Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science

Sustainability Literacy among Pre-service Science Teachers: A Study on Gender and Locale Influences

2026-08-01T12:05:38+00:00

This study examined sustainability literacy among pre-service science teachers and explored whether their literacy levels differed according to gender and locale. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Data were collected through an online questionnaire using convenience sampling from 66 pre-service science teachers. Sustainability literacy was measured using a scale covering knowledge, attitude, and behaviour related to sustainability. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the overall level of sustainability literacy, and independent-samples t-tests were used to examine differences based on gender and locale. The findings showed that the mean sustainability literacy score was 166.39, with a standard deviation of 14.30. Most participants were found to have an average level of sustainability literacy, while smaller proportions demonstrated low and high levels. Female participants recorded a slightly higher mean score than male participants; however, the difference was not statistically significant. Similarly, rural participants recorded a higher mean score than urban participants, but this difference was also not statistically significant. The findings suggest that pre-service science teachers possess a moderate level of sustainability literacy, with no meaningful variation based on gender or locale in the present sample. The study highlights the need to strengthen sustainability-oriented teacher education through competency-based, experiential, and action-oriented learning practices.

Perceptions of Teacher Educators and Pupil Teachers towards Using ICT in Teacher Education Programme: A Case Study of Balasore District, Odisha, India

2026-08-05T09:14:13+00:00

This study examined the perceptions of teacher educators and pupil teachers towards the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teacher education programmes in Balasore District, Odisha. It also investigated the problems faced by both groups when integrating ICT into the teaching-learning process. A descriptive survey method was used, and data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire for pupil teachers and an interview schedule for teacher educators in the three-year integrated B.Ed.-M.Ed. programme at F.M. University and CTE Balasore. The investigator randomly selected two teacher education institutions, namely Fakir Mohan University and CTE Balasore, and employed stratified random sampling. The sample comprised 80 participants: 56 pupil teachers, including 28 first-year and 28 second-year students, and 24 teacher educators. Percentage analysis showed that pupil teachers had positive perceptions of ICT tools such as digital cameras, digital projectors, and interactive whiteboards. ADSL and Wireless LAN were the most commonly accessed internet technologies. Insufficient pedagogical support, inadequate infrastructure and technical support, and limited technological resources were the principal barriers to effective ICT integration. Teacher educators also reported inadequate ICT skills and an insufficient number of laptops as important challenges affecting professional and instructional use. The findings indicate the need to strengthen ICT infrastructure, technical and pedagogical support, and professional training for teacher educators and pupil teachers.

Technology-enabled Pedagogy and Student Engagement in Value-oriented Schools: A Study of Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandirs in Odisha, India

2026-08-05T09:24:26+00:00

Technology-enabled pedagogy has emerged as an important approach to enhancing student learning and engagement in contemporary educational settings. This study investigated the influence of Technology-Enabled Pedagogy (TEP) on students’ Behavioural Engagement (BE), Emotional Engagement (EE), and Cognitive Engagement (CE) in Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandirs (SSVMs) across Odisha, India. Grounded in the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, the study adopted a quantitative, cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from 200 students representing 20 SSVMs across 10 districts of Odisha using a multistage stratified sampling technique. The proposed relationships were examined using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that TEP had significant positive effects on Behavioural Engagement (β = 0.612), Emotional Engagement (β = 0.548), and Cognitive Engagement (β = 0.657), thereby supporting all three proposed hypotheses. Among the three dimensions, Cognitive Engagement demonstrated the strongest association with TEP, indicating that technology-integrated teaching may particularly enhance students’ attention, understanding, and active involvement in learning. The findings suggest that the purposeful integration of technology with pedagogy and subject content can strengthen multiple dimensions of student engagement while complementing the value-oriented educational philosophy of SSVMs. The study provides context-specific evidence on technology integration in culturally rooted, value-based educational settings and offers practical implications for teachers, school administrators, and policymakers seeking to strengthen technology-supported teaching and learning.

Predicting Higher Education Students’ Psychosomatic Symptoms with Negative Emotional State, Psychological Resilience and Life Satisfaction

2026-08-08T11:06:26+00:00

Psychosomatic symptoms are an important aspect of student mental health because they reflect the interaction between psychological processes, emotional states, and physical complaints. This study examined whether negative emotional states, psychological resilience, life satisfaction, and demographic characteristics predicted psychosomatic symptoms among higher-education students in Greece. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted with 202 participants recruited from seven higher-education institutions in Athens. Participants completed self-report measures of psychosomatic symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, psychological resilience, and life satisfaction. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The predictive model significantly explained variation in psychosomatic symptom scores, F(8, 193) = 46.289, p < .001, R^²= .657, adjusted R^²= .643. Stress (β = .275, p < .001) and anxiety (β = .388, p < .001) were positively associated with psychosomatic symptoms, whereas psychological resilience (β = −.171, p < .001) and life satisfaction (β = −.182, p < .001) were negatively associated. Sex differences were observed: female students reported higher psychosomatic symptoms and negative emotional states, whereas male students reported higher resilience. No significant differences in psychosomatic symptoms were identified by study level, institution type, or age. Overall, the findings are consistent with previous literature and suggest that psychosomatic symptoms among higher-education students are associated with both psychological risk factors and protective resources. Screening for emotional distress and strengthening resilience and life satisfaction may contribute to student mental-health support strategies. However, the findings should be interpreted in light of the cross-sectional design and convenience sample.

Exploring the Role of Synonyms in Vocabulary Expansion among Albanian Students Learning English as a Foreign Language

2026-08-12T10:50:39+00:00

Background: Lexical synonymy may contribute to vocabulary development by enabling learners to recognise semantic relationships and select contextually appropriate lexical alternatives.

Aims: This study aims to investigate the role of lexical synonymy in vocabulary expansion among Albanian students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). It specifically examines how awareness and use of synonymous relationships contribute to lexical development, semantic flexibility, and communicative competence in English. The study also explores the relationship between students’ mother tongue competence and their ability to acquire and use English synonyms effectively.

Study Design: A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to analyse students’ awareness, acquisition, and use of lexical synonyms in English language learning.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted across the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years at the University of Tirana and Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës, Albania. The participants were undergraduate students from diverse academic programmes, including students in language and literature-related disciplines as well as other fields of study.

Methodology: The study was conducted across the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years at the University of Tirana and Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës, Albania. The participants included 71 first-year undergraduate students enrolled in diverse study programmes, including the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the Faculty of History and Philology, the Department of Albanian Language at the University of Tirana, and the Faculty of Education at Aleksandër Moisiu University of Durrës. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire comprising lexical and textual tasks designed to assess students’ awareness of synonymic relations, translation abilities, and their capacity to employ lexical alternatives in both English and Albanian. In addition, more than 15 English textbook-based texts were analysed to identify and examine synonymic relationships at the lexical, phrasal, and idiomatic levels. The collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis to explore the relationships between synonym usage density and synonym acquisition in both Albanian-to-English and English-to-Albanian translation directions.

Results: The findings revealed positive relationships between awareness of lexical synonyms and vocabulary development. Correct responses ranged from 59% to 84% across the lexical tasks. Pearson correlation analysis showed significant positive associations between synonym usage density and Albanian-to-English synonym acquisition (r = .61), English-to-Albanian synonym acquisition (r = .58), and between the two acquisition directions (r = .64).

Conclusion: The study confirms that lexical synonymy plays a significant role in foreign language vocabulary development among Albanian EFL learners. The findings indicate that systematic integration of synonym-based activities into English language instruction can strengthen students’ semantic awareness, expand their lexical repertoire, and improve their overall communicative competence. Furthermore, the study emphasises the importance of establishing meaningful connections between learners’ mother tongue knowledge and foreign language acquisition processes, as such connections can facilitate deeper understanding, more effective vocabulary retention, and more accurate use of lexical items in English.

Evaluating Trainees’ Satisfaction: Comparison between Face-to-Face and Virtual Medium Training during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2026-08-17T10:06:03+00:00

The COVID-19 pandemic required the Bangladesh Institute of Management (BIM) to deliver training through both face-to-face and virtual modes. This study compared trainees’ satisfaction with these delivery modes and examined knowledge retention and the potential continued use of virtual training. The analysis used 395 data points gathered from participants who received face-to-face and virtual medium training from BIM’s Accounting and Financial Management Division between July 2020 and April 2022. According to the findings, participants in face-to-face training were significantly more satisfied with their outcomes than participants in virtual medium training. The demographics of the two groups could not explain the differences in knowledge gain. Virtual delivery adaptations, including instructional techniques, presentation style, content and materials, and participant preparation, should be considered to bridge the gap between face-to-face and virtual training. This study also assessed the economic feasibility of using a virtual medium for BIM training under normal conditions. The curriculum effectively increased knowledge in both the virtual and face-to-face groups, with each group significantly improving its understanding and application of knowledge in daily work. The improvement resulting from BIM training was significantly greater for the face-to-face group than for the virtual group. The virtual group began with greater knowledge but applied it less than the face-to-face group, resulting in a change in outcome that was approximately half that observed in the face-to-face group. These findings support virtual curriculum delivery as a viable method, although it may be less effective than face-to-face training.

Association between Perceived Ease of Establishing Relationships and Feeling at Home on Campus at an Urban University

2026-08-18T11:48:44+00:00

Aim: To examine whether students’ ratings of perceived ease of establishing relationships and faculty/staff connection were associated with their ratings of feeling at home on campus after adjustment for measured demographic, enrolment, employment, organizational, and substance-use characteristics. Each focal variable was assessed using a single item.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study design was used.

Place and Duration of Study: Data were collected at San José State University in San José, California, U.S., from September 2022 to April 2023.

Methodology: Participants were 214 undergraduates. Bivariate associations were evaluated using Spearman rank-order correlations and nonparametric group comparisons, with Holm family-wise correction across 16 primary comparisons. Proportional-odds ordinal logistic regression estimated adjusted associations. Threshold-specific models were examined because the proportional-odds assumption was not fully met.

Results: Ratings of perceived ease of establishing relationships were positively correlated with feeling-at-home ratings (ρ = .26, Holm-adjusted p = .003). In the broadly adjusted complete-case model (n = 193), relationship-ease ratings remained positively associated with feeling-at-home responses (common OR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.27, 2.16], p < .001). The common odds ratio provides an overall summary because the magnitude of the association varied across cumulative response thresholds. Faculty/staff connection was not statistically significant after multiplicity correction or multivariable adjustment. Bivariate analyses did not detect statistically significant associations or differences across most measured demographic, contextual, and behavioural characteristics. Adding the specified broader covariate block did not significantly improve model fit within the complete-case sample. The isolated Black-versus-White coefficient was based on seven Black participants and was not supported by the omnibus ethnicity test.

Conclusion: In this single-site cross-sectional sample, higher relationship-ease ratings were associated with higher feeling-at-home ratings after adjustment for the measured covariates. The finding is limited to a concurrent item-level association and does not establish temporal direction, causal influence, or the empirical distinctiveness of the experiences assessed. Longitudinal research using validated multi-item measures is needed to clarify these questions.

Pattern of Psychiatric Morbidity among Final-Year Medical Students in a Private Faith-Based University in Nigeria: A Mixed-Methods Study

2026-08-27T13:22:12+00:00

Background: Medical education is demanding and is associated with substantial psychological stress. Final-year medical students may be particularly vulnerable.

Aim: This study examined the pattern of psychiatric morbidity among final-year medical students in a faith-based medical school and explored their experiences, coping strategies, spirituality, stigma, and help-seeking behaviours.

Methods: A mixed-methods design was employed with convenience sampling. The quantitative component consisted of a cross-sectional design. Sociodemographic and other relevant information were collected using a structured questionnaire, while psychiatric morbidity was assessed using a validated screening instrument (GHQ-12). The qualitative component comprised focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) exploring psychological distress, academic and clinical stressors, spirituality, coping, stigma, institutional support, and help-seeking. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 16.

Results: The majority of respondents were aged 15-25 years, and most were female, 25 (83.3%), while 29 (96.7%) were Christians. None was married, but 8 (24.1%) were dating. The majority, 23 (76.7%), lived on 10,000-20,000 Naira monthly, while only 4 (13.3%) lived on >50,000 Naira. Most, 24 (80.0%), belonged to the middle socioeconomic class, while 6 (20.0%) were in the upper socioeconomic class. None had a previous history of mental illness, while 6 (20%) consumed alcohol and no one took psychoactive substances. Using the GHQ-12 threshold of ≥3, 46.7% of students screened positive for possible psychiatric morbidity. FGDs and KIIs yielded varied responses.

Conclusion: This mixed-methods study demonstrates psychological distress among final-year medical students within a private faith-based Nigerian university. The qualitative findings suggest that the problem is silence about the symptoms. Future empirical research could expand the scope of the topic across multiple universities for broader representation of these findings.

Challenges and Practical Strategies for Developing English-speaking Skills among Primary-school Pupils in Tanzania

2026-09-04T13:10:07+00:00

Developing English-speaking skills among primary-school pupils in Tanzania is shaped by multilingual classroom practices, access to instructional resources, teacher capacity and opportunities for meaningful oral interaction. This study examined the challenges faced by primary-school English teachers in developing pupils’ speaking skills and identified practical strategies for improvement. Data were collected from 1 May to 15 June 2026 across 16 district councils in 12 regions. The study involved 90 participants: 70 English teachers, 15 heads of schools, four academic teachers and one school quality assurance officer. A mixed-methods design combined a structured teacher questionnaire with interviews of school leaders. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies and percentages, while qualitative responses were analysed thematically. Among teachers, the leading reported challenge was the influence of Kiswahili, local languages or mother tongue (48.6%), followed by inadequate print, teaching or digital resources (27.1%). Among leaders, inadequate resources (30.0%) and language influence (25.0%) were most frequently reported. Participants also identified large classes, limited English exposure, weak foundations, low confidence and teacher-capacity constraints. Recommended strategies included improved materials and digital resources, sustained professional development, pedagogical guidance, more frequent English-speaking opportunities, interactive activities and parent or community involvement. The findings indicate that improvement requires coordinated pedagogical, professional and material support that expands meaningful opportunities for pupils to use spoken English.

Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Perception of the Effectiveness of the Interactive Multimedia Approach in Teaching and Learning of Selected Biology Concepts

2026-09-08T12:03:58+00:00

This study examined pre-service science teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of the Interactive Multimedia Instructional Approach (IMIA) in teaching and learning selected biology concepts at Wiawso College of Education, Ghana. An action research design was used with 76 second-year pre-service science teachers selected from biology elective classes. The intervention focused on abstract biology topics, including cell structure, cell division, and Mendelian inheritance. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire comprising 10 Likert-scale items that assessed participants' perceptions of IMIA's pedagogical effectiveness. Responses were analysed quantitatively using SPSS version 27.0 to determine frequencies, means, and standard deviations. The findings showed predominantly favourable perceptions of IMIA. Participants agreed that interactive multimedia made biology concepts easier to understand, supported retention, increased engagement and enjoyment, enhanced motivation, enabled clearer visualisation of complex concepts, supported self-paced learning, improved perceived problem-solving ability, and provided useful feedback. The highest mean score concerned clearer visualisation of complex biological concepts (M = 4.67, SD = 0.473), while the lowest concerned motivation (M = 4.29, SD = 0.935); both remained above the study's agreement threshold. The study concludes that pre-service science teachers perceived IMIA as a useful approach for supporting the teaching and learning of selected abstract biology concepts. Its integration into teacher education should therefore be considered alongside appropriate pedagogical guidance and institutional support.

Toward Inclusive Digital Service-Learning: Opportunities, Vulnerabilities, and Strategies Identified by European Educational Stakeholders

2026-09-12T08:31:11+00:00

Background and Aims: Digital technologies increasingly mediate service-learning, creating both opportunities for participation and risks of exclusion. This study examines how educational stakeholders perceive the opportunities, vulnerabilities, consequences, and enabling strategies associated with digital empowerment in service-learning. It aims to identify conditions that support meaningful and inclusive participation in digitally mediated service-learning contexts.

Study Design: A qualitative exploratory study using the World Café method.

Place and Duration of Study: Two World Cafés involving educational stakeholders from multiple European countries were conducted, one in person and one online.

Methodology: The study involved 72 teachers, trainers, and educational leaders from multiple European countries. Data were generated through two World Cafés and comprised recorded harvest summaries, transcripts, tablecloth and whiteboard notes, sticky notes, drawings, and visualisations. The resulting multimodal material was systematically examined using qualitative content analysis. The analysis focused on participants’ perceptions of opportunities and vulnerabilities related to digital participation, their consequences for service-learning, and strategies for fostering inclusive digital engagement.

Results: The analysis identified three interrelated dimensions: (1) conditions for digital participation, (2) tensions of digitally mediated engagement, and (3) strategies for inclusive digital service-learning. Participants perceived digital technologies as enabling connectivity, knowledge sharing, societal participation, and innovative pedagogical practices. At the same time, unequal access to technology, differences in digital competence, risks of exclusion, overstimulation, and reduced face-to-face interaction were identified as potential barriers to equitable participation. The findings highlight that the educational value of digital technologies depends on the conditions under which they are implemented and on the extent to which diverse participation needs are considered.

Conclusion: Digital empowerment in service-learning should be understood as a condition for meaningful participation rather than as an end in itself. A reflective and inclusion-oriented approach is required to ensure that digital technologies expand opportunities for engagement without reinforcing existing inequalities or creating new forms of exclusion.

Age Patterns, Cohort-proxy Trends, and Scenario-based U.S. Coffee Participation through 2040

2026-09-17T13:17:20+00:00

Aims: To quantify age-related differences in U.S. coffee consumption and assess how demographic ageing and cohort-compatible persistence patterns may shape adult coffee participation and espresso-based beverage (EBB) incidence through 2040. Study design: Repeated cross-sectional secondary-data analysis with demographic scenario projection. Place and Duration of Study: United States; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles from 2003-2004 through August 2021-August 2023, supplemented by 2026 National Coffee Data Trends statistics and U.S. Census population projections through 2040.

Methodology: Survey-weighted point estimates of coffee participation, intake volume, and caffeine intake were calculated for adults aged 18-24, 25-39, 40-59, and 60+ years. A population-weighted cohort proxy was evaluated using three historical anchors. Future participation was compared under a static age-specific-rate scenario and a 2023-anchored cohort-proxy sensitivity scenario. The dynamic scenario used the median annualised endpoint deviation across the three anchors, with zero modelled drift at the 2023 base year. Formal sampling uncertainty was not propagated into the projections.

Results: In 2021-2023, coffee participation increased from 22.4% at ages 18-24 to 68.7% at ages 60+, whereas mean intake among consumers peaked at ages 40-59 (546 g/day; 202 mg caffeine/day) and declined at ages 60+ (521 g/day; 179 mg/day). From 2003-2004 to 2021-2023, participation rose 56.7% for ages 18-24 and 25.8% for ages 25-39 while volume and caffeine intake generally declined. By 2040, the static and 2023-anchored scenarios yielded approximately 167.6 and 167.8 million adult coffee participants, respectively; corresponding EBB estimates were 12.1 and 15.2 million, a difference of about 26%.

Conclusion: Demographic ageing alone raises projected coffee participation, while cohort-compatible drift has little effect on the headline total under the anchored specification but a larger effect on modelled beverage-format composition. Because NHANES uses a repeated cross-sectional design, the 2021-2023 dietary cycle involved a change in interview mode, and formal sampling uncertainty was not propagated, all long-horizon estimates are descriptive scenario outputs rather than causal forecasts.

Personalized Learning in Virtual Learning Environments: A Systematic and Thematic Review of Technological, Pedagogical, and Learner-Centric Innovations

2026-09-09T04:51:13+00:00

Purpose: Personalised learning has emerged as an important approach for addressing learner diversity within increasingly digital and technology-mediated educational environments. This systematic and thematic review examines how personalised learning is conceptualised, implemented, and experienced within Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), with particular attention to pedagogical design, technological integration and adaptivity, and learner agency and perception.

Methodology: A systematic literature search was conducted across Scopus, ERIC, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect for literature published between 2007 and 2024. Following screening and eligibility assessment, 35 studies were included in the final review corpus. Data were analysed using manual content analysis with a combination of deductive and inductive coding. The thematic synthesis identified eight recurrent thematic strands and three interconnected dimensions of personalised learning: pedagogical design, technological integration and adaptivity, and learner agency and experience.

Findings: The findings indicate that personalised learning is not solely a technological process but emerges through the interaction of pedagogical intentionality, technological affordances, teacher facilitation, and learner participation. Artificial intelligence, learning analytics, adaptive systems, learning management systems, and interactive technologies expand the possibilities for scalable personalisation, while concerns relating to digital inequality, algorithmic bias, data privacy, teacher readiness, and learner support remain significant. The review further highlights the importance of balancing learner autonomy with structured guidance and situating personalisation within broader principles of equity, accessibility, ethical governance, and Sustainable Development Goal 4.

Conclusion: The review concludes that effective personalised learning in VLEs requires a human-centred integration of pedagogy, technology, and learner agency, supported by inclusive infrastructure, appropriate teacher capacity, and stronger empirical evidence from diverse and longitudinal contexts.

Balancing Educational Access and Practice Preparedness in Ghanaian Nursing and Midwifery Education: A Critical Narrative Review

2026-08-10T12:38:56+00:00

Ghana has expanded nursing and midwifery education to increase the supply of health professionals, yet educational growth has not consistently translated into clinically prepared graduates, equitable deployment or timely employment. This critical narrative review examines how access can be widened without weakening academic, clinical and professional preparedness. Literature published from 1 January 2000 to 5 June 2026 was identified through accessible scholarly indexes, citation searching and authoritative institutional sources. Evidence was appraised for design quality, measurement validity, geographical coverage, consistency and relevance to the education-to-workforce pathway. The synthesis shows that Ghana’s central challenge is not a simple choice between enrolment growth and quality. It is a coordination problem across admissions, faculty capacity, curriculum delivery, clinical-placement density, preceptor preparation, simulation and digital infrastructure, regulation, transition support and funded employment. Ghanaian studies consistently identify overcrowded placements, variable supervision, weak feedback, uneven educator preparation and theory–practice discontinuities, but most are cross-sectional, qualitative or based on self-reported experience. Consequently, confidence is stronger regarding the presence of system constraints than regarding the causal effect of particular reforms on objective competence or patient outcomes. Access should therefore be defined as effective access: fair entry, supported progression, exposure to sufficient accredited learning opportunities, attainment of demonstrable competence and a realistic transition into appropriately distributed employment. A capacity-linked expansion model is proposed in which admission ceilings are informed by faculty, simulation, placement and labour-market capacity, while equity safeguards prevent quality regulation from excluding applicants from underserved regions or disadvantaged backgrounds. Immediate priorities include national clinical-site accreditation, protected and trained preceptorship, shared simulation hubs, stronger educator development, longitudinal graduate tracking and integrated education–workforce data. Expansion remains necessary, but its public value depends on whether every additional place is accompanied by the learning and employment conditions required for safe, respectful and context-responsive practice.

Work-Based Learning in African Naturopathic Education: A Conceptual Framework for Strengthening Clinical Competence and Professional Readiness

2026-08-11T10:08:46+00:00

Naturopathic education in Africa is situated at the intersection of professional regulation, plural health systems, uneven educational resources and persistent concern about the transition from academic knowledge to safe independent practice. Work-based learning offers a plausible means of strengthening this transition because it places students in authentic clinical and community settings where knowledge, judgement, communication and professional identity must be integrated. Yet direct evidence on work-based learning in African naturopathic programmes is exceptionally sparse, and uncritical transfer of models from medicine, nursing or high-income complementary-health education risks reproducing contextual and epistemic mismatches. This critical narrative review synthesises African naturopathic curriculum research with international literature on workplace learning, clinical supervision, feedback, competency-based education, workplace-based assessment, cultural safety and decolonisation. The review identifies six design requirements: prepared participation; graded responsibility across a deliberately diverse placement portfolio; relational supervision and psychologically safe feedback; structured reflection and critical consciousness; programmatic assessment using multiple low-stakes observations and defensible entrustment decisions; and shared governance among educational institutions, regulators, placement sites, patients and communities. It argues that professional readiness should encompass red-flag recognition and referral, evidence-informed therapeutic decision-making, culturally safe engagement with African knowledge systems, interprofessional collaboration, ethical and regulatory literacy, and capacity to navigate resource-constrained health systems. The proposed African Naturopathic Work-Based Learning framework connects these design features to learning mechanisms and graduate outcomes while explicitly recognising moderators such as supervisor capacity, case mix, language, power relations, digital access and the hidden curriculum. The framework is evidence-informed rather than validated. Its value lies in converting a poorly specified call for “more clinical exposure” into a testable educational architecture. Prospective multi-institutional studies are required to determine whether the framework improves observed competence, patient safety, transition readiness and equitable partnership without marginalising local knowledge or overextending fragile clinical services.

Mental Health in Later Life: Clinical Challenges, Social Determinants, and Multilevel Responses in an Ageing World, with Evidence from India

2026-08-29T13:01:59+00:00

Population ageing is changing the epidemiology, clinical presentation and service requirements of mental disorders. Later-life mental health cannot be understood solely as a set of psychiatric diagnoses because depressive and anxiety disorders, neurocognitive disorders, sleep disturbance, grief, substance-related problems and suicidal behaviour interact with multimorbidity, disability, sensory loss, polypharmacy and social adversity. This critical narrative review integrates international evidence with a specific examination of India, where demographic ageing is accelerating while family structures, labour migration, social protection and health-service capacity are changing. Literature published from 2000 to 26 June 2026 was prioritised, with earlier seminal and methodological sources retained where necessary. Evidence was identified through PubMed, Europe PMC, Google Scholar, DOAJ, Semantic Scholar, WHO Global Index Medicus/IMSEAR-oriented searches, Crossref verification, citation chaining and authoritative institutional sources. The evidence indicates that later-life mental health outcomes are socially patterned: poverty, widowhood, living alone, loneliness, elder abuse, functional limitation, sensory impairment, neighbourhood insecurity and ageism often cluster, while protective social participation and access to integrated care remain uneven. Indian analyses based largely on the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India provide nationally important associations but are predominantly cross-sectional, creating a recurrent gap between epidemiological description and causal inference. Clinically, under-recognition is reinforced by somatic presentation, cognitive overlap, stigma and fragmentation between geriatric, neurological, primary-care and psychiatric services. Effective responses therefore require multilevel action: age-sensitive primary care and collaborative mental-health pathways, attention to cognition and function, caregiver support, social-connection interventions, protection from abuse, income and housing security, accessible transport and digital inclusion. The central conclusion is that late-life mental health should be treated as a combined clinical, social and systems problem. India has a strong empirical platform for action, but longitudinal, intervention and implementation evidence must now catch up with the speed of demographic change.