This study aims to explore the mediating role of perceived organizational support(POS) in the relationship between university teachers' competence and job performance. Through a questionnaire survey of 968 undergraduate university teachers in China, 879 valid questionnaires were collected. The study employed quantitative methods, constructing a university teacher competence scale comprising foundational competence, teaching competence, research competence, and innovation competence, as well as a job performance scale encompassing task performance, relationship performance, and adaptive performance. Structural equation modeling and SOBEL tests were used for data analysis. The results showed that POS exhibited different mediating effect patterns between various competence dimensions and job performance dimensions: no significant mediating effect was found in task performance; partial mediating effects were observed in relational performance and adaptive performance; and a complete mediating effect was identified between foundational competence and adaptive performance. The study provides theoretical support and practical guidance for university teachers management, emphasizing the importance of establishing a competence-based human resources management system, strengthening teachers perceptions of organizational support, and establishing diverse evaluation standards. Future research could further explore the impact of different cultural backgrounds and organizational types on mediating effects.
This study explores the complex dynamics of handling augmented reality (AR) data in higher education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although there is a growing interest in incorporating augmented reality (AR) to improve learning experiences, there are still issues in efficiently managing the data produced by these apps. This study attempts to understand the elements that affect AR data management by examining the relationship between the investigated variables: faculty readiness, technological limits, financial constraint, and student engagement on data management in higher education institutions in the UAE, building on earlier research that has identified these problems. The research analyzes financial constraints, technological infrastructure, and faculty preparation to understand their impact on AR data management. The study collected detailed empirical data on AR data management in UAE higher education environments using a quantitative research methods approach, surveys. The reasons for choosing this research method include cost-effectiveness, flexibility in questionnaire design, anonymity and confidentiality involved in the chosen methods. The results of this study are expected to enhance academic discourse by highlighting the obstacles and remedies to improving the efficiency of AR technology data management at higher education institutions. The findings are expected to enlighten decision-making in higher education institutions on maximizing AR technology’s benefits for improved learning outcomes.
In Ghana, youth unemployment remains significant challenges, with technical and vocational education and training (TVET) emerging as a potential solution to equip young people with practical skills for the job market. However, the uptake of TVET programmes among Ghanaian youth remains low, particularly among females. This study therefore explores the determinants that influence TVET choices among Ghanaian youth, with the goal of informing policy development to enhance participation in vocational education. Applying an enhanced multinomial logistic regression (MLR) model, this research examines the influence of socio-economic, demographic, and attitudinal factors on career decisions. The enhanced model accounts for class imbalances in the dataset and improves classification accuracy, making it a robust tool for understanding the drivers behind TVET choices. A sample of 1600 Ghanaian youth engaged in vocational careers was used, ensuring diverse representation of the population. Key findings reveal that males are approximately three times more likely to choose TVET programs than females, despite females making up 50.13% of Ghana’s population. Specific determinants influencing TVET choices include financial constraints, parental influence, peer influence, teacher influence, self-motivation, and vocational limitations. In regions with limited vocational options, youth often pursue careers based on availability rather than preference, which highlights a gap in vocational opportunities. Parental and teacher influences were found to play a dominant role in steering youth towards specific careers. The study concludes with recommendations for policymakers, instructors, and stakeholders to increase the accessibility, relevance, and quality of TVET programmes to meet the socio-economic needs of Ghanaian youth.
Soil erosion is characterized by the wearing away or loss of the uppermost layer of soil, driven by water, wind, and human activities. This process constitutes a significant environmental issue, with adverse effects on water quality, soil health, and the overall stability of ecosystems across the globe. This study focuses on the Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh, India, employing the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to estimate and spatially analyze soil erosion and fertility risk. The various factors of the model, like rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), conservation practices (P), and cover management factor (C), have been computed to measure annual soil loss in the district. Each factor was derived using geospatial datasets, including rainfall records, soil characteristics, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), land use/land cover (LULC) data, and information on conservation practices. GIS methods are used to map the geographical variation of soil erosion, providing important information on the area's most susceptible to erosion. The outcome of the study reveals that 3371.23 km2, which constitutes 91% of the district's total area, is identified as having mild soil erosion; in contrast, 154 km2, or 4%, is classified as moderate soil erosion, while 92 km2, representing 2.5%, falls under the high soil erosion category. Additionally, 50 km2, or 1.35%, is categorized as very high soil erosion and around 30 km2 of the study area is classified as experiencing severe soil erosion. The analysis further discovers that the annual soil loss in the district varies between 0 and 151 tons per hectare per year. This study indicates that most of the district is classified under low soil erosion; only a tiny fraction of the area is categorized as experiencing high and very high soil erosion. The study provides significant insights into soil erosion for policymakers and human society to bring their attention to the need for sustainable soil conservation practices in the undulating terrain/topography and agriculturally dominated district of Anuppur.
In order to replace conventional materials in the existing composite world, there has been a focus on adopting coir fibres, which are lightweight, adaptable, efficient, and have great mechanical qualities. This study describes the creation of environmentally responsible bio-composites with good mechanical characteristics that employ coir powder as a reinforcement, which has good interfacial integrity with an epoxy matrix. And these epoxy-coir composites supplemented with coir particles are predicted to function as a reliable substitute for traditional materials used in industrial applications. Here, untreated and alkali-treated coir fibres powder were employed as reinforcement, with epoxy resin serving as a matrix. An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effect of coir powder reinforcement at different weight percentages (5 wt%, 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, 25 wt%, and 30 wt%). The morphological study, followed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an optical microscope (OM), demonstrated that the powder and matrix had the strongest adhesion at 20 wt% coir powder-reinforced composite, with no voids, bubbles, or cracks. Based on the entire investigation, the polymer composite with 20 wt% reinforcement exhibited better mechanical qualities than the other combinations.
The research explores academia and industry experts’ viewpoints regarding the innovative progression of Virtual Reality (VR)-based safety tools customized for technical and vocational education training (TVET) within commercial kitchen contexts. Developing a VR-based safety tools holistic framework is crucial in identifying constructs to mitigate the risks prevalent in commercial kitchens, encompassing physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards workers encounter. Introducing VR-based safety training represents a proactive strategy to bolster education and training standards, especially given the historically limited attention directed toward workers’ physical and mental well-being in this sector. This study pursues a primary objective: validating a framework for VR-based kitchen safety within TVET’s hospitality programs. In addition to on-site observations, the research conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 participants, including safety training coordinators, food service coordinators, and IT experts. Participants supplemented qualitative insights by completing a 7-Likert scale survey. Utilizing the Fuzzy Delphi technique, seven constructs were delineated. The validation process underscored three pivotal constructs essential for the VR safety framework’s development: VR kitchen design, interactive applications, and hazard identification. These findings significantly affect the hospitality industry’s safety standards and training methodologies within commercial kitchen environments.
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