Research indicates a strong correlation between sociodemographic factors and success in learning to read. This study examines the sociodemographic characteristics of 1131 preschool and 1st-grade children in Portuguese public schools and explores the relationship between these characteristics and key competencies for reading acquisition. The collection included a sociodemographic questionnaire and pre-reading skills, such as letter-sound knowledge. To assess the relationship between the sociodemographic variables and the letter-sound knowledge, inter-subjects (parametric and non-parametric) difference tests were conducted, as well as correlation analyses. To understand whether letter-sound knowledge is predicted by sociodemographic variables, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed using the Enter method. The results suggest that the mother’s education is the variable that most strongly contributes to success in reading acquisition. Socioeconomic status and the type of school also play a role in reading achievement. Identifying the sociodemographic factors that most strongly correlate with reading acquisition success is crucial for a more accurate identification of at-risk children and to provide targeted support/inclusion in reading skills promotion projects.

Regions rich in natural resources often exhibit a high dependency on revenue from Revenue Sharing Funds (DBH). This dependency can pose long-term challenges, especially when commodity prices experience significant fluctuations. This study examines the role of Revenue Sharing Funds from Natural Resources (DBH SDA) on economic growth in 491 regencies/cities in Indonesia during the 2010–2012 period. The analysis employs panel data regression. The selection of this period was based on the occurrence of a resource boom characterized by a surge in global demand for natural resource commodities, accompanied by an increase in commodity prices. This condition positively impacted the revenues of both the nation and resource-rich regions. The results of the study show that economic growth is not influenced by DBH SDA but rather by General Allocation Funds (DAU). This indicates that the central government still plays a significant role in determining economic growth at the regency/city level in Indonesia. Regions need to prioritize economic diversification to reduce reliance on DBH SDA and DAU. Investment in productive sectors, such as infrastructure, education, and technology, can be a strategic approach to accelerating regional economic growth.

Rural tourism, which offers authentic cultural and nature-based experiences, is increasingly recognized as a vital tool for sustainable development. Ethiopia, with its rich rural landscapes and cultural heritage, holds immense potential for rural tourism, but the sector remains underdeveloped. This study assesses the facilitating conditions and challenges of rural tourism in Ethiopia using a mixed-methods approach. Results indicate that Ethiopia’s economic growth, improved rural infrastructure, large rural population, higher ethnic and religious diversity index, and 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites provide strong foundations for rural tourism. However, significant challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, limited marketing, restricted access to financing, ethnic conflicts, environmental degradation, and insufficient stakeholder cooperation hinder its growth. To address these barriers, the study proposes a model encompassing strategic investments in infrastructure, enhancing marketing and promotion, access to finance initiatives, conflict resolution strategies, sustainable tourism practices, enhancing stakeholder coordination, and supportive policy frameworks. By employing these strategies, Ethiopia can harness the full potential of its rural tourism sector, contributing to economic development and community well-being while promoting cultural preservation and environmental sustainability. Also, the proposed model is highly applicable to other developing economies that share similar contexts. Besides, given the importance of the seven fundamental pillars of the model, it remains relevant across tourism types like coastal destinations.

The objective of this paper is to analyze the impact of infrastructure financing on economic growth in emerging markets through the application of both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. In this study, the research will employ both primary and secondary data to investigate the impact of different structures of infrastructure financing on the performance of the economy through interviews with the stakeholders and policy documents alongside quantitative data from the World Bank and the IMF. The quantitative analysis employs the econometric models to establish the effect of infrastructure investment on the GDP growth of the selected countries, India, China, Brazil, and Nigeria. Additional secondary qualitative data obtained from interviews with policymakers and financial specialists from Brazil, India, and South Africa offer more practical information regarding the efficiency of the discussed financing approaches. This paper is therefore able to conclude that appropriate management of infrastructure investments, particularly those that involve the PPP, are central to the development of the economy. However, certain drawbacks such as the lack of regularity of data and the disparity in the effectiveness of financing instruments by the regions are pointed out. The research provides policy implications to policymakers and investors who wish to finance infrastructure in the emerging economy to enhance economic growth in the long run.

Tourism stands as a cornerstone industry, experiencing continual expansion within the global economy, and is increasingly acknowledged for its crucial role as an economic catalyst. The convergence of the tourism sector with the film culture industry amplifies the economic advantages of regions and enriches cultural narratives while bolstering the international resonance of regional brands. This study examines the promotional efficacy of adapted films in fostering the development of local tourism sectors. It investigates the impact of adapted films on the development of local tourism economy and provides a new analytical perspective to describe their specific contribution to the tourism economy. Empirical findings underscore that adapted films imbued with regional nuances substantially augment local tourism revenue, catalyzing the growth of the tourism sector. This highlights the capacity of adapted films to amplify regional exposure, nurturing the expansion of the local tourism economy. The findings of the study reveal that the promotional impact of adapted films on local tourism sectors is more pronounced in less developed regions than in more developed regions. Moreover, areas with limited transportation infrastructure witness a heightened promotional effect from the film industry. Rigorous robustness and endogeneity tests corroborate the reliability of these findings.

Energy systems face serious difficulties due to economic policy uncertainty, which affects consumption trends and makes the shift to sustainability more difficult. While adjusting for economic growth and carbon emissions, this study examines the dynamic relationship between economic policy uncertainty and energy consumption (including renewable and nonrenewable) in China from 1985Q1 to 2023Q4. The research reveals the frequency-specific and time-varying relationships between these variables by employing sophisticated techniques such as Wavelet Cross-Quantile Correlation (WCQC) and Partial WCQC (PWCQC). Economic policy uncertainty and energy consumption do not significantly correlate in the short term; however, over the long term, economic policy uncertainty positively correlates with renewable energy consumption at medium-to-upper quantiles, indicating that it may play a role in encouraging investments in sustainable energy. On the other hand, EPU has a negative correlation with nonrenewable energy usage at lower quantiles, indicating a slow move away from fossil fuels. These results are confirmed by robustness testing with Spearman-based WCQC techniques. The study ends with policy recommendations to maximize economic policy uncertainty’s long-term impacts on renewable energy, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and attain environmental and energy sustainability in China.