community-led, systems-based interventions improved health behaviours and anthropometry; (ii) culturally tailored, community-embedded programs enhanced engagement and health literacy; (iii) early childhood and family-focused approaches showed promise; (iv) community or policy initiatives yielded mixed results; and (v) behavioural interventions were ineffective without addressing social and structural determinants. The most effective programs were community-delivered, multi-stakeholder, and centred on empowerment and capacity building. Conclusions: Obesity prevention efforts targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents are most successful when community-led, culturally grounded, and supported by multiple stakeholders. These findings underscore the necessity of culturally sensitive, participatory approaches. Further research is needed to strengthen the evidence base and inform sustainable, policy-relevant strategies for childhood obesity. Full article

In academic discourse, interactivity has long been conceptualized as a defining feature of digital journalism, offering the potential to transform passive readers into active participants. However, the actual demand for interactive functionalities among audiences—particularly in rapidly evolving digital environments—remains underexplored. This study investigates how Ukrainian digital media users perceive various interactive features and identifies factors influencing their level of interest and engagement. Based on a survey of 401 respondents, the analysis focuses on patterns of media consumption, social media behavior, and attitudes toward different forms of interactivity. The findings indicate a strong preference for low-effort interactivity, such as quizzes, infographics, and simple reaction-based features. In contrast, participatory features that imply deeper editorial collaboration—such as submitting content or suggesting corrections—attract limited audience interest. By comparing user preferences with prior research on the implementation of interactivity in Ukrainian digital media, the study reveals a structural mismatch between audience expectations and editorial practice. These findings underscore the need to reorient interactive design in digital journalism—from normative assumptions toward empirically grounded user preferences—to enhance audience engagement. Full article

Amid growing global interest in culturally responsive education, integrating local knowledge into higher education curricula has become a key focus of reform, especially in culturally distinct regions. This qualitative study investigates how universities in Aceh, Indonesia, implement curriculum innovation by embedding local cultural, ecological, and philosophical values within the national Merdeka Belajar (Freedom to Learn) framework. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 100 participants, including lecturers, curriculum developers, and education policymakers, this study explores both the opportunities and constraints surrounding this integration process. Local knowledge was incorporated through thematic modules on adat (customary law), oral literature, and traditional ecology, as well as community-based learning and assessment methods such as reflective journals and participatory mapping. Key challenges included limited institutional guidelines, inadequate pedagogical training, and accreditation systems prioritizing standardized indicators over local relevance. Despite challenges, factors such as faculty autonomy, leadership support, and community collaboration have fostered innovative practices. This study provides empirically grounded insights into how local knowledge can strengthen higher education in underrepresented and culturally diverse contexts. Full article

The digital transformation of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction sector is accelerating the adoption of digital platforms as critical enablers of data integration, stakeholder collaboration and process optimization. This paper presents a systematic review of 125 peer-reviewed journal articles (2015–2025), selected through a PRISMA-guided search using the Scopus database, with inclusion criteria focused on English-language academic literature on platform-enabled digitalization in the built environment. Studies were grouped into six thematic domains, i.e., artificial intelligence in construction, digital twin integration, lifecycle cost management, BIM-GIS for underground utilities, energy systems and public administration, based on a combination of literature precedent and domain relevance. Unlike existing reviews focused on single technologies or sectors, this work offers a cross-sectoral synthesis, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities across disciplines and lifecycle stages. It identifies the functional roles, enabling technologies and systemic barriers affecting digital platform adoption, such as fragmented data sources, limited interoperability between systems and siloed organizational processes. These barriers hinder the development of integrated and adaptive digital ecosystems capable of supporting real-time decision-making, participatory planning and sustainable infrastructure management. The study advocates for modular, human-centered platforms underpinned by standardized ontologies, explainable AI and participatory governance models. It also highlights the importance of emerging technologies, including large language models and federated learning, as well as context-specific platform strategies, especially for applications in the Global South. Full article

This study explores the development of reflective thinking among Physical Education Teachers (PETs) through a professional development program grounded in Paralympic values and inclusive education. Employing a qualitative action research design, the study involved seven PETs teaching in Greek primary schools. The intervention lasted ten weeks and comprised 20 Physical Education lessons, during which data were collected via semi-structured interviews, reflective journals, and non-participatory observation. The findings indicate a progressive shift in the teachers’ reflective thinking—from Technical Reflection to Practical and Critical Reflection—as defined in van Manen’s theoretical model. Most participants initially demonstrated a practical orientation but gradually developed a critical stance, incorporating values such as fairness, inclusion, and respect for diversity into their pedagogical thinking. Furthermore, the results revealed increased student sensitivity toward inclusive practices and a more democratic classroom climate. These findings suggest that targeted professional development programs can foster deeper reflective engagement and promote inclusive practices within Physical Education. This study highlights the potential of Paralympic values as meaningful educational content and reinforces the role of Physical Education as a catalyst for social inclusion and teacher professional growth. Full article

The present study explores the affordances of virtual reality (VR) technologies to enhance digital and media literacy skills within an interdisciplinary and inclusive K-12 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning context. Addressing gaps in research on the design and impact of VR experiences in secondary education, the study investigates VR affordances not only as a learning tool, but also as a medium for knowledge co-creation through learning by doing, with students acting as the agents within digital social contexts. The study was conducted for two years, with 59 participants aged 13–14 years old, following a structured five-phase intervention model with the intent to comply with DigComp 2.2 guidelines for digital citizenship and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for inclusive educational practices. The phases involved (a) training on the technological level to leverage digital tools; (b) media and information literacy (MIL) instruction in VR; (c) collaborative VR artifact creation; (d) peer evaluation; and (e) dissemination with peers from other sociocultural contexts for an iterative process of continuous content improvement and social discourse. Mixed methods data collection included pre/post-course surveys, pre/post-tests, observation journals, and student-generated VR artifact evaluations. The findings indicate consistent learning gains across both years, with an average pre–post gain of 18 points (Cohen’s d = −2.25; t = −17.3, p < 0.001). The VR-supported intervention fostered complex skillset building within a VR-supported dynamic learning environment that caters to diverse needs. Students’ reflections informed a framework for designing inclusive media literacy in VR, structured around three main pillars: Narrative Structure, Strategic Design, and Representation Awareness. These themes encapsulate the practical, cognitive, and ethical dimensions of VR design. Sub-themes with examples contribute to understanding the key design elements of VR in promoting participatory engagement, digital and media literacy, critical discourse, and inclusive education. The sub-themes per pillar are signaling and multisensory cues, storyline, and artful thinking; schema formation, multimedia encoding, and optimal cognitive load; and bias-free, respect for emotional impact, and language and symbols. Complementary quantitative findings confirmed the themes of the proposed framework, revealing a positive correlation between the perceived ease of use (PEoU) with digital skills development and a negative correlation between perceived usefulness (PU) and cognitive load. The study concludes with recommendations for pedagogy, curriculum design, and future research to empower learners in shaping sustainable digital futures. Full article

True crime podcasts invite their listeners to crowdsource investigations online, solving cases that have fallen through the cracks of the criminal justice system. Through a cultural criminologist lens, this digital ethnography examines The Vanished podcast as a case study of how true crime listeners engage with solving cases in digital community spaces. Previous studies have dismissed true crime fans as pseudo police acting as digital vigilantes. Podcasting communities provide an important public service, working as participatory journalists to investigate the story and report the truth. Rather than depending on law enforcement permission to organize, online crime-investigation communities leverage the Internet’s function as an organizing agent for mobilization beyond the parameters of conventional social structures and formal government agencies. Findings reveal a six-step process of case collaboration between podcast producers, active listeners, and family and friends of missing persons. Other communities can apply this unique system to successfully investigate crime, suggesting implications for individuals within marginalized groups less likely to find justice through the formal legal system. Full article

In this article we report on a study undertaken with 255 teachers working with learners with visual impairments. The focus of our discussion is teachers’ implementation of inclusive education policies with learners with visual impairments in full-service schools in South Africa. We foreground the ways in which the teacher participants relied on teacher collaborations to overcome some of the challenges they faced as a result of limited resource provisions in schools in this country. We implemented an instrumental case study design and followed the approach of participatory reflection and action (PRA). The sample included teachers (n = 255) from seven full-service and ten special schools from five provinces in South Africa. In addition, 50 expert stakeholders who work in the field of visual impairment were involved. For data generation and documentation, we utilised PRA-based workshops, the observation-as-context-of-interaction method, audio-visual techniques, field notes, and reflective journals. The findings of our research confirm that full-service schools face distinct challenges regarding limited resources as well as teachers that are inexperienced to accommodate learners with visual impairments. Even though the teachers in our study were initially reluctant to implement inclusive education practices, their collaboration with fellow teachers and other informed stakeholders enabled them to address some of the challenges they experienced and implement inclusive practices. They subsequently formed a team and learnt from one another to facilitate positive changes through the implementation of inclusive practices, thereby following a socio-ecological approach to inclusive practices in full-service schools in South Africa. Full article

Landscape sustainability (LS) has received widespread attention from both scientists and practitioners in recent decades. However, a systematic review of the recent trends in this field remains scarce. Here, we present a bibliometric analysis of 715 English papers published in SCI journals (i.e., indexed by Web of Science) during 2006–2023, whose titles, abstracts, or keywords contain both landscape-related terms and sustainability-related terms. Specifically, we quantitatively analyzed the LS literature using a variety of bibliometric methods and qualitatively analyzed the full text of highly cited seminal literature to cross-validate the bibliometric findings. We found that: (1) LS has entered the exponential growth phase (2013–present) after experiencing the incubation phase (pre–2006) and emerging phase (2006–2013). (2) Early LS themes focused on landscape change and the relationship between landscape ecology and sustainability science, while recent LS themes have shifted towards more sectoral topics, such as the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being, climate change, and urbanization. (3) The closely connected network of cross-citations in seminal literature indicates strong communication among scientists in the field of LS. However, the participatory and solution-oriented research streams of LS have not been well integrated into the core research network of LS. Our results suggest that LS has evolved into a rapidly growing discipline with a stable scientific community and core research themes. To become a well-established discipline, LS needs to further enhance its unique scientific core rather than only drawing knowledge from other related fields. Constructing social–ecological-centered, solution-oriented landscape pattern analysis theory and methods for LS should be a top priority. Full article

Since the publication of the seminal work People and Pixels: Linking Remote Sensing and the Social Sciences, the call to “socialize the pixel” and “pixelize the social” has gone largely unheeded from a truly participatory research context. Instead, participatory remote sensing has primarily involved ground truthing to verify remote sensing observations and/or participatory mapping methods to complement remotely sensed data products. However, the recent proliferation of relatively low-cost, ready-to-fly small unoccupied aerial systems (sUAS), colloquially known as drones, may be changing this trajectory. sUAS may provide a means for community participation in all aspects of the photogrammetric/remote sensing process, from mission planning and data acquisition to data processing and analysis. We present an overview of the present state of so-called participatory sUAS through a comprehensive literature review of recent English-language journal articles. This is followed by an overview of our own experiences with the use of sUAS in a multi-year participatory research project in an agroecological system encompassing a tri-county/tri-state region in the Southern Great Plains, USA. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities and challenges associated with our experience. Full article

This study explores STEM students’ perspectives on service-learning and story-telling activities to enhance community engagement and advance gender equality, investigating their impact on students’ perceptions, experiences, and understanding of gender dynamics within rural communities. Through qualitative analysis of interviews, reflective journals, and participatory videos, this study explores the transformative potential of service-learning and storytelling initiatives in empowering rural women, challenging traditional societal roles, and advocating for equal opportunities, particularly in STEM disciplines. Findings reveal the multifaceted benefits of these activities, including the development of empathy, cultural awareness, leadership skills, and a commitment to social justice among participating students. This study highlights the importance of integrating service-learning and storytelling into STEM education to cultivate inclusive practices, promote community development, and advance gender equality in rural settings. Full article

Audience participation is a contested issue in newsrooms and can challenge journalistic authority. By conducting a mixed-method analysis of a decade (2009–2018) of metajournalistic discourse (N = 135) on participatory journalism in two leading trade magazines in the US and Germany (Columbia Journalism Review and Journalist), this study aims to contribute to the field’s understanding of how and in which contexts audience participation is covered in public discourse and of reasons for positive and negative public evaluations of participatory journalism. The results show that while metajournalistic discourse covered participatory journalism in all stages of the news production process, notable differences in the coverage emerged depending on the specific context factors of participation dealt with. It is therefore depicted as a pervasive and multi-faceted phenomenon. 93 articles featured an evaluation: 53% depicted participatory journalism positively, 16% negatively and 31% left a mixed impression. Several themes emerged in the reasons for these evaluations, some of which are exact opposites, indicating that the presented evaluation depends on the specific circumstances of audience participation, namely the contexts of participatory journalism, the degree of involvement and character of audience participation and the resources available to the journalists. Full article

Water safety and water governance are critical concerns, as water is a vital and finite resource that is essential for ecological processes, human survival, and economic and social development, requiring collaborative and coordinated work of all related actors. The subject literature is scattered and fragmented, making it difficult to identify the key contributions and understand the current state of research; however, these considerations are an increasing preoccupation. To address this issue, a scientometric analysis was conducted in this work to identify the main contributions in the field. The methodology of the research was divided into two sections: the first section presents a scientometric mapping, including an analysis of scientific production by country, journal, and author. The second section identified the main theoretical contributions through the use of the Tree of Science metaphor. The main subfields identified include social governance structures and capacities, drinking water management, and socio-hydrogeology and collaborative governance. This research provides valuable insights for decision makers to develop and promote effective strategies to improve water safety and participatory efforts. Full article