This study investigates the perspectives of diverse stakeholders within schools and the broader educational landscape to identify gaps between prevention, intervention, and compensation measures, as outlined in the 2014 Eurydice report, and dimensions of student engagement conceptualised by Fredricks et al. (2004) (behavioural, cognitive, and emotional). Distinctively, the study engages multiple stakeholders, ranging from students to policymakers, in the co-construction of knowledge to address underachievement and early school leaving. Through a dialogic co-creation approach, it seeks to uncover discrepancies between policy intentions and educational practices that perpetuate barriers for learners from vulnerable backgrounds. This understanding aims to inform researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in developing more targeted and effective strategies for educational inclusion and equity.A qualitative methodology was employed, drawing on the dialogic seminar approach. This approach facilitates purposeful and egalitarian dialogue, recognising all participants, researchers and community members alike, as equally significant contributors to meaning-making. The participants (n = 35) included parents, students, teachers, school leaders and other school staff. Knowledge generation occurred through an intersubjective process that integrated the scientific expertise of researchers with the lived experiences and perspectives of participants. The participants identified significant gaps in existing policy measures and moved beyond critique to articulate grounded, actionable solutions, signalling a shift from fragmented reform initiatives toward a more participatory and contextually responsive model of educational policymaking. The findings highlight the need for a more integrated and relationally attuned policy framework, one that moves beyond fragmented interventions to promote system-wide coherence rooted in equity and student agency. Cultivating a policy culture that values sustained dialogic engagement among policymakers, practitioners, and learners is essential for ensuring that educational reform remains both socially just and contextually responsive.
Background Serious games have the potential to improve youth health education through engaging experiences. An analysis of serious games in youth health education could guide their integration into nursing practices and inform decision-making about their selection, implementation, and evaluation. Objective To establish a clear definition of serious games in youth health education. Method The concept was examined using Walker and Avant's method to identify its attributes, antecedents, consequences, and uses. Literature from 2013 to 2023 was sourced from databases including PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, the ProQuest platform, Cochrane Library, Compendex, and IEEE Xplore. Results A total of 30 articles were included and analyzed, identifying nine defining attributes of serious games in youth's health education: gamification, game mechanics, educational, health-related content, and objective, tailored for youth and adaptability, real-life relevance, engagement, interactivity, safe environment, feedback, and assessment. Antecedents included educational gaming, health education initiatives, technological advancements, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The identified consequences were improved health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, improved self-efficacy, and reduced health disparities. Conclusion The concept analysis of serious games in youth health education guiding their strategic application in nursing practice. Leveraging this knowledge, nurse educators and leaders could be better equipped to improve youth engagement and health learning outcomes by developing targeted interventions using serious games, potentially improving health behaviors and outcomes among the youth.
Municipal resilience is a currently emphasised topic and refers to the general ability of cities and municipalities to specifically and substantively face various threats, risks, and potential damages that disrupt the desired continuity in their socio-economic development and declared approach to environmental protection. In particular, in the design, setting up, and management of a resilient system, it is necessary to determine the relevance and importance of the various threats that may affect the municipality or city. The article aims to define and subsequently prioritise the threats and risks that municipalities and cities consider to be relevant in the contemporary socio-economic system, according to their severity. A sub-objective is to also determine the substantive groups of threats according to their importance. This prioritisation of threats is based on the analysis and the confrontation of the results from the primary research conducted in 2024 in the form of a questionnaire survey among the municipalities of the Czech Republic and a meeting of experts, a focus group. 284 Czech municipalities (5%) participated in the online questionnaire survey, while the focus group results reflect the opinion of 18 experts. To enhance the relevance of the results, the article includes an analysis of the results using confidence intervals, Mauchly's test of sphericity, and tests of agreement of the mean values of answers. The biggest threats identified include the ageing population or youth outflow, systemic inconsistent financing of municipalities, and undesirable environmental effects related to climate change and its impacts.
The current study presents a systematic review aimed at understanding and incorporating the extensive body of literature to describe and assess the wide-ranging impacts of various weather conditions, including heatwaves, fog, snow, and rain, and the different ways of using high-fidelity simulators, empirical driving studies, and intricate econometric and deep causal inference frameworks. The review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework to ensure a transparent and rigorous study selection process. The reviewed literature consistently indicates that precipitation-related weather conditions substantially increase crash frequency and severity, although the magnitude of impact varies across locations, roadway types, and traffic conditions. At the operational level, these weather conditions deteriorate traffic performance by reducing speed, roadway capacity, and overall network efficiency. These network-level phenomena are mediated by micro-level phenomena of driving behaviour, e.g. abnormal speed choice, altered car following, and high cognitive load. Connected vehicle systems and variable speed limits are two technological countermeasures that may help reduce the risks. In the end, these integrations highlight the relationship among variables of traffic and weather, as variables and context depend. Lastly, 2 main research gaps still need to be addressed, which include the lack of use of causal inference models and the limited Real-World Application and Validation of Advanced Traffic-Weather Models. Overall, the study's findings suggest the need for adaptable, data-centric, and context-sensitive safety and traffic management strategies to enhance the resiliency of the transportation network.
The Space Fortress (SF) task has a history of research on complex skill acquisition and cognitive training. It supposedly involves executive functions (EFs) although this hypothesis has not been rigorously tested. The present study examines the psychometric properties of the SF task and its relationship with EFs. A total of 145 participants completed the SF task and a series of EF tasks. Statistical analyses evaluated the data distribution, reliability, and validity of the SF task, based on correlations with EFs. The results showed that the SF task demonstrated good to excellent psychometric properties and was significantly and strongly correlated with an EF composite score, suggesting the task’s dependence on EFs. Sex was also significantly associated with SF performance, with men showing higher scores than women. This study allowed an empirical validation of the relationship between SF and EFs, reaffirming the potential of this task as a research tool.
