Ensuring access to quality education and career training is a crucial challenge, especially in developing nations. Vocational, scientific, technological, and engineering education are essential for active participation in any community and play a significant role in shaping life perspectives. The ability to sustain competitiveness depends on receiving high-quality vocational, scientific, technological, or engineering education and professional growth. These factors are vital for the long-term growth of prosperous economies and nation-building. Hence, this perspective review attempts to provide information on some contemporary pedagogies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) vis-à-vis scientific and engineering education in Nigeria. The study zooms into the challenges and possible solutions that will promote and enhance pedagogies in scientific and engineering education in Nigeria. The study adopted a perspective review approach in overviewing prior accessible studies (literatures) as well as a methodological framework. It is believed that this perspective review study will serve as a way forward for other developing nations.

Background: The prevalence of anxiety among college students is a growing global concern, with a median prevalence of 32%. This study addresses the need for effective interventions within an educational policy framework to alleviate anxiety and promote mental health among college students. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the impact of breathing relaxation exercises and tactile art therapy on college students’ self-understanding and psychological well-being, providing reference information for policies and practices in mental health education. Methods: We enrolled 10 college students from X University in South Korea, dividing them into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group underwent 10 sessions of breathing exercises and tactile art therapy, while the control group received standard psychological counseling. Pre- and post-tests assessed breathing function, self-understanding, and psychological well-being. Results: The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in breathing function, particularly in forced vital capacity (FVC), and in psychological well-being, as measured by the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS). Sub-factors such as safety, goal orientation, and self-acceptance within self-understanding, self-acceptance, positive relationships, purpose in life, and environmental mastery within psychological well-being, showed notable enhancements. In contrast, the control group did not show significant effects in terms of FVC and FEV1（p > 0.05）, and there were no statistically significant differences in the various sub-factors of self-understanding and psychological well-being. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that integrating breathing relaxation exercises and tactile art therapy into educational policy can significantly reduce anxiety and enhance the psychological well-being of college students. These findings suggest that such interventions can be effective components of a comprehensive educational policy aimed at improving student mental health.

The increasing demand for electricity and the need to reduce carbon emissions have made optimizing energy usage and promoting sustainability critical in the modern economy. This research paper explores the design and implementation of an Intelligent-Electricity Consumption and Billing Information System (IEBCIS), focusing on its role in addressing electricity sustainability challenges. Using the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, the system’s architecture collects, analyses, and visualizes electricity usage data, providing users with valuable insights into their consumption patterns. The research involved developing and validating the IEBCIS prototype, with results demonstrating enhanced real-time monitoring, load shedding schedules, and billing information. These results were validated through user testing and feedback, contributing to the scientific knowledge of intelligent energy management systems. The contributions of this research include the development of a framework for intelligent energy management and the integration of data-driven insights to optimize electricity consumption, reduce costs, and promote sustainable energy use. This research was conducted over a time scope of two years (24 months) and entails design, development, pilot test implementation and validation phases.

The intensification of urbanization worldwide, particularly in China, has led to significant challenges in maintaining sustainable urban environments, primarily due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This effect exacerbates urban thermal stress, leading to increased energy consumption, poor air quality, and heightened health risks. In response, urban green spaces are recognized for their role in ameliorating urban heat and enhancing environmental resilience. This paper has studied the microclimate regulation effects of three representative classical gardens in Suzhou—the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Lingering Garden and the Canglang Pavilion. It aims to explore the specific impacts of water bodies, vegetation and architectural features on the air temperature and relative humidity within the gardens. With the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation method, this study has analyzed the microclimate regulation mechanisms in the designs of these traditional gardens. The results show that water bodies and lush vegetation have significant effects on reducing temperature and increasing humidity, while the architectural structures and rocks have affected the distribution and retention of heat to some extent. These findings not only enrich our understanding of the role of the design principles of classical gardens in climate adaptability but also provide important theoretical basis and practical guidance for the design of modern urban parks and the planning of sustainable urban environments. In addition, the study highlights GIS-based spatial interpolation as a valuable tool for visualizing and optimizing thermal comfort in urban landscapes, providing insights for developing resilient urban green spaces.

The South African government has undertaken to expand universal access to Early Childhood Development (ECD) with a particular focus on children from socially disadvantaged communities and with disabilities. This requires training and support of ECD practitioners, such that they are equipped 399with the necessary knowledge and competencies to implement effective teaching and learning approaches at ECD level. This research explored an innovative, inclusive approach to ECD practitioner development in which both Deaf and hearing students were enrolled in an ECD practitioner training program facilitated jointly by New Beginnings (an ECD non-profit training organization) and the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA). The research scrutinized key aspects of the training program, including how it extended students content knowledge on ECD, their pedagogical knowledge; as well as epistemological access for Deaf students. The findings and conclusions have important implications not only for equipping ECD practitioners with knowledge and skills, but also demonstrates how practitioner training itself can be effectively structured to cater for diversity among trainees.

Managing business development related to the innovation of intelligent supply chains is an important task for many companies in the modern world. The study of management mechanisms, their content and interrelations of elements contributes to the optimization of business processes and improvement of efficiency. This article examines the experience of China in the context of the implementation of intelligent supply chains. The study uses the methods of thematic search and systematic literature review. The purpose of the article is to analyze current views on intelligent supply chain management and identify effective business management practices in this area. The analysis included publications devoted to various aspects of supply chain management, innovation, and the implementation of digital technologies. The main findings of the article are as follows: Firstly, the key elements of intelligent supply chain management mechanisms are identified, secondly, successful experiences are summarized and the main challenges that companies face in their implementation are identified. In addition, the article focuses on the gaps in research related to the analysis of successful experiences and the reasons for achieving them.