Sustainability has become increasingly important in recent decades and has become a key concept in various areas of society. The early integration of sustainability principles into education is of crucial importance, as the elementary school years represent a decisive phase in children's development. During this phase, fundamental values, attitudes, and behaviors are formed that will have a significant impact on later lives and the relationship with the environment. Elementary school offer a unique opportunity to reach people from different social backgrounds and thus impart a common basic knowledge that can serve as a basis for shaping a sustainable society. Elementary schools are therefore an ideal place to introduce children to the principles of sustainability and sensitize them to the challenges of the 21st century. The aim of the study is to explore the current state of sustainability education in elementary school. It takes a closer look at whether elementary school students are old enough to be confronted with sustainability, what methods already exist and what the challenges are in implementing sustainability education. The basis for the study is an online survey conducted at 60 different elementary school in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. In conclusion, while there is room for improvement, the survey results suggest a growing awareness of the significance of sustainability education in elementary schools. The findings call for targeted efforts to enhance curriculum integration, teacher training, and resource provision to promote a more sustainable and environmentally conscious generation of students in Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Objectives: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the stress on blood banks and deprived the blood sources due to the containment measures that restrict the movement and travel limitations among blood donors. During this time, Malaysia had a significant 40% reduction in blood supply. Blood centers and hospitals faced a huge challenge balancing blood demand and collection. The health care systems need a proactive plan to withstand the uncertain situation such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigates the psychosocial factors that affect blood donation behavior during a pandemic and aims to propose evidence-based strategies for a sustainable blood supply. Study design: Qualitative design using focus group discussion (FGD) was employed. Methods: Data were acquired from the two FGDs that group from transfusion medicine specialists (N = 8) and donors (N = 10). The FGD interview protocol was developed based on the UTM Research Ethics Committee’s approval. Then, the data was analyzed using Nvivo based on the General Inductive Approach (GIA). Results: Analysis of the text data found that the psychology of blood donation during the pandemic in Malaysia can be classified into four main themes: (i) reduced donation; (ii) motivation of donating blood; (iii) trends of donation; and (iv) challenges faced by the one-off, occasional, and non-donors. Conclusions: Based on the emerging themes from the FGDs, this study proposes four psycho-contextual strategies for relevant authorities to manage sustainable blood accumulation during the pandemic: (1) develop standard operating procedure for blood donors; (2) organize awareness campaigns; (3) create a centralized integrated blood donors database; and (4) provide innovative Blood Donation Facilities.
This paper explores the role of the agile approach in managing interorganizational relationships in innovation networks. Design/methodology/approach. Relevant literature related to agile team management, network theory, innovation theory and knowledge management was studied. Based on collaboration between different approaches, a conceptual model for agile management of an innovation network was generated. Conceptual modeling was supplemented with graphical notation (diagram) of the main elements of the model. At the stage of testing the conceptual model, the action research method was applied, which provides an opportunity for organizational innovations to be carried out with the participation of researchers. The object of the pilot implementation of the conceptual model is the Bulgarian division of a global non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to community service. The organizational innovation applied in the testing of the model is related to improving the communication environment between individual teams (clubs), which are autonomous, but in the conditions of a network can generate projects for common, large-scale initiatives for community service. Findings. The pilot testing of the model shows its applicability, insofar as a traditionally managed structure switches to an agile communication model, in which horizontal connections become more frequent and knowledge between individual participants is transferred more efficiently. The possibility of decentralized decision-making creates the potential for generating numerous new and larger-scale initiatives for the benefit of the final beneficiaries. The participants in the network have also outlined some shortcomings, such as the need for better preliminary preparation when introducing organizational innovations in order to adequately explain and accept them.
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally transformed the global education landscape, compelling institutions to adopt e-learning as an essential tool to sustain academic activities. This research examines the critical impact of e-learning on arts and science college students in Coimbatore, with an emphasis on its influence on their readiness for campus recruitment. Using a survey of 300 students, this study investigates their perceptions of online education, highlighting both its advantages, such as flexibility and accessibility, and its challenges, including engagement barriers and technical limitations. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using statistical methods to draw meaningful insights. The research also explores the efficacy of online assessments in recruitment processes and assesses students’ awareness of available e-learning platforms and courses. The urgency of this study lies in addressing the pressing need to optimize digital education models as institutions globally transition toward blended learning post-pandemic. The findings underline the dual potential and limitations of e-learning, concluding with actionable recommendations to enhance its effectiveness, particularly in preparing students for competitive employment opportunities.
This study meticulously explores the crucial elements precipitating corporate failures in Taiwan during the decade from 1999 to 2009. It proposes a new methodology, combining ANOVA and tuning the parameters of the classification so that its functional form describes the data best. Our analysis reveals the ten paramount factors, including Return on Capital ROA(C) before interest and depreciation, debt ratio percentage, consistent EPS across the last four seasons, Retained Earnings to Total Assets, Working Capital to Total Assets, dependency on borrowing, ratio of Current Liability to Assets, Net Value Per Share (B), the ratio of Working Capital to Equity, and the Liability-Assets Flag. This dual approach enables a more precise identification of the most instrumental variables in leading Taiwanese firms to bankruptcy based only on financial rather than including corporate governance variable. By employing a classification methodology adept at addressing class imbalance, we substantiate the significant influence these factors had on the incidence of bankruptcy among Taiwanese companies that rely solely on financial parameters. Thus, our methodology streamlines variable selection from 95 to 10 critical factors, improving bankruptcy prediction accuracy and outperforming Liang's 2016 results.
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