Search Results (563)

This study examines students’ job search behaviour in the context of an increasingly digital labour market, focusing on preferred employer contact channels and the use of professional networking platforms. Despite the growing importance of digital tools for recruitment and employability, it remains unclear how students actually engage with these channels. The study is based on quantitative data collected through a structured questionnaire administered in person to 209 university students in Slovakia. The analysis employs descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and binary logistic regression to examine differences in preferences and the determinants of platform use. The findings show that job portals remain the dominant employer contact channel, while social media platforms, including LinkedIn, are significantly less utilised. A key result is the identification of a gap between LinkedIn awareness, profile ownership, and its actual use for job search. The results further indicate that job portal preference differs by field of study, while employment status is not significantly associated with the analysed employer contact channels. The study contributes to the literature by highlighting the importance of behavioural engagement in digital job search and offers implications for universities, students, and employers. Full article

Background: Internet Gaming Disorder has drawn more attention as a public health problem in young adults; however, there are insufficient data regarding problematic gaming behaviour (PGB). This study explored the prevalence and predictors of PGB in students from a Romanian medical university. Methods: We implemented a cross-sectional survey of 243 Romanian and international undergraduate students from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila” Bucharest. PGB was measured using the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale—Short Form. Personality traits, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, perceived social support and prosocial behaviour were assessed by standardised instruments. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to identify predictors of the IGDS9-SF scores. Results: Based on a cut-off score of 24 on the IGDS9-SF, 10.3% of the participants were classified as having PGB (mean IGDS9-SF = 14.99, SD = 6.03). The final regression model accounted for 28.9% of the variance in IGDS9-SF scores (R² = 0.289, p < 0.001), with gaming-related variables accounting for the largest incremental variance. Higher daily gaming time (β = 0.292, p = 0.001), competitive preferred game type (β = −0.232, p = 0.006), and lower conscientiousness (β = −0.201, p = 0.017) were significant independent predictors. IGDS9-SF scores were greater for competitive games. Perceived social support and prosocial behaviour did not show significant independent associations to PGB. Equally, depressive and anxiety symptoms improved model fit, but were not independent predictors. Conclusions: Among medical students, PGB demonstrates significant associations with gaming engagement and self-regulation, suggesting that screening and preventive approaches targeting these domains may represent relevant strategies for early identification and risk reduction. Full article

Wayfinding problems in complex teaching buildings can reduce destination-finding efficiency and increase users’ mental load, especially when many rooms have similar layouts and are distinguished mainly by numbering systems. Signage is commonly used to support indoor wayfinding, but its effectiveness depends on whether the sign design and placement match the spatial layout and users’ interpretation of directional information. Taking the Third Teaching Building at Beijing University of Technology as a case study, this paper investigates classroom-related wayfinding difficulties and evaluates a practical supplementary signage strategy. First, questionnaire surveys were conducted among students and teachers who had entered the building to identify common wayfinding problems and signage-related causes. Then, based on user preferences, supplementary floor signage was designed to provide directional arrows and classroom-related textual information. A field experiment was conducted on a selected route to Room 301, comparing an original signage condition with a mixed-signage condition in which the supplementary floor sign was added while the existing ceiling-mounted signs were retained. The mixed-signage condition reduced the mean wayfinding time from 163.75 s to 133.80 s, corresponding to an 18.29% reduction. Post-experiment responses also indicated fewer hesitation- or detour-related difficulties under the mixed-signage condition. These findings suggest that supplementary floor signage placed at confusing decision points can be a feasible and low-cost retrofit measure for improving classroom wayfinding in complex teaching buildings. Full article

Career decision-making remains a critical challenge for computer science students, particularly within rapidly evolving labor markets such as Saudi Arabia. Traditional guidance approaches often rely on subjective advice or limited academic indicators, which frequently result in mismatched career choices and reduced employability. To address this gap, we propose a hybrid career recommendation system that integrates academic performance, technical and soft skills, and personal preferences. The proposed system combines artificial neural network (ANN) prediction, content-based career-profile matching, and collaborative peer similarity through weighted score fusion to generate ranked career path recommendations. The content-based component employs a similarity function (cosine similarity) to measure the alignment between the student’s attributes and each career profile. The collaborative component applies a k-Nearest Neighbors model to capture interaction-like signals from peer profiles. The ANN learns complex nonlinear relationships between student features and career outcomes, enabling the system to generate predictive probabilities for each career path by applying the TensorFlow framework for multi-class classification of student data. Final recommendations are produced through a weighted fusion of models. An experimental evaluation of 400 student records using stratified macro-level evaluation metrics demonstrates robust performance, achieving an accuracy of 93.75%, precision of 0.94, recall of 0.94, and F1-score of 0.94. The system provides Top-k-ranked career suggestions, along with interpretable feature importance, enhancing transparency for academic advisors and students. The results highlight the effectiveness of hybrid recommenders in mitigating cold-start and sparsity problems while capturing multidimensional student attributes. This study contributes a reproducible methodology and implementation pipeline that can be extended to real institutional contexts. Future work will include expansion to more university disciplines and integration with academic consulting platforms to support data-driven career planning. Full article

The increasing prevalence of anxiety, depression, and stress has intensified the demand for scalable, evidence-based psychological interventions that can be delivered across traditional and digital modalities. University students represent a high-risk group due to academic demands and developmental transitions, making them a relevant population for evaluating flexible, technology-mediated interventions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)-based psychoeducation offers a structured approach that may accommodate variability in accessibility, preferences, and delivery contexts. This quasi-experimental pre–post study evaluated a CBT-based psychoeducation protocol delivered in group settings in both online and in-person formats. A total of 104 undergraduate and graduate students participated and completed the intervention. Symptom severity was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the Beck Depression Inventory–II (BDI-II). Significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms were observed over the intervention period, with moderate to large effect sizes. DASS-21 scores decreased from moderate to mild severity levels, and reductions were also observed in BDI-II and HAM-A scores. No significant differences were found between delivery modalities. These findings support the potential of CBT-based group psychoeducation as a scalable intervention. Similar patterns of symptom change were observed across delivery formats, contributing to the expansion of accessible and digitally informed mental health care. Full article

Background/Objectives: College life shapes the dietary habits and food preferences of young adults by exposure to new foods and independence in dietary choices. This study described and compared self-reported food intakes and perceived dietary changes among International (34%), Multicultural (28%), and non-Hispanic White (38%) students at a Midwest United States university (n = 823; aged 18–34 years; 56% women). Importantly, the analysis extended to distinctions among multiple ethnic subcultures by nativity in the same setting. Methods: Students completed an online survey comprising a dietary fat food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), an acculturation scale, and reported intake patterns for alcohol, caffeinated beverages, four nutrient-rich food groups, and perceptions of cultural foods access and diet change. Results: International student diets had lower percentages of calories from fat (p = 0.006) and they reported less consumption of red meats and hyperpalatable foods compared to US non-Hispanic White and Multicultural students (both p < 0.001). Yet, International students showed the largest increases in intakes of these foods (p < 0.001). Alcohol consumption rose most sharply among US non-Hispanic White students. Multicultural ethnic subgroups had few significant differences. The Asian Indian, East Asian, and Middle Eastern International students showed strong differences in dietary patterns. Acculturation scales were not consistent predictors of food intake for International students. Middle Eastern and East Asian subgroups had the lowest dominant society immersion scores compared to other International students. Conclusions: These findings support the need for disaggregated data by cultural subgroups beyond the ‘international’ classification. Cultural affinity and acculturation have nuanced effects on perceived dietary shifts, underscoring the need for targeted nutrition support for all college students, especially vulnerable International students with limited cultural food access. Full article

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been proven a safe, necessary, and effective measure against HPV infection. However, HPV vaccine uptake remains limited among university students in China. This study investigated HPV vaccine intent among university freshmen in the largest university town in China. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among unvaccinated female and male freshmen attending seven universities in Songjiang University Town, Shanghai, during 2024–2025. The questionnaire collected sociodemographic characteristics, HPV and HPV-vaccine-related knowledge, awareness, and vaccine intent. Factors associated with HPV vaccine intent were determined. Results: A total of 3397 valid questionnaires were collected, including female (60.02%) and male (39.98%) university freshmen. Overall, 76.12% were aware of HPV, 80.98% were aware of the HPV vaccine, and 84.31% expressed vaccine intent, with significantly higher rates among females than males (each p < 0.001). Socioeconomics, knowledge, awareness, sexual behavior, and HPV testing history were significantly associated with vaccine intent (each p < 0.05). The most common reason for no intent was perceived low risk of HPV-related diseases (40.53%). The most expected improvement measures were regulatory confirmation of vaccine safety and effectiveness (37.71%) and healthcare professionals’ recommendations (37.71%), with no gender difference (each p > 0.05). Notably, 4.00% refused HPV vaccination, regardless of improvement measures. Additionally, most respondents preferred financial supporting policies, regardless of gender or vaccine intent (each p > 0.05). Conclusions: University freshmen showed the disparity between high awareness/intent and low knowledge. Financial considerations may influence HPV vaccination decisions. Thus, improving knowledge, particularly among males, and providing financial support may enhance HPV vaccine intent. Full article

Universities are increasingly required to demonstrate how their governance, stakeholder relationships, and institutional priorities contribute to long-term value creation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet higher education institutions lack operational methodologies to address three interrelated questions: (RQ1) How should key stakeholder groups be determined for university integrated reporting (IR)? (RQ2) How should material issues be prioritised? (RQ3) How should university-related SDGs be mapped against these issues? This study proposes an evidence-based, multi-stage framework. To address RQ1, a hybrid Analytic Hierarchy Process–Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (AHP–TOPSIS) model is applied: expert evaluations by the Executive Board of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (Türkiye) weight five AA1000SES-derived criteria through AHP—revealing “Materiality” and “Impact” as most critical—after which TOPSIS ranks 23 stakeholder groups and identifies 13 key stakeholders, led by academics, students, administrative staff, and alumni. For RQ2, material issues are prioritised through a survey-based descriptive analysis of 320 respondents from these groups. For RQ3, the prioritised issues are mapped against the SDGs via a transparent procedure, with SDG 4 and SDG 17 emerging as dominant, followed by SDG 10 and SDG 9. The framework offers a replicable, practical basis for higher education governance, IR, and strategic sustainability management. Full article

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are vital leverage points for climate action, yet the role of campus food environments in supporting these commitments is rarely assessed. This mixed-methods diagnostic study examined the food environment, sustainability literacy, behavioural barriers, and reported preferences regarding plant-based eating at a major European university. Across 29 campus canteens, plant-based meals accounted for only 17.2% of menu options and less than 1% of actual meal volume, with substantial inconsistency in availability and labelling across weekdays and canteens. Student survey findings (n = 198) revealed low food sustainability literacy: 64.7% of participants failed the assessment, particularly males (78.1%) and omnivores (75.7%). Among omnivore respondents, the most frequent barriers to adopting plant-based diets were ideological resistance, nutrition concerns, palatability, convenience, and cost. Students most strongly endorsed improved taste, more options (70.2%), and lower prices (62.1%) as strategies to encourage plant-based choices. Taken together, these findings highlight a structural implementation gap between institutional sustainability commitments and the campus food environment. They underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve food sustainability literacy and to increase the availability and attractiveness of plant-based options required for climate mitigation. To address this systemic challenge, this paper proposes a scalable HEI Food Transition Framework, informed by the results, that integrates choice architecture, curricular reform, inclusive provisioning, and data-driven accountability, offering a strategic pathway to align campus food environments with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

This study addresses the limited campus-specific operationalization of attention restoration theory and the insufficient empirical validation of perceptual factors in university settings. It aims to identify key perceptual factors influencing attention restoration on campuses and to develop an evidence-based assessment framework for restorative campus design. An initial set of ten perceptual factors was synthesized from Attention Restoration Theory, Stress Recovery Theory, and Environmental Preference Theory. A two-round e-Delphi process involving 26 multidisciplinary experts from academia and design practice was conducted, followed by combination weighting to derive factor weights and construct a weighted assessment model. The model was validated through a student survey and tested for applicability in a representative campus space. The process achieved consensus on seven primary perceptual factors with the following weights: accessibility (0.187), comfort (0.150), visibility (0.143), sense of belonging (0.143), familiarity (0.142), peacefulness (0.118), and recognition (0.117). A practical assessment tool yielding a 0–10 restorativeness score was developed to quantitatively evaluate campus spaces. Student survey data confirmed the correspondence between model-derived scores and observed issues in the sample space. This study extends restorative environment theories to the hybrid natural-built contexts of university campuses and integrates an online Delphi procedure to develop a decision-support model. The resulting framework and tool enable planners and designers to diagnose deficiencies in campus environments and implement targeted interventions to enhance attention restoration. Full article

Architectural design decisions in educational buildings often rely on spatial parameters such as ceiling height and window layout, yet systematic methods for evaluating their influence on user experience during early design stages remain limited. This study investigates how spatial height, window position, and window-to-wall ratio affect students’ classroom usage intention (UI) through the mediating role of psychological experience. An evidence-based pre-occupancy evaluation approach was developed by integrating immersive virtual reality (VR) experiments with structural equation modeling (SEM). The study employed 61 university students for evaluating parametrically controlled virtual classrooms to examine perceived affective and cognitive experience (ACE), including emotional comfort, attentional focus, and spatial attractiveness, as well as classroom usage intention (UI). Using the data collected through VR experiment and followed by a questionnaire survey, using a stimulus–organism–response framework, the study modeled transmission pathways from spatial stimuli to behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that ACE is the strongest and most direct predictor of UI, highlighting psychological experience as the key pathway translating environmental exposure into behavioral preference. The relationship between perceived architectural attributes and psychological responses was context-dependent, suggesting a potential divergence between analytical spatial judgment and holistic emotional experience under explicit evaluation tasks. VR experience quality significantly influenced ACE but did not directly affect UI. The findings suggest the value of integrating VR and SEM as a pre-design evaluation tool and emphasize prioritizing experiential coherence as a measurable criterion for early-stage decision-making, rather than establishing direct causal links to long-term experiential responses. Full article

Introduction: The invasive European catfish (Silurus glanis) is actively spreading across Iberian freshwaters, with no effective management measures in place to control its growing abundance or prevent its establishment in new localities. It poses a severe threat to endemic and already endangered species, and is simultaneously a preferred target by few anglers who continuously promote its spread. The LIFE-PREDATOR project aims to stop the spread of European catfish in lentic systems in Portugal and Italy, particularly in protected areas. Objectives: This talk will present the mid-term results of the LIFE-PREDATOR in Portugal, and discuss the difficulties and future challenges to reduce the size of local populations of European catfish. Methodology: The LIFE-PREDATOR team developed several tasks in Portugal: (1) established the reference situation of fish communities in six reservoirs in the Tagus Basin, using scientific fishing, fish telemetry and eDNA-based tools; (2) determined the optimal protocols for sampling catfish; (3) implemented an early detection programme based on warning teams, data-mining and eDNA tools; (4) developed population control actions in four reservoirs; and (5) organised dissemination events for the general public, anglers, and students from kindergarten to university levels. Results: Overall, there is a grim view about recipient communities in the studied lentic systems, which tend to be dominated by invasive fish species, including common carp (Cyprinus carpio), gibel carp (Carassius gibelio), European catfish, pikeperch (Sander lucioperca), European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and largemouth bass (Micropterus nigricans). At least three new localities harbouring catfish were identified from online data-mining and warning teams. A total of 8 tons of catfish were removed by mid-June of 2025, mostly from the Natural Park of International Tagus. Outreach activities were conducted in nearly 60 schools, reaching more than 5000 students. Moreover, 67 general public events have reached more than 4500 people since the project started (September 2023). Conclusions: Despite its positive outcomes, the LIFE-PREDATOR team has encountered challenges in engaging key stakeholders such as anglers, involving local municipalities, and implementing catfish removal actions in remote areas. Difficulties and challenges in catfish management must therefore be debated in order to assure the after-LIFE implementation across Portuguese protected areas. Full article

Values are cultural tools that pre-service teachers can use in situations that require discernment and integrity. Promoting an axiological framework in the training of future educators is an urgent necessity for coexistence in today’s world. This study aimed to understand the preferences and meanings that third-year students studying to become primary school teachers of mathematics, Spanish, and English as a foreign language attribute to values, as well as how values are transmitted in degree programs and at selected universities. An exploratory case study was used as the research design. Thirty-two students were selected using purposive sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the participants. Reflective thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed three themes: students’ value preferences are conditioned by their pedagogical training; values, as constructions of shared meaning, are conceived as normative guidelines that orient human action in all its dimensions; and teacher educators transmit values linked to the pedagogical role and teacher identity, while universities emphasize moral values oriented toward professional development, thus articulating two complementary levels of training. The study provides an empirical framework for moving from spontaneous value education to intentional communication, both in teacher training curricula and in the educational activities of each university. Full article

The water, food, and energy nexus has become central to debates on sustainability and climate adaptation, yet students’ capacity to understand these interdependencies remains unclear. This study examined knowledge and attitudes toward the nexus among 397 students enrolled in nine faculties at Bursa Uludağ University in Türkiye. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, conceptual knowledge, attitudes, behavioural tendencies and perceived barriers. Nexus knowledge was operationalised as a summative index of ten equally weighted items scored as correct (1) or incorrect/uncertain (0). Hierarchical regression was used to identify the determinants of nexus knowledge, and path analysis was used to test the indirect effects of knowledge on behavioural intention through professional confidence. Only 38.8% of respondents correctly identified the nexus as an interconnected resource framework and 60.7% reported no prior coursework on sustainability or climate change. Information exposure and course participation explained substantially more variance in nexus knowledge (ΔR² = 0.192) than demographic (ΔR² = 0.043) and socioeconomic variables (ΔR² = 0.074) combined. Knowledge had a significant indirect effect on behavioural intention through professional confidence (indirect effect = 0.16, 95% CI [0.09, 0.24]; final model R² = 0.398, Adjusted R² = 0.385). Attitudes were generally moderate rather than strongly environmental, and behavioural responses were highly polarised, pointing to a persistent gap between concern and action. Students identified knowledge deficits and technological limitations as the main barriers to nexus management and strongly preferred interdisciplinary coursework as the most effective educational intervention. The findings indicate that formal educational exposure plays a larger role than background characteristics in shaping nexus literacy and that embedding systems thinking into disciplinary curricula may strengthen sustainability competence among future professionals. Full article

Selecting the appropriate academic track is a critical decision for students, as misalignment between program requirements and individual cognitive, personality, and competency profiles can significantly impact academic performance, persistence, and overall educational outcomes. Traditional educational recommender systems often rely solely on skill matching or on the correlation of interests, failing to account for the dimension of competency that is required for success in specific academic tracks. This paper introduces a novel Multi-Dimensional Psychometric Alignment (MDPA) algorithm that moves beyond simple rank-order correlation between skills and programs by jointly integrating multiple psychometric perspectives and evaluating both preference similarity and competency sufficiency. Based on a structured synthesis of Cognitive Preferences (MBTI), Cognitive Modalities (Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences), and Personality Stability (Big Five), the proposed profile captures complementary dimensions of student readiness that are usually examined separately in prior educational recommender systems. Then applies an alignment algorithm-which is based on a hybrid similarity metric that fuses Spearman’s Rank Correlation (Interest Shape) with Weighted Euclidean Distance (Competency Magnitude), enforced by non-linear threshold penalties for critical traits- in order to find the best options for students. This approach constitutes a deterministic, explainable recommender system whose novelty lies in combining heterogeneous psychometric evidence with an explicit magnitude–shape matching mechanism and threshold-based academic viability constraints. Our approach is validated through a case study of university students in Kazakhstan, and the results demonstrate how “academic fit” is better modeled as a function of both interest pattern and trait sufficiency, offering a robust alternative to “black-box” skill-based recommenders. Full article