This study analyzes the perception of university students regarding the use of virtual reality (VR) in higher education, focusing on their level of knowledge, usage, perceived advantages and disadvantages, as well as their willingness to use this technology in the future. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, both quantitative and qualitative data were collected to provide a comprehensive view of the subject. The results indicate that while students have a basic understanding of VR, its use in the educational context is limited. A considerable number of students recognize VR’s potential to enhance the learning experience, particularly in terms of immersion and engagement. However, significant barriers to adoption were identified, such as technical issues, the high cost of equipment, and inadequate access to technological infrastructure. Additionally, there is a need for broader training for both students and faculty to ensure the effective use of this technology in academic environments. The semi-structured interviews confirmed that perceptions of VR vary depending on prior exposure to the technology and access to resources. Despite the challenges, most students appreciate VR’s potential to enrich learning, although its effective adoption will depend on overcoming the identified barriers. The study concludes that strategies must be implemented to facilitate the integration of VR into higher education, thus optimizing its impact on the teaching-learning process.

The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived self and collective efficacy, individual and social norms and feelings related to environmental health concern among a sample of Pakistanis who are (or are not) engage in pro- environment behaviors in their daily lives. An ad hoc questionnaire with scales on pro-environmental behavior, self and collective efficacy, individual and social norms, and environmental health concerns was administered to adults in Lahore, Pakistan, and 833 respondents (62% males and 38% females) responded. Analysis of our research data shows that among those who engaged in daily pro-environmental behaviors, perceptions of individual and social norms and individual and collective efficacy were positively associated with concern for the environment and health. This study offers some interesting ideas that could be useful in developing federal, regional, local and community policies to promote daily pro-environmental behaviors. For example, in addition to advocating for environmental health and reducing one’s ecological footprint, social communication could explain that caring about environmental health (and thus adopting daily pro-environmental behaviors) is a way to manage one’s mental health. In this way, circular behavior is encouraged, which not only benefits the environment and the community, but also brings personal benefits.

A The meaning of life is the purpose that defines a person’s existence based on a set of fundamental objectives that give meaning to life or not. Furthermore, not all individuals have a meaning in life, and it may be absent at some point or stage of life. Objective: To analyze Peruvian older adults’ socioeconomic factors and the meaning of life. Method: A descriptive, comparative, quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. One thousand older adults were intentionally selected through quotas of 100 older adults in 10 localities in Arequipa, Peru. They were administered a survey validated with high levels of reliability on the meaning of life and socioeconomic factors. Results: A moderate level of meaning in life was found. Most older adults believe that increasing age decreases the purpose of living, and existential emptiness grows. Conclusions: Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the meaning of life and the following socioeconomic factors: retirement, religion, educational level, cohabitation, marital status, income, and occupation. It is understood that older adults who scored higher on these factors indicate having meaning in life because they still fulfill the role of providers for the family economy, being util to their families compared to the majority who scored low, which indicates an absence of meaning of life leading to an increase existential void.

Family violence is the act that causes harm, suffering, or death to members of the family group, especially if they are in a situation of vulnerability due to characteristics associated to age or physical condition. Objective: The social characteristics of aggressors were associate in the risk level of victims of family violence in the city of Arequipa, Peru. Method: The study was descriptive, quantitative, and non-experimental. A total of 205 randomly selected judicial files of aggressors reported for domestic violence were evaluated. The data were secondary, and the chi-square test (association of categorical variables) was used for statistical analysis. Results: A moderate risk level (31.2%) was found, with a tendency to be severe and very severe (49.5%). Likewise, the most observed types of violence are physical and psychological violence (89.3%) and sexual abuse (10.7%). The female aggressor exerts mild violence, while the male aggressor exerts moderate to extreme severe violence, causing more harm to the victim. The profile of the aggressor with low or high education, with high or low incomes, and who occupies a house or only one room can be associated the level of violence that occurs. Conclusion: Men are more likely to attack women, and similarly, female aggressors tend to target men more frequently. Moreover, men exhibit a higher tendency to attack their partners, including wives, cohabitants, and ex-partners, whereas women tend to target a broader range of family members, including parents, children, grandparents, nephews, cousins, as well as in-laws such, brothers-in-law and other relatives.

In recent years, awareness of sustainability has increased significantly in the hospitality industry, particularly within the hotel sector, which is recognized as a major contributor to environmental degradation. In response to this challenge, hotel managers are increasingly implementing green human resource management (GHRM) practices to increase Organizational Citizenship Behavior. Considering job satisfaction, and organizational commitment as mediator. A survey was conducted with 383 employees from three- and four-star Egyptian hotels and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 22 and Amos version 24. Structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that GHRM practices positively impacts Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCB), job satisfaction and organizational commitment in addition, the study found that job satisfaction and organizational mediates the relationship between Green Human Resource Management and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. The study found a positive link between GHRM and OCB, partially mediated by job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The recommend that implementation of GHRM practices in the hotel industry can have significant positive implications.

With the declaration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the importance of localisation principles and, consequently, the local-level institutions in implementing development policies came to the forefront. India adopted a thematic approach by condensing the seventeen goals into nine themes, to be worked upon by the local administrative units, furthering that each Village Panchayat (constitutionally known as Grama Panchayats) should select a theme in a plan year and strive towards attaining it. For the South Indian state of Kerala, with its good trajectory of decentralised governance, this localisation process of SDGs was rather smooth. In this article, we discuss the case of the best-performing Grama Panchayat (GP) in Kerala, which has identified ‘Village with Self-Sufficient Infrastructure’ as the development theme. Through qualitative research methodology, we examine how the Panchayat included projects specific to this theme in the development plans and how the implementation helped produce effects on multidimensional aspects of SDGs using the SDG Impact Assessment Tool. The case studies of different infrastructure-based projects endorse that with proper planning and implementation of such projects, the lowest tier of administration can significantly contribute to the improvement of development goals. We have delineated full fund utilisation through convergence schemes, community participation, and strong monitoring mechanisms as the factors leading the selected Panchayat to be the champion of the cause. The accomplishment exhibited by the Panchayat by integrating SDGs into the Village Development Plan through the projects on the theme of self-sufficient infrastructure can be well emulated by other local bodies across the world.

This study examines the influence of organizational learning and boundary spanner agility in the bank agent business of Indonesia’s financial inclusion. This study is based on quantitative studies of 325 bank agents in Indonesia. The results of this research strongly show that organizational learning has a significant impact on boundary spanners’ agility to achieve both financial and non-financial performance. This study presents a novel finding that organization learning with a commitment to apply and encourage learning activities and agility with improved responsiveness and resilience boundary spanners can achieve bank agent performance. Organizational learning of bank agents needs to improve commitment to apply and encourage learning activities, always be open to new ideas, and create shared vision and knowledge transfer mechanisms. Organizational agility in bank agents need also to improve the capability to be more responsive and adaptable to culture changes in a volatile environment. This research provides valuable insights to policymakers, banking supervisors, bank top management teams, and researchers on the factors that may improve the effectiveness of the agency banking business to promote financial inclusion. Participating banks in the agent banking business need to set a clear vision, scope, and priority of strategy to encourage organizational learning and agility.

This study intends to explore the idea of a vocational village strategy to foster sustainable rural development. Vocational villages, offering targeted skills training and economic opportunities, present a compelling soft approach to rural development, addressing the need for sustainable livelihoods and community empowerment. Drawing upon the collaborative governance (the penta-helix model); underpinning the social capital perspective; and highlighting the economic, institutional, cultural, environmental, technological, and institutional dimensions of sustainable development, a vocational village strategy is expected to level up village capacities and facilitate modernization. The research was narratively developed through a qualitative methodology using primary and secondary data sources. Primary empirical data was employed to analyze vocational village practices in Panggungharjo Village, Yogyakarta, Indonesia as a representative example. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) framework provided secondary data to present comparative literature on vocational village development. The findings determined a four-staged vocational village model includes initiation, training, business development, and independence. The success of this model is contingent upon political, bureaucratic, and sociocultural factors (social capital), as well as the effective collaboration of government, academia, industry, and community (penta-helix). This research contributes to the urgency of vocational village practices and models as a viable strategy for achieving equitable and sustainable rural development.