Constructing Consumer Behavior: A Critical Analysis of Television and Online Advertisements

/in /by

The purpose of this study is to examine how Bengali advertisements persuade people to purchase products such as pizza, body lotion, sarees, juice, masala, noodles, and shoes. To support this analysis, I have applied Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyper reality, which shows that people buy products not merely out of necessity, but also to represent their social class, glamour, prestige, power, beauty, brightness, and identity. In this hyper real world, women are expected to be slim, flawless, and well-shaped, children are encouraged to use baby lotion for softness, traditional biryani is portrayed as being cooked using Radhuni masala, and juice is associated with women. In such a hyper real environment, all roles and expectations are shaped by consumer companies. Here, individuals are assumed to purchase products according to their social status and financial capacity. This study contributes to a better understanding of how consumer behavior is shaped through television, print, and online advertisements.

Legal and Ethical Issues in Human Resources Management: Investigating the Implications in Public Sector Performance in Nigeria

/in /by

The study investigates the legal and ethical issues in human resource management (HRM) and their implications for public sector performance in Nigeria. It seeks to determine how compliance with HRM legal frameworks and ethical practices influence employee motivation, job satisfaction, and overall organisational performance. Anchored on Social Exchange Theory (Blau, 1964), the study argues that fair and lawful treatment of employees fosters reciprocal commitment and productivity. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from a population of 2,550 staff across selected public sector organisations in Lagos and Rivers States, with a sample size of 385 determined through Taro Yamane’s formula. Analytical techniques included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and chi-square tests, performed using SPSS version 26. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between HRM legal compliance and employee performance, while ethical HRM practices were shown to enhance motivation and job satisfaction. Moreover, organisational justice was found to mediate the relationship between legal/ethical compliance and performance outcomes, indicating that fairness and transparency serve as key drivers of public service effectiveness. The study concludes that weak enforcement, political interference, and lack of ethical accountability continue to hinder HRM efficiency in Nigeria’s public sector. It recommends strengthening legal enforcement, institutionalising ethics training, digitalising HRM processes, and promoting fairness in decision-making to enhance performance and trust in public administration.

Emotional Intelligence as a Resource Generator: A Conservation of Resources Perspective on Academic Burnout

/in /by

Anchored in Conservation of Resources theory, this study synthesizes three empirical pathways (emotion regulation, social support and self-efficacy) into a single “emotional intelligence as resource generator” tri-path model that explains both the emergence and the buffering of academic burnout. A narrative meta-integration of ten cross-stage, cross-cultural studies published 2015–2025 reveals that the salience of each pathway shifts with context: emotion regulation dominates in high-pressure roles, social support is amplified in collectivistic campuses, and self-efficacy becomes pivotal under outcome-oriented assessment regimes. Universities should therefore bundle emotional-skills training, resource-sharing platforms, and efficacy-building activities to escape the one-size-fits-all trap. Future work needs longitudinal designs to track how resource spirals evolve across different educational systems, providing both theory and tools for the early identification and precision prevention of academic burnout.

From Crisis to Healing and Reconnection: A Narrative Inquiry into the Intergenerational Transmission of Teenage Pregnancy in St. Maarten, Caribbean

/in /by

This narrative inquiry explored and examined the lived experiences of eight paired mothers and daughters (16) who have experienced teen pregnancy on the Island of Sint Maarten, Caribbean. Through structured interviews, the study aimed to look at the various patterns that are contributors to the phenomena of Intergenerational transmission of teenage pregnancy: the family dynamics of the participants, their communication patterns and the coping methods both resorted to when navigating the challenges of early motherhood. The narrative inquiry revealed five resonant threads that were common in the various stories shared by the participants: (1) Confronting the Emotional landscape of Teenage Pregnancy, (2) Anger and Disappointment Transformed to Emphatic Words, Attitudes and behaviors, (3) Shifting Family Dynamics, (4) Two Way Communication Across the Generations and (5) Establishing and Sustaining a supportive Network of Support Across the Generations. The study highlights the importance of quality family communication and relational adaptability coupled with ample education for both mothers and daughters. Hence, with the right attitude in the face of the pregnancy, the relationship of the mother and daughter improved significantly, depicting healing and reconnection, positive attitudes and behaviors, and better coping methods and strategies. This paper highlights a new perspective about the experiences associated with the transmission of intergenerational pregnancy by depicting while teenage pregnancy plunges the mother-daughter relationship into a state of crisis and disconnection, through proper adaptive strategies, the mother-daughter relationship experiences healing and reconnection.

Educating with Love: Compassion-Based Education as a New Path to Developing Religious Tolerance

/in /by

This article discusses the practice of compassion-based education as a relatively new approach to developing religious tolerance at Peacesantren (pesantren, Islamic boarding school) Welas Asih Garut, West Java, Indonesia. Departing from criticism of tolerance education models that tend to be normative, cognitive, and based on formal doctrine, this study offers a new perspective that affection, in the form of love, compassion, and empathy, is a more effective pedagogical foundation for shaping tolerant attitudes. This study uses a qualitative approach with a case study design, through participatory observation techniques, in-depth interviews with administrators, educators, and students, as well as analysis of institutional documents and pedagogical practices. The results show that compassion-based education at Peacesantren Welas Asih is not only taught as a normative value but is internalised and implemented through humanistic educational interactions, interfaith coexistence experiences, and daily practices that foster empathy and appreciation for religious identity differences. This approach has proven capable of transcending the boundaries of formal tolerance, from merely accepting differences to nurturing togetherness and celebrating diversity. This article contributes to the development of a theory of affection-based religious tolerance education, enriches studies on Islamic boarding schools as laboratories of peace, and offers a model of peaceful education practices that is relevant and contextual for Indonesia’s multicultural society.

Assessing the Effectiveness of the Solid Waste Management Program on the Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors of Grade 9 Students of Cabitan National High School

/in /by

This descriptive-comparative study assessed the effectiveness of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Program at Cabitan National High School. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, data were gathered from 142 Grade 9 students via a structured survey. Results showed universal awareness (100%) of the program but a significant compliance gap, with only 57.7% (“Always/Often”) participating consistently. Students displayed strongly positive environmental attitudes (Mean = 4.39) and reported positive pro-environmental behaviors (Mean = 4.34), with evidence of behavioral spillover into their home practices. A t-test revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in both attitudes and behaviors between consistent and inconsistent participants, supporting the role of repeated behavior in shaping internalized attitudes (Bamberg & Möser, 2007). Thematic analysis identified key benefits, Public Health and Hygiene, Aesthetic Improvement, and advanced Environmental Protection awareness, indicating the development of ecological literacy (McBride et al., 2013). The central challenge was Dependence on External Monitoring, revealing that the behavior is largely externally regulated (Deci & Ryan, 2000). The study concludes the program is successful in building awareness and positive attitudes but is limited by its reliance on external controls, highlighting a critical gap between intention and habitual action (Kollmuss & Agyeman, 2002).

Investing in Sustainable Futures: Analyzing the Pre-Service Teacher Gap as a Barrier to Quality Education SDG 4.c in Masbate, Philippines

/in /by

This study analyzes the pre-service teacher gap as a systemic barrier to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Target 4.c, in the geographically disadvantaged context of Masbate, Philippines. It investigates the disconnect between teacher preparation and the realities of Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area (GIDA) schools. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. A census survey (n=312) of fourth-year pre-service teachers in a Masbate state college measured career commitment, self-efficacy, and training perceptions. Subsequent focus group discussions and interviews with purposefully sampled participants provided qualitative depth. Data were analyzed using regression and thematic analysis. Quantitative results revealed a critical gap, while 68.3% of pre-service teachers were of rural Masbate origin, only 41.7% intended to teach in local GIDA schools. Regression analysis identified contextualized teaching self-efficacy (β = .51, p < .001) and a rural practicum experience as the strongest predictors of GIDA commitment, whereas financial scholarships showed no significant effect. Qualitative findings exposed a training-practice disconnect, where generic methodology courses failed to prepare candidates for multi-grade teaching and resource scarcity, with practicum quality acting as a decisive psychosocial intervention. The barrier to quality education in Masbate is a qualitative pre-service gap, not a numerical shortage. Investment must shift from financial incentives to transforming teacher education. A strategic framework is proposed, mandating contextualized practicum standards, building pre-service self-efficacy, and establishing a multi-sectoral teacher pipeline compact to cultivate a sustainable, committed, and GIDA-qualified teaching workforce.

The Study on Operationalizing Child Protection in Sri Lankan Schools: Awareness and Practices

/in /by

Child protection and well-being are central priorities within education systems worldwide, including Sri Lanka. Although national safeguarding policies exist, implementation remains uneven, revealing a gap between policy intent and everyday practice. This study examines how Sri Lankan schools interpret and operationalize child-protection awareness within their institutional, sociocultural, and community contexts. A stratified sample of schools and a purposive sample of stakeholders were drawn from the Piliyandala Educational Zone in Western Province. Using a mixed-methods exploratory sequential design, surveys were administered to teachers (n = 120) and students (n = 300) across twelve urban, semi-urban, and rural schools, alongside semi-structured interviews with principals and child-protection officials (n = 25). Quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and chi-square tests, and qualitative data were examined thematically. Findings show that schools adopt varied approaches to safeguarding shaped by resources, staff capacity, and community influences. Student awareness of protection concepts was high, yet teacher preparedness was limited, with only 12 percent receiving formal training in trauma support. Institutional mechanisms also varied: Child Protection Committees existed in 42 percent of schools, with only 23 percent functioning effectively, and urban schools showing stronger compliance. Schools relied on internal programmes, government-led initiatives, and NGO-supported activities, although these efforts were fragmented and reactive rather than coordinated. Sociocultural factors, including stigma, hierarchical communication norms, parental instability, and community-level risks—restricted disclosure and weakened prevention. Concerns about confidentiality reduced the use of formal reporting structures, while emerging digital pathways appeared promising within ongoing education reforms. Overall, the study highlights a structural and cultural misalignment between national child-protection commitments and their enactment in schools. Strengthening teacher training, building institutional capacity, expanding community partnerships, and developing secure reporting systems are essential for protective and responsive learning environments. The study provides evidence to guide policy refinement, curriculum development, and targeted safeguarding interventions within Sri Lanka’s education sector.

What Drives Faculty Engagement in Higher Education Internationalization? A Systematic Review of Concepts, Predictors, Mechanisms, and Contexts

/in /by

Faculty participation is central to higher education internationalization, yet existing research remains conceptually fragmented and theoretically contested. This study presents a systematic review of 44 empirical and conceptual studies examining faculty participation in internationalization across diverse national, institutional, and disciplinary contexts. Guided by four research questions, the review synthesizes how faculty participation has been conceptualized and measured, how institutional and individual predictors have been operationalized, which theoretical frameworks explain support–participation mechanisms, and how contextual conditions shape research findings. The review makes three theoretical contributions. First, it demonstrates that faculty participation is a multi-domain construct encompassing mobility, international research, curriculum internationalization, and composite engagement, and that measurement choices systematically shape empirical conclusions. Second, it advances an interactionist synthesis showing that institutional support is a necessary but insufficient condition, while individual motivation and accumulated academic capital operate as proximal translation mechanisms. Third, it foregrounds contextual contingency, revealing how national settings, institutional types, disciplinary cultures, and faculty identities condition engagement patterns. By linking theoretical debates to methodological practices, the review advances a conditional and relational understanding of faculty participation in internationalization.

Caring for Nature, Caring for Faith: Islamic Ecotheology in the Practice of Green Da’wa in Pesantren in Indonesia

/in /by

This article discusses Islamic eco-theological values implemented in the form of green da’wa in Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in Indonesia. Using a case study approach at Pesantren Al Ittifaq in Bandung, West Java, and Pesantren Assalaam in Manado, North Sulawesi, this article observes how Islamic eco- theological principles are implemented in Islamic preaching practices in Pesantren. Data was obtained through interviews, observations, documentation studies and focused discussions. The results of the study show that both Pesantren, Al Ittifaq and Assalaam, integrate ecotheological principles into various da’wa and educational programmes, such as sustainable agriculture and the provision of ecological understanding and awareness based on the Qur’an and Hadith. Specifically, Pesantren Al Ittifaq stands out with its agribusiness innovation in the form of sustainable agriculture as a form of environmental da’wa, while Pesantren Assalaam places more emphasis on strengthening awareness of the importance of environmentally friendly da’wa and building ecological awareness within the Pesantren and the surrounding community. These findings prove that Pesantrens have an important and strategic role as educational institutions that implement the principles of Islamic ecotheology in the practice of green da’wa.