Search Results (384)

This study explores the migration intentions of university students—representing the potential creative class—in Erzurum, a medium-sized city in eastern Turkey experiencing shrinkage. Within the theoretical framework of shrinking cities, it investigates how economic, social, physical, and personal factors influence students’ post-graduation stay or leave decisions. Survey data from 742 Architecture and Fine Arts students at Atatürk University were analyzed using factor analysis, logistic regression, and correlation to identify key migration drivers. Findings reveal that, in addition to economic concerns such as limited job opportunities and low income, personal development opportunities and social engagement also play a decisive role. In particular, the perception of limited chances for skill enhancement and the belief that Erzurum is not a good place to meet people emerged as the strongest predictors of migration intentions. These results suggest that members of the creative class are influenced not only by economic incentives but also by broader urban experiences related to self-growth and social connectivity. This study highlights spatial inequalities in access to cultural, educational, and social infrastructure, raising important questions about spatial justice in shrinking urban contexts. This paper contributes to the literature on shrinking cities by highlighting creative youth in mid-sized Global South cities. It suggests smart shrinkage strategies focused on creative sector development, improved quality of life, and inclusive planning to retain young talent and support sustainable urban revitalization. Full article

Urban heat islands (UHIs) are a growing sustainability challenge impacting public health, energy use, and climate resilience, especially in hot, arid cities like San Antonio, Texas, where land surface temperatures reach up to 47.63 °C. This study advances a data-driven, interdisciplinary approach to UHI mitigation by integrating Machine Learning (ML) with physical and socio-demographic data for sustainable urban planning. Using high-resolution spatial data across five functional zones (residential, commercial, industrial, official, and downtown), we apply three ML models, Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM), to predict land surface temperature (LST). The models incorporate both environmental variables, such as imperviousness, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), building area, and solar influx, and social determinants, such as population density, income, education, and age distribution. SVM achieved the highest R² (0.870), while RF yielded the lowest RMSE (0.488 °C), confirming robust predictive performance. Key predictors of elevated LST included imperviousness, building area, solar influx, and NDVI. Our results underscore the need for zone-specific strategies like more greenery, less impervious cover, and improved building design. These findings offer actionable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to develop equitable and sustainable UHI mitigation strategies aligned with climate adaptation and environmental justice goals. Full article

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, frequently observed in juvenile offenders. This systematic review explores the interplay between ADHD and juvenile delinquency, focusing on behavioural, psychological, and social dimensions. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was conducted using EBSCO Discovery Service, Science Direct, PubMed, and snowballing techniques. Studies meeting specific inclusion criteria, including juvenile offenders diagnosed with ADHD and comparisons to non-offender or non-ADHD control groups, were analysed. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. A total of 21 studies were included, highlighting significant associations between ADHD and juvenile delinquency. ADHD symptoms, especially impulsivity and emotional dysregulation, were linked to an earlier onset of offending and higher rates of property crimes. Comorbidities such as conduct disorder, substance use disorder, and depression exacerbated these behaviours. Sociodemographic factors like low education levels and adverse family environments were also critical modifiers. Early intervention and tailored treatment approaches were emphasised to address these challenges. The findings underscore the need for early diagnosis, individualised treatment, and integrative rehabilitation programmes within the juvenile justice system to mitigate long-term risks and promote social inclusion. Full article

Famed lawyer Clarence Darrow (1857–1938) argued strongly for an early-life public health approach to crime prevention, one that focused on education, poverty reduction, and equity of resources. Due to his defense of marginalized persons and his positions that were often at odds with his legal colleagues and public opinion, he was known as the Big Minority Man. He argued that the assumption of free will—humans as free moral agents—justifies systems of inequity, retributive punishment, and “unadulterated brutality.” Here, the authors revisit Darrow’s views and expand upon them via contemporary research. We examine increasingly louder argumentation—from scholars across multiple disciplines—contending that prescientific notions of willpower, free will, blameworthiness, and moral responsibility, are contributing to social harms. We draw from biopsychosocial perspectives and recent scientific consensus papers calling for the dismantling of folk psychology ideas of willpower and blameworthiness in obesity. We scrutinize how the status quo of the legal system is justified and argue that outdated notions of ‘moral fiber’ need to be addressed at the root. The authors examine recent arguments for one of Darrow’s ideas—a public health quarantine model of public safety and carceral care that considers the ‘causes of the causes’ and risk assessments through a public health lens. In our view, public health needs to vigorously scrutinize the prescientific “normative” underpinnings of the criminal justice system. Full article

Geographic disparities threaten equitable access for children to health-promoting safe green spaces, and quality early education in the communities in which they live and grow. To address gaps in the field, we integrated the fields of developmental psychology, public health, and environmental science to examine, at the population level, associations between the environmental burden, socioeconomic vulnerability, and kindergarten readiness in a diverse urban county. Three administrative datasets were integrated through an early childhood data sharing research partnership in Miami-Dade County. The Bruner Child Raising Vulnerability Index, the five domains of the Environmental Burden module from the Environmental Justice Index, and public school kindergarten readiness scores were aggregated at the census tract level. Analysis of variance and multiple regression analyses found associations between socioeconomic vulnerability and race/ethnicity. The socioeconomic vulnerability levels were highest in census tracts with a higher percentage of Black residents, compared to all other races/ethnicities. Areas of greater social vulnerability had lower kindergarten readiness and a higher environmental burden. A higher environmental burden predicted lower kindergarten readiness scores above and beyond race/ethnicity and socioeconomic vulnerability. The findings advance our understanding of global challenges to sustainable healthy child development, such as the persistence of a disproportionate environmental burden and inequitable access to resources such as green spaces and early education programs. The present study results can inform community health improvement plans to reduce risk exposures and promote greater access to positive environmental and educational resources for all children. Full article

This paper examines how Marley Dias’ activism on Instagram promotes racial justice, Black feminist thought, and youth mobilization through digital storytelling, representation, and audience engagement. Using a mixed-methods analysis of 744 posts published between 2016 and 2025, the study combined critical thematic coding, temporal mapping, and engagement metrics to analyze the discursive and emotional strategies behind Dias’ activism. Five key themes were identified as central to her activist work: diversity in literature, lack girl empowerment, racial justice, Black representation, and educational advocacy. The findings reveal that Dias strategically tailors her messages to suit Instagram’s unique features, using carousels and videos to enhance visibility, foster intimacy, and provide depth in education. Posts that focused on identity, aesthetics, and empowerment garnered the highest levels of engagement, while posts that concentrated on structural issues received lower, yet still significant, interaction. The paper argues that Dias’ Instagram account serves as a dynamic platform for youth-led Black feminist resistance, where cultural production, civic education, and emotional impact converge. This case underscores the political potential of digital literacies and encourages a reconsideration of how youth-driven digital activism is reshaping contemporary public discourse, agency, and knowledge production in the social media age. Full article

Justice-oriented mathematics aims to support students’ understanding of the relationship between mathematical knowledge and political knowledge to examine how they conspire to shape reality. The notion of the formatting power of mathematics is helpful here in that it calls for an excavation of mathematics that makes explicit the actual use of mathematics hidden in social structures and routines. In this paper, the author examines how a mathematical unit on home mortgages was carried out to support 12th grade students’ understanding of the mathematics of mortgages, revealing the formatting power that mortgage lenders hold in reordering the reality of marginalized communities. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of student journals, student work, post-class student interviews, and teacher/researcher journals, the findings revealed two pedagogical features that contributed to students’ reading and writing the world with mathematics: engaging mathematics from multiple directions and attending to the formatting power of the mathematical and political knowledge dialectic. These findings offer pedagogical guidance for practitioners and teacher educators in curriculum design and implementation of critical mathematics. Full article

Critical data literacy (CDL) has emerged as a crucial component in data science education, transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries. Promoting CDL requires collaborative approaches to enhance learners’ skills in data science, going beyond mere quantitative reasoning to encompass a comprehensive understanding of data workflows and tools. Despite the growing literature on CDL, there is still a need to explore how students use data science practices for supporting the learning of CDL throughout a summer-long data science program. Drawing on situative perspectives of learning, we utilize a descriptive case study to address our research question: How do data science practices taught in a classroom setting differ from those enacted in real-world social justice projects? Key findings reveal that while the course focused on abstract principles and basic technical skills, the Food Justice Project provided students with a more applied understanding of data tools, ethics, and exploration. Through the project, students demonstrated a deeper engagement with CDL, addressing real-world issues through detailed data analysis and ethical considerations. This manuscript adds to the literature within data science education and has the potential to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, preparing students to address real-world data science challenges through their coursework. Full article

The call to decolonize South African university curricula continues to shape academic discourse, highlighting the urgency of integrating African Indigenous Knowledge Systems (AIKSs) into theological education. While Western epistemologies have long dominated theology in Africa, this article argues for a paradigm shift by positioning public theology as a viable framework for engaging AIKS in meaningful and transformative ways. The article examines how AIKSs—expressed through oral traditions, communal spiritualities, and indigenous ethics—can enrich theological discourse, enhance contextual relevance, and address issues such as social justice, identity, and community cohesion. Drawing on the decoloniality discourse, this study critically explores the epistemological, institutional, and pedagogical challenges hindering integration and proposes concrete strategies including curriculum reform, faculty training, and community-based theological formation. The article contributes to the decolonization of theological education by offering a context-specific framework that repositions AIKSs as legitimate theological resources. In doing so, it advances a model of public theology that is inclusive, rooted in African realities, and responsive to the transformative needs of Southern African societies. Full article

School social work practice in the South African context is a growing field; however, there is limited research regarding the roles and responsibilities of school social workers, particularly in the Gauteng province. This province is unique in that school social workers are employed by multiple institutions, including individual schools and the education and social development departments. This study aimed to explore and describe the roles and responsibilities of school social workers in the Gauteng province, recognizing them as critical specialists in addressing learners’ psychosocial needs within school settings. An explorative qualitative design was used in this study. Data were collected from 22 purposively selected participants, comprising school social workers, supervisors, and provincial managers of school social work programs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, and thematic analysis was employed to identify themes. The findings revealed context-specific roles of school social workers, including the creation of conducive teaching and learning environments, advocacy for social justice and child protection, conducting interviews and psychosocial assessments, providing counseling and trauma debriefing, conducting home visits and offering family services, removing abused learners from harmful environments, including their respective homes, and providing parental skills training and support. As a conclusion, this study highlights the need for standardized national and provincial guidelines to formalize and support school social work practice. It is recommended that the identified roles be incorporated into future practice frameworks. Furthermore, it is suggested that a uniform assessment tool be developed to promote consistency and guide school social workers in the initial evaluation processes. Full article

Ensuring equitable access to higher education (HE) is not only a matter of social justice, but also a critical component to enhancing the long-term sustainability of modern societies. This study contributes to existing knowledge on socio-economic disparities in HE participation in Australia by identifying the extent to which key factors at the family, school, and individual levels mediate the relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and university enrolment. In doing so, it extends existing knowledge by simultaneously considering multiple factors at each ecological level, which enables us to disentangle their independent and joint influences on the SES differential in HE enrolment. To accomplish this, we analysed longitudinal data from the 2009 cohort of the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY) using event-history models. Our findings reveal that students from lower-SES backgrounds are significantly less likely to enrol in university than their higher-SES peers, with persistent barriers emerging across multiple levels of influence. Indeed, after adjusting for cognitive skills, HE expectations, parental support, school climate, and access to learning resources, the estimated SES effect on HE participation was reduced by 68.6%. By systematically disentangling the relative contributions of these factors, this study provides critical insights into how sustainable education policies can be designed to mitigate social inequalities and promote inclusive growth. Intervention areas are discussed accordingly. Full article

Inclusive campus design is increasingly being recognised as a key component of sustainable and equitable higher education environments. However, limited research has been carried out on this topic, particularly examining university campuses in Australia. Hence, this paper examines how principles of inclusion are embedded in the spatial planning and architectural design of Australian university campuses. Focusing on a comparative analysis of six Melbourne-based institutions, Victoria University, the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, RMIT University, La Trobe University, and Monash University, this study explores how each campus addresses accessibility, cultural diversity, social equity, and environmental comfort to achieve inclusivity. Drawing on site observations, planning documents, and design frameworks, this paper assesses the extent to which these universities operationalise inclusive design within their built environments. The analysis is guided by a theoretical framework combining universal design, spatial justice, and climate-responsive planning. The findings reveal diverse approaches across institutions, with some campuses demonstrating holistic and integrated strategies, while others exhibit more fragmented or symbolic applications. This paper concludes by outlining best practices and key design enablers that can inform more inclusive and sustainable campus development in Australia and beyond. Full article

For educational leadership that promotes equity, there is evidence of successful leadership practices developed by educational leaders striving for social justice, such as the one planned by Leithwood. Furthermore, training programs for educational leaders seeking to replicate these practices have been dominated by training that encourages educational leaders to focus on learning outcomes without developing a critical–reflective dialogue with the school context, the diversity of educational institutions, and, consequently, with students and their families. In this sense, the objective of the research is to examine the interaction between community members such as directors, teachers and parents in eight educational institutions in the Peruvian jungle and propose a formative theoretical model based on critical and reflective dialogue, based on a review of various theories that have contributed to the formation of a dialogue grounded in indignation and questioning of the context. The methodology follows a mixed approach, with a sample of 136 teachers and 16 key informants, using a validated questionnaire and an in-depth interview as instruments. Data analysis showed low interaction between educational leaders and the community, a disconnect with the curricula, and a low sense of responsibility and commitment, reflected only in administrative compliance. Based on these results and the bibliographic review of general and specific theories, a theoretical model based on critical and reflective dialogue was designed to develop awareness and sensitivity toward education with social justice, for the development of successful educational leadership practices. Full article

There are few conceptual frameworks or models related to educators’ competencies at the intersection of social justice; youth development; and physical education, activity, or sport content and pedagogy. The purpose of this multiple case study was to examine how the racialized and pedagogical experiences of individuals teaching physical education contribute to understanding the integration of social justice principles in youth development contexts through sport and physical activity. This study involved the within-case and cross-case analyses of two main cases: preservice teachers and graduate teaching assistants teaching physical education in a youth development context. The preservice teacher and the graduate teaching assistant within-case analysis each resulted in two complementary themes (four total). The cross-case analysis resulted in three total themes. Together, these seven themes are conceptualized into three categories: (1) assumptions prior to teaching, (2) emergent just teaching, and (3) considering race. While training all future professionals for equitable and justice-oriented teaching is key, we cannot ignore the glaring reality that many individuals with more culturally diverse backgrounds are predisposed to embodying such orientations. Findings reinforce the importance of preparing (and recruiting) educators who not only have pedagogical skills but who can also teach for justice. Full article

Recognising linguistic diversity as a person’s characteristic is arguably central to their multilingual identity and is important as an equity issue. Different indicators suggest that students with migrant backgrounds, whose linguistic diversity is often not reflected in European education systems, tend to underperform compared to their peers without migrant backgrounds. There is a dire need, therefore, to alleviate the educational inequalities that negatively affect some of the most plurilingual students in European school systems. This can be carried out by revisiting assessment tools. Developing assessments to make children’s full linguistic and cultural repertoire visible, and what they can do with it, is one way that potential inequalities in school systems and assessment practices can be addressed so that cultural and linguistic responsiveness of assessments and practices can be improved. This paper explores the concept of discontinuities or mismatches between the assessment of plurilingual children’s linguistic practices in one primary school in Catalonia and their actual linguistic realities, including heritage languages. It asks: (1) What are the children’s linguistic profiles? (2) What mismatches and/or educational inequalities do they experience? and (3) How does the co-creation and use of a rubric assessing plurilingual and intercultural competence attempt to mitigate these mismatches and inequalities? Mismatches are identified using a context- and participant-relevant reflection tool, based on 18 reflective questions related to aspects of social justice. Results highlight that mismatches exist between children’s plurilingual and intercultural knowledge and skills compared to the school, education system, curriculum, and wider regional and European policy. These mismatches highlight two plurilingual visions for language education. The paper highlights how language assessment tools and practices can be made more culturally and linguistically fair for plurilingual children with migration backgrounds. Full article