Using the Intercultural Competence and Inclusion in Education Scale (ICIES), this study examines variations in intercultural competence and inclusion between mainstream and multiethnic high schools. The sample consisted of 384 high school students, aged 17 to 18, from both rural and urban areas in Western Romania, enrolled in grades 11 and 12. The ICIES demonstrated strong reliability, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.721. Exploratory factor analysis revealed three distinct dimensions: Intercultural opportunities and activities, Comfort in diverse settings, and Cultural reflection and values. Independent samples t-tests identified significant differences between mainstream and multiethnic schools across several items, with students in multiethnic schools reporting higher levels of intercultural competence and inclusion. These findings highlight the critical role of multicultural educational settings in fostering students’ cultural awareness and inclusive attitudes. This study provides actionable insights for enhancing multicultural education practices and policies, including teacher training programs, inclusive curricula, and extracurricular initiatives that promote intercultural engagement and reduce intergroup biases.

This research explores the factors influencing consumers’ intentions and behaviors toward purchasing green products in two culturally and economically distinct countries, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. Drawing on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the study examines the roles of altruistic and egoistic motivations, alongside environmental knowledge, in shaping green consumer behavior. Altruistic motivation, driven by concern for societal well-being and environmental sustainability, is found to have a stronger impact on green purchase intention and behavior in both countries, particularly in Pakistan. Egoistic motivation, which focuses on personal benefits like health and cost savings, also contributes but with a lesser influence. The research employs a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 1000 respondents (500 from each country) using a stratified random sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships between variables and test the moderating effects of environmental knowledge. The results reveal that environmental knowledge significantly moderates the effect of both altruistic and egoistic motivations on green purchase intention, enhancing the likelihood of eco-friendly consumption. These findings underscore the importance of environmental education in promoting sustainable consumer behavior. The originality of this study lies in its comparative analysis of green consumerism in two distinct contexts and its exploration of motivational factors through the TPB framework. Practical implications suggest that policymakers and marketers can develop strategies that appeal to both altruistic and egoistic drivers while enhancing consumer knowledge of environmental issues. The study contributes to the literature by expanding TPB to include the moderating role of environmental knowledge in understanding green consumption behavior across diverse cultures.

This study examines the impact of structured cultural educational activities on various dimensions of student well-being in primary education. Using a randomized controlled trial design, 120 third- and fourth-grade students from Arad County, Romania, were assigned to either an experimental group, which participated in cultural educational activities, or a control group, which received no intervention. Well-being and social behavior were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the EPOCH Measure of Adolescent Well-Being, administered before and after the intervention. The SDQ evaluated emotional symptoms, hyperactivity, conduct problems, peer relationship issues, and prosocial behavior, while the EPOCH scale measured engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. Analysis revealed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) in the experimental group compared to the control group. Students in the experimental group exhibited reduced hyperactivity and peer relationship problems, alongside notable increases in engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. These findings highlight the efficacy of integrating cultural educational activities into the primary school curriculum as a strategy for enhancing emotional and social development. The study underscores the importance of such interventions in fostering positive developmental outcomes and offers a foundation for further research into their long-term effects and adaptability across diverse educational contexts.

This study examines aggressive behavior among adolescents in school settings, focusing on its associations with mental health dimensions such as dysfunctional negative emotions and anxiety. A total of 403 adolescents (234 girls and 169 boys) aged 12 and 13 years participated in the study. Self-report questionnaires assessed aggressive tendencies and mental health symptoms, while demographic variables such as age and gender were also collected. Data analysis revealed a non-normal distribution, as determined by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Consequently, non-parametric statistical methods were employed, including the Spearman correlation coefficient to explore relationships between variables and the Mann-Whitney U test to analyze gender differences. The results demonstrated significant positive correlations between aggressive behavior and dysfunctional negative emotions (r = 0.191, p < 0.01) and between aggression and anxiety (r = 0.275, p < 0.01). Additionally, gender differences emerged, with females reporting higher levels of mental health symptoms than males (p < 0.05). These findings highlight the complex relationship between mental health challenges and aggression, emphasizing the significant roles of gender and emotional regulation in shaping these dynamics. The study calls for the development of tailored psychological interventions that not only address aggressive behaviors but also consider the unique mental health needs and emotional profiles of adolescents, ensuring a more personalized and effective approach to support their well-being.

This study explores the determinants of control loss in eating behaviors, employing decision tree regression analysis on a sample of 558 participants. Guided by Self-Determination Theory, the findings highlight amotivation (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) and external regulation (β = 0.36, p < 0.01) as primary predictors of control loss, with introjected regulation also playing a significant role (β = 0.24, p < 0.05). Consistent with Self-Determination Theory, the results emphasize the critical role of autonomous motivation and its deficits in shaping self-regulation. Physical characteristics, such as age and weight, exhibited limited predictive power (β = 0.12, p = 0.08). The decision tree model demonstrated reliability in explaining eating behavior patterns, achieving an R² value of 0.39, with a standard deviation of 0.11. These results underline the importance of addressing motivational deficits in designing interventions aimed at improving self-regulation and promoting healthier eating behaviors.

The initiation of tapering, sparked by heightened inflation in the United States, reverberates across global markets, with notable implications for Indonesia. This study delved into the nuanced impact of tapering on Sharia-compliant stocks in both Indonesia and Malaysia. The rationale behind selecting Sharia stocks for analysis lies in their composition, featuring companies boasting low debt-to-asset and equity ratios, thereby positing robust resilience in the face of the Federal Reserve’s implementation of tapering. Employing a time series dataset with a weekly sampling period spanning from January to September 2022, the analysis adopted the Error Correction Model (ECM) within a multiple regression framework to circumvent potential spurious regression pitfalls. The results of this study indicate that the impact of tapering off policy in Indonesia has a positive impact in the short term and long term, while in Malaysia it tends to be insignificant in the short term and has a positive impact from the US 10-year bond yield variable and a negative impact from US 1-Year Treasury Bills. This result is interesting because it differs from the general theory. The causal factors include the agility of the Indonesian central bank in maintaining the benchmark interest rate spread with the Fed, the economic stability of both countries, and the increasing trend of coal, with Indonesia being one of the largest producers of the commodity. Investors, in navigating these intricate dynamics, may find strategic insights derived from this research invaluable for shaping their investment decisions. while government policymakers may use them as a reference for shaping policies related to Sharia stock investments, including the incorporation of artificial intelligence.