Analysing the link between student engagement and subjective well-being in lower secondary education: evidence from a cross-lagged panel study

Background: Awareness of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFSRHS) is an important starting point for enabling young people to identify and seek appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and care. However, awareness of these services may vary across settings, including higher education institutions. Objective: To determine the level of awareness of YFSRHS among undergraduate students at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Malimbe Campus. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at SAUT Malimbe Campus. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of 109 questionnaires distributed, 108 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ awareness and reported sources of information. Results: Of the 108 respondents, 96 (88.9%) reported having heard of YFSRHS, while 12 (11.1%) had not. Social media was the most frequently reported source of information (44.0%), followed by friends or peers (41.0%) and health facilities (36.0%). University programmes and posters or advertisements were reported less frequently. Conclusion: Most respondents had heard of YFSRHS, with social media and peer networks serving as prominent information channels. Strengthening accurate information through these channels, alongside university-based communication, may help address the awareness gap among students who remain unreached.

Holistic student development has become a fundamental indicator of educational quality in early childhood education because it encompasses children's cognitive, socio-emotional, physical, moral, and spiritual development. Despite increasing attention being given to holistic education in Malaysia, empirical evidence explaining how instructional leadership, educator commitment, and educator motivation contribute to holistic student development within KEMAS preschools remains limited. This study therefore examined the levels, relationships, and predictive influence of instructional leadership, educator commitment, and educator motivation on holistic student development among KEMAS preschool educators in the Northern Zone of Malaysia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 313 educators selected from a population of approximately 1,700 educators across Kedah, Perak, and Pulau Pinang. Data were collected using structured questionnaires adapted from established instruments and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's Product-Moment Correlation, and Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression using SPSS. The findings indicated that instructional leadership, educator commitment, educator motivation, and holistic student development were all perceived at high levels. Significant positive relationships were identified between all independent variables and holistic student development. Stepwise regression analysis further revealed that extrinsic motivation emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by intrinsic motivation, providing incentives to students, and defining school mission and goals. Collectively, these predictors explained 42.1% of the variance in holistic student development. The findings provide empirical evidence supporting leadership enhancement, educator motivation, and evidence-based policymaking to strengthen preschool educational quality within KEMAS.

The study examined the relationship between Educational Philosophical Orientation and the Organizational practices of Secondary Mathematics teachers. Using a descriptive-correlational quantitative design, the study involved 150 secondary mathematics teachers and investigated how educational philosophical orientations are associated with teachers’ organizational practices. Findings revealed that Pragmatism obtained the highest mean score (M = 3.852) indicating that the teacher generally valued practical, experiential and problem-solving approaches in mathematics instruction. However, regression results show that Pragmatism did not significantly predict their actual practices. Instead, Idealism emerged as a significant positive predictor of Planning and Lesson Preparation( b = 0.343, p<.001), Collaboration with Colleagues and School Personnel ( b = 0.206, p = 0.044) and Professional Responsibility ( b = 0.374, p<.001). Realism was a significant predictor of Classroom Organization and Management ( b = 0.216, p = .038), and Existentialism did not significantly predict any of the Organizational Practice Dimensions. These findings indicate that the relationship between educational philosophical orientation and teachers’ organizational practice is domain specific rather than uniform across professional activities. The higher endorsement of Pragmatism alongside its lack of significant unique predictive contribution also suggests that teachers espoused philosophical preferences do not necessarily correspond directly to their professional practices. Overall, the finding highlights the value of integrating philosophical reflection with practical and contextual consideration in teacher education and professional development, particularly in strengthening teachers’ awareness of how educational beliefs relate to their professional practice.

This study examined the classroom and instructional management practices of new and experienced teachers and their relationship with students’ learning engagement in selected public secondary schools in Cortes District, Division of Bohol, during School Year 2026–2027. Anchored in the Classroom Management Scripts Model, Instructional Clarity Framework, Multidimensional Student Engagement Framework, and Huberman’s Teacher Career Cycle, the study employed a quantitative comparative-correlational research design. Respondents comprised 15 new teachers, 46 experienced teachers, and 278 students, totaling 339 participants. Data were gathered using a researcher-modified, validated, and pilot-tested questionnaire and analyzed through descriptive statistics, Pearson product–moment correlation, and independent-samples t-tests. Results revealed consistently high classroom and instructional management practices among both teacher groups, with no statistically significant differences. Classroom management and instructional management exhibited a strong positive relationship (r = 0.724, p < 0.001), whereas neither classroom management (r = 0.040, p = 0.760) nor instructional management (r = −0.062, p = 0.635) was significantly associated with students’ overall learning engagement. Students taught by new teachers demonstrated significantly higher overall and emotional engagement (p = 0.017), while behavioral and cognitive engagement showed no significant differences. The study concluded that teaching experience alone does not determine management effectiveness and that favorable management practices do not necessarily correspond to higher student engagement. A school-based professional development program emphasizing mentoring, collaborative lesson planning, peer observation, and instructional improvement was proposed. The study supports Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) by promoting effective teaching, inclusive learning environments, and continuous professional growth. Its educational and institutional sustainability contribution lies in providing localized evidence to guide sustained professional development and improvements in students’ learning experiences.

The teacher shortage is a global challenge. However, some countries are less prone to teacher shortages. The aim of this study was to examine three countries with little or no teacher shortage to explore what these countries do to attract and retain educated teachers. The three countries selected for this case study were Finland (Europe), Singapore, and the Republic of Korea (Southeast Asia). The data pertaining to these countries, as three specific case studies, come from policy documents, statistics, reports, and peer-reviewed articles. The themes in each case were thematically encoded and categorised by the described case context. The themes were identified deductively and strongly linked to the data. The results indicate that the teacher shortage and supply are related to teacher status and grounded in students’ performance and results, teacher training/education, systems for incoming and graduated teacher students, and support during their first years in their profession. Teacher status is seen as a loop in which higher teacher status leads to a lower likelihood of a teacher shortage. The conclusion is that attracting and retaining teachers is a multifaceted and complex process that is the result of many interacting aspects in each specific country’s context. Keywords: Finland, multiple case study, Sing