20 Articles
Charles Nyaranga, Quinter Migunde, Wycliffe Odiuor
Career aspirations play a critical role in shaping students’ educational and professional trajectories. However, many university students graduate without clearly defined career aspirations due to inadequate career guidance and mentorship opportunities. This study sought to establish career aspirations of student mentees and determine the influence of gender in career aspirations among student mentees in public universities in Kenya. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods research design. Ten public universities were purposively selected from the 33 accredited public universities in Kenya, representing 32% of the target population. A sample of 309 student mentees was selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a Career Aspirations Questionnaire. Prior to hypothesis testing, tests of normality and homogeneity of variance revealed that the data violated the assumptions required for parametric analysis. Consequently, the Mann–Whitney U test was employed to examine gender differences in career aspirations. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in career aspirations between male and female student mentees, with male students reporting higher career aspiration scores than their female counterparts (U = 9163.00, Z = -3.20, p = .001, η² = .03). Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages, while inferential statistics were used to test the study hypothesis. The study concludes that gender significantly influences the career aspirations of student mentees in public universities in Kenya. The findings underscore the need for universities to implement gender-responsive mentorship and career development programmes aimed at fostering equitable career aspirations among students.
Melinda Yunos, Nor Aminin Khalid., Roslizawati Ahmad., Zatil Aqmar Zainudin
This conceptual paper examines the determinants of promotional effectiveness for national language publications published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), Malaysia’s principal institution responsible for the preservation, development, and promotion of the Malay language. The study explores how promotional effectiveness is influenced by the integration of promotional mix strategies, customer engagement, digital transformation, and language policy within the context of state-supported cultural publishing. Drawing upon major theoretical perspectives, including the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), Hierarchy of Effects Model, and Customer Engagement Theory, the paper proposes a conceptual framework linking promotional mix elements to promotional effectiveness through the mediating role of customer engagement. The study highlights the challenges faced by DBP in adapting traditional publishing and promotional practices to contemporary digital environments characterized by social media, e-commerce platforms, and algorithm-driven consumer behavior. In addition, the paper synthesizes recent empirical literature related to promotional effectiveness, digital marketing, customer engagement, and consumer behavioral outcomes between 2018 and 2025. A positivist research paradigm with a quantitative methodological approach is proposed, utilizing survey questionnaires among primary school students and civil servants in Malaysia. The findings are expected to contribute theoretically by integrating language policy, publishing transformation, and digital marketing perspectives into a multidimensional promotional effectiveness framework. Practically, the study is anticipated to provide strategic insights for optimizing DBP’s promotional strategies while preserving linguistic and cultural integrity in both domestic and international markets.
Anis Marjan Azmimurad, Nurhayati Kamarudin, Wirda Syaheera Mohd Sulaiman
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping educational practices by providing innovative approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment. Within Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), AI-driven technologies have gained increasing attention due to their potential to support sustainable learning and enhance students’ academic and professional competencies. Among these competencies, English language proficiency remains essential for TVET graduates as industries become more globalized, digitalized, and communication-oriented. Despite its importance, many students continue to struggle with grammatical accuracy, particularly with prepositions, which affects the clarity and effectiveness of written and spoken communication. Recent developments in AI-powered language learning applications, including intelligent tutoring systems, natural language processing (NLP), and automated grammar correction tools, offer opportunities to address these challenges. By providing immediate feedback, personalized guidance, and adaptive learning experiences, these technologies can help students identify and correct language errors more effectively than conventional learning approaches.This study examines the factors influencing the effectiveness of AI-assisted prepositional error correction in improving English language proficiency among TVET students. Specifically, the study investigates the roles of personalized feedback, real-time error detection, adaptive learning capability, learning engagement, and perceived usefulness in shaping language learning outcomes. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to TVET students enrolled in English-related courses at selected institutions in Malaysia. A total of 350 valid responses were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4.0. The analysis included measurement model assessment and structural model evaluation, covering reliability testing, convergent validity, discriminant validity, path coefficient analysis, bootstrapping procedures, and Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA). The findings reveal that personalized feedback is the strongest predictor of English language proficiency enhancement, followed by real-time error detection. Adaptive learning capability, learning engagement, and perceived usefulness also demonstrate significant positive relationships with students’ language development. The results suggest that AI-assisted learning environments can improve grammatical accuracy through timely corrective feedback, individualized learning support, and flexible learning pathways. The IPMA findings further indicate that personalized feedback should remain a priority for educators and educational technology developers seeking to maximize the effectiveness of AI-supported language learning systems.In conclusion, AI-assisted prepositional error correction represents a valuable educational innovation that can strengthen English language proficiency within sustainable TVET education while supporting lifelong learning and workforce readiness among future TVET graduates.
Charity L. Bermudo, Daniella A. De Guzman., Dante M. Balansag Jr., Domenic D. Venlasa., Regidor T. Carale EdD, PhD-CDDS, Xieney V. Soco
Artificial intelligence (AI)–generated tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Copilot have become increasingly integrated into higher education, transforming how students accomplish academic tasks. While these technologies provide convenience and efficiency, concerns remain regarding their influence on the development of essential 21st-century skills, particularly creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration. This study examined the relationship between students’ reliance on AI-generated tools and the development of these 21st-century skills among undergraduate students at Negros Oriental State University. Using a quantitative descriptive–correlational research design, data were gathered from 35 pre-service teachers through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Pearson Product–Moment Correlation, t-test, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to analyze the data. Findings revealed that respondents demonstrated a high level of reliance on AI-generated tools for academic purposes, particularly in brainstorming ideas, verifying information, and completing academic tasks. Students also generally agreed that AI positively contributed to their creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. However, moderate indicators suggested that students were not entirely dependent on AI technologies and still maintained independent learning practices. The study concludes that AI-generated tools can serve as valuable academic support systems when used responsibly and critically. Educational institutions are encouraged to establish guidelines promoting ethical AI use while strengthening independent thinking and higher-order cognitive skills.
Jullien A. Abanes
The new normal in education gave rise to redefining the schools’ way of teaching and assessing students. It brought into the fore an alternative to more traditional educational approaches, competency-based learning, which made it the new normal in education. It is for this reason that ready to play lessons, anchored on the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELCs), have been developed and utilized in order to target the multiples ways in which the learners learn best as well as to improve the learners performance in English among the Grade 5 learners at Pangapisan Elementary School during the school year 2021- 2022. Utilizing the results of the pretest and posttest in English, results of the study showed how the Grade 5 learners of PES benefited from the use of ready to play lessons in English as evidenced by their improved levels of performance in the said tests. Moreover, the results of the study reveal that there was significant difference in the levels of performance of the Grade 5 learners after they were taught in English using ready to play lessons. Thus, teachers are recommended to scaffold the instruction in English with the use of tools that are competency-based and target the best ways in which the students learn best.
Jan Horas Veryady Purba
Economic growth in emerging markets is often shaped by the interplay between fiscal and monetary policies, yet the relative contributions of each remain debated. This study addresses the problem of identifying which policy instruments most significantly explain fluctuations in Indonesia’s GDP growth. The objective is to evaluate the dynamic effects of fiscal and monetary shocks and to quantify their structural importance over different horizons. Using a Vector Autoregression (VAR) framework, the research employs impulse response functions (IRF) and variance decomposition (VD) to capture both short run dynamics and long run contributions. The dataset includes key fiscal variables—government expenditure and household consumption—and monetary indicators such as policy interest rate (BI7DRR), exchange rate, and inflation. The findings reveal that in the short run, GDP growth is largely self driven, while monetary shocks exert limited influence. Over longer horizons, government expenditure emerges as the dominant driver, explaining nearly 40% of GDP variance, whereas monetary variables remain marginal contributors. Household consumption plays a stabilizing role but does not structurally dominate GDP variance. These results highlight the asymmetry between fiscal and monetary policy: fiscal expansion provides sustained growth momentum, while monetary stability ensures that such expansion remains viable. The study contributes to the literature by offering empirical evidence that coordinated fiscal and monetary strategies are essential for sustainable economic development.
Miriam Gathoni Mwangi
Parents can have an impact on their children's emotional health through established patterns of parental control known as parenting styles. Parents' actions shape their children's personalities in this emotional environment, which in turn affects how well they succeed academically in school. The study's overall goal was to determine the impact of parenting styles on emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected Universities in Nairobi, Kenya. The specific objectives were; to identify the parenting styles among parents of undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, to determine the level of emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, to establish the relationship between parenting styles and emotional well-being among undergraduate students in selected universities in Kenya, and to determine the intervention. The Attachment Theory and Baumrind's Pillar Theory served as guides for the investigation. This study employed a correlation research design. The target population was 100,060 undergraduate students of three selected public universities in Nairobi County. These are: University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The sample size was 156 respondents. The Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) was used to gather main data on parenting styles, while the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale was used to obtain data on emotional wellbeing. SPSS version 29 was used to analyze the quantitative data and determine the mean, standard deviation, and percentages of the dataset. The results were presented as tables, frequencies, and percentages. Regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between parenting styles and emotional wellbeing. Results showed that authoritative parenting was the most dominant parenting style (M=4.21), followed by permissive parenting style (M=4.16), while authoritarian parenting (M=1.91) and neglectful parenting (M=1.89) were the least practiced. Majority (77%) of respondents reported high levels of mental wellbeing, while 23% fell within the moderate mental wellbeing range. The overall regression model was statistically significant, F (4, 129) = 2.919, p = .024. Neglectful parenting style emerged as a statistically significant predictor of emotional wellbeing (=-1.616, t = -2.743, p <.05). Only neglectful parenting style adversely affected the mental wellbeing of the students, while the other parental styles had no significant effect. Interventions to enhance the emotional wellbeing of university students should focus on promoting sustained parental engagement characterized by warmth, guidance, and emotional availability, even as students transition into adulthood. Programs that encourage parents to maintain supportive communication without being intrusive can help reinforce students' sense of security and self-worth. Family therapists working with university students should integrate parenting style assessments into their sessions, especially for clients struggling with emotional issues. From a policy perspective, education stakeholders should implement structured mental health initiatives at the university level that recognize the shifting parental roles in young adulthood. Another study should be conducted among students of private universities in order to confirm or refute the findings.
Jubril Abdulahi Salaudeen Ph.D
This study has investigated the deployment of takaful for farmers in flood- and drought-prone regions in Nigeria. The study used a quantitative research design with cross-sectional survey data from smallholder farmers in some climate-prone zones. The results of agricultural losses were modelled as a dependent variable, with participation in Takaful and farm and farmer characteristics as independent variables, using descriptive statistics, tests of means, and multiple regression. It was found that farmers with Takaful schemes experienced a much lower proportion of crop loss than those who were not insured. Regression estimates revealed that Takaful insurance minimised the severity of agricultural losses, holding constant farm size, farming experience, access to extension services, and the region’s climatic exposure. The results provided empirical evidence that Takaful insurance increased farmers’ ability to absorb climate shocks and stabilise their outcomes after disasters. The research found that Takaful insurance is a suitable risk management instrument for agricultural flood and drought losses in Nigeria. The policy initiatives to enhance climate resilience should thus incorporate agricultural Takaful within the broader adaptive and rural finance policies.
Alina Shamsuddin, Nurhayati Kamarudin, Wirda Syaheera Mohd Sulaiman
The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology has emerged as a transformative approach to enhancing sustainability, efficiency, and value creation across agricultural supply chains. Growing global food demand, increasing environmental concerns, climate variability, and resource constraints have intensified the need for innovative technologies that can support sustainable agricultural practices from production to distribution. IoT technologies, including sensors, RFID systems, wireless communication networks, and real-time monitoring platforms, enable seamless data collection, analysis, and information sharing throughout the agricultural supply chain. These capabilities contribute to improved traceability, operational efficiency, resource optimization, and decision-making, ultimately creating value from seed to shelf. This study investigates the critical success factors influencing IoT integration in sustainable agricultural supply chains and examines their contribution to end-to-end value creation. Specifically, the research aims to identify the key factors that facilitate successful IoT implementation and evaluate the relationships between these factors and IoT integration outcomes. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a structured questionnaire distributed to stakeholders involved in agricultural supply chain activities. Data were collected from 196 randomly selected respondents and analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software. Descriptive analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were employed to assess the significance and impact of the identified success factors. The findings reveal that operational efficiency is the most influential factor supporting successful IoT integration within sustainable agricultural supply chains. Furthermore, product maximization and accurate data analytics demonstrate significant positive relationships with IoT integration and end-to-end value creation. In contrast, cost reduction and waste minimization were found to have limited direct influence on IoT integration outcomes. The study highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making, supply chain visibility, and operational effectiveness in maximizing the benefits of IoT technologies across agricultural supply networks. In conclusion, IoT integration plays a pivotal role in fostering sustainable agricultural supply chains by enhancing productivity, traceability, and value creation throughout the entire supply chain. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, agricultural practitioners, supply chain managers, and researchers seeking to leverage IoT technologies to achieve sustainable agricultural development and improve food security in an increasingly complex global environment.
Ahmad Faris Naqiyuddin Mohd Ghazi, Harliana Halim, Nazreena Mohammed Yasin, Norhaslinda Jamaluddin, Nur Afieqah Mamud
The global halal industry has expanded from food into pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, tourism, finance and logistics, creating significant opportunities for inclusive development and regional cooperation. Yet its growth remains constrained by institutional fragmentation and perception-based barriers that affect certification credibility, cross-border market access and consumer trust. Responding to reviewer concerns on methodological clarity, uneven geographic coverage and insufficient evidence in the earlier manuscript, this revised qualitative study repositions the paper as a documentary and contemporary historical analysis with comparative case logic. Malaysia and Indonesia are treated as core Muslim-majority regulatory contexts, while Brunei, Thailand and Singapore are used as ASEAN comparators and Australia, France and South Korea as illustrative Muslim-minority or external market contexts. The study differentiates Islamophobia into three analytical forms: state-level legislative restrictions in non-Muslim-majority settings, corporate or market-level bias in global trade, and intra-Muslim or post-colonial identity contestation in Muslim-majority settings. Thematic analysis of secondary sources generated five themes: certification and supply-chain fragmentation, regulatory inconsistency, limited mutual recognition, differentiated Islamophobia and trust deficits, and constrained inclusive development. The findings show that institutional weaknesses and negative perceptions operate in a mutually reinforcing cycle. Weak harmonization increases cost and uncertainty, while Islamophobic narratives or identity-based resistance can delegitimize halal certification and reduce political will for reform. The article proposes a concrete ASEAN-OIC halal interoperability roadmap based on equivalence mapping, risk-based mutual recognition, joint accreditation, digital traceability and culturally competent public communication. It concludes that the halal industry should not be framed only as a religious or commercial sector, but as a strategic space where standards, trust and cooperation must be aligned to support equitable regional growth.
Alberta M. Quilab, Haydee D. Villanueva
School heads take the responsibility of ensuring that schools remain proactive amid disruptive events, to ensure the welfare of the academic community and the continuity of instruction. This study explored the school heads’ experiences in navigating disruptive events. It was conducted in the Division of Oroquieta City, during School Year 2025-2026. The phenomenological research design was used in the study, with twelve school heads as participants selected through purposive sampling. An Interview Guide was used in gathering the data that were analyzed using van Manen’s method of data analysis. The study yielded the following themes: experiencing school spaces as sites of vulnerability, safety, and adaptive transformation during disruptions; embodying leadership through physical exhaustion, emotional strain, and emerging resilience; reconstructing leadership through reflection and preparedness; strengthening collaborative relationships and shared responsibility in times of crisis, and; utilizing technology and resources as essential tools for continuity and crisis response. School heads face varied, challenging experiences when confronted with crisis in the school setting; however, they prove themselves capable of responding proactively with the support received from those inside and outside the school communities. It is recommended for academic authorities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness program so that school heads and other stakeholders can demonstrate resilience when faced with crisis situations.
Enongene Rex Nkumbe
Political parties play a significant and indispensable role in democratic systems by facilitating political competition, representation, and governance. However, the mechanisms that sustain their activities, particularly election campaign financing, remain insufficiently scrutinized in many developing democracies. This study examines election campaign financing in Cameroon, with a specific focus on the 2018 Presidential election, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the existing legal and institutional framework and assessing its implications for transparency and accountability. The study adopts a mixed research approach, employing questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussions as primary data collection tools. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 and Microsoft Excel, and the results were presented using tables, graphs, and percentages. The analysis evaluates the effectiveness of the legal framework governing campaign financing, focusing on its ability to regulate funding sources and ensure fair electoral competition. Findings reveal that election campaign financing in Cameroon is derived from multiple sources, including private donations, public subsidies, and, in some cases, potentially illicit financial flows. Despite the existence of legal provisions requiring disclosure, the study identifies significant challenges, particularly weak enforcement mechanisms and limited transparency. These weaknesses create opportunities for corruption, distort electoral competitiveness, and contribute to an uneven political playing field that disproportionately favors incumbents and financially dominant parties. The study concludes that the current campaign finance regulatory framework is inadequate to ensure accountability and democratic integrity. It recommends strengthening transparency measures, enhancing enforcement mechanisms, and establishing independent oversight systems to improve the credibility of elections and promote sustainable democratic development in Cameroon.
Dr. Wing Cheung TANG
The dense urban fabric of Hong Kong, with narrow streets, high-rise buildings and concentration of food and beverage establishments at street level, creates a unique microenvironment in which pedestrians are frequently exposed to oily vapour emissions from restaurant exhaust systems. This article systematically analyses the sources, dispersion mechanisms, health implications and regulatory landscape of exposure to oily vapour from restaurants in Hong Kong. Existing literature and government data suggest poor exhaust filtration, incorrectly located outlets (often at pedestrian breathing height) and the use of wok cooking (which produces high levels of aerosolised oil particles) as key factors in creating localised air pollution hotspots. Health effects include respiratory irritation, potential carcinogenic risk from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) associated with cooking fumes, and decreased quality of life for pedestrians and nearby residents. The article acknowledges major gaps in the research: no Hong Epidemiological study on long-term health effects of exposure to oily vapour at the pavement level in Hong Kong Real-time monitoring data at the pedestrian breathing height is insufficient No standardised metrics for enforcement of 'nuisance' under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance Limited evaluation of existing mitigation technologies (electrostatic precipitators, wet scrubbers, activated carbon filters) in the local context We have done a regulatory analysis and found that the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) regulates chimney emissions but ground-level exhaust from ground floor restaurants is often in a regulatory grey area. The article ends with a research agenda that includes personal exposure monitoring, cost-benefit analysis of retrofit requirements, and urban planning interventions such as relocating exhaust outlets and improving street canyon ventilation.
Billy Joe M. Nicolas
This quantitative study investigated the predictive relationship between transformational leadership practices and curriculum fidelity among all public secondary school heads and teachers within the Guimba District, Nueva Ecija. Methodology: Employing a descriptive-correlational research design, data were collected from a sample of 9 school heads and 90 teachers. Transformational leadership was evaluated across four dimensions (Idealized Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individualized Consideration), while curriculum fidelity was measured through five components (Adherence, Exposure, Quality of Delivery, Participant Responsiveness, and Program Differentiation). Data were analyzed using ANOVA and stepwise multiple regression analysis. Key Findings: Descriptive results revealed that Idealized Influence achieved the highest mean score among leadership dimensions, indicating that school heads are widely perceived as trusted role models. Within curriculum fidelity, Adherence ranked highest, reflecting a strong organizational emphasis on aligning school operations with national standards. While demographic variations in curriculum fidelity were initially observed based on civil status and experience, ANOVA confirmed that the most significant difference emerged when respondents were categorized by their organizational position (p = 0.001). Regression Results and Conclusion: The overall regression model was statistically robust, explaining 80.4% of the variance in curriculum fidelity (R2 = 0.804, p = 0.032). At a 95% confidence level, stepwise multiple regression identified Individualized Consideration as the singular, statistically significant predictor of curriculum fidelity (β = 0.895, p = 0.009). These findings demonstrate that personalized support, coaching, and mentoring provided by school heads are the most critical drivers of faithful curriculum implementation. Consequently, targeted professional development focusing on individualized consideration is highly recommended to sustain high-quality curriculum execution across the district's public secondary schools.
Dr. Raul C. Orongan, Marissa M. Abuel
This study examined the relationship between professional learning community (PLC) practices and organizational culture in relation to teacher attrition in Catholic schools. A total of 287 teachers from Bukidnon participated during the school year 2025–2026 through a structured survey questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. Results indicated that Catholic school teachers reported high levels of PLC practices, as reflected in the overall mean, and demonstrated a strong organizational culture characterized by a mission-oriented environment that fosters teamwork and institutional effectiveness. Despite the presence of a supportive and spiritually grounded culture, teachers exhibited moderate to high levels of attrition, influenced by factors such as working conditions, salary, opportunities for professional growth, and job satisfaction. Correlation analysis confirmed a significant relationship between PLC practices and organizational culture with attrition. Regression analysis further revealed that shared personal practices within PLCs and coordinated teamwork within organizational culture were significant predictors of teacher attrition, highlighting their critical role in shaping teachers’ decisions to remain in or leave their institutions. The study concludes that strengthening PLC practices and cultivating a supportive, collaborative organizational culture are essential strategies for enhancing teacher retention and reducing attrition in Catholic schools.
Dr. Lolito G. Estrera, Mary Angelie L. Grecia
Low teacher job satisfaction in inclusive classrooms is alarming. Forecasting teacher job satisfaction in inclusive classrooms using collective efficacy and leadership support as predictors was determined. A predictive research design, universal sampling, survey, and multiple linear regression were used as methods. Data obtained from 220 secondary public-school teachers revealed that the predictive model was strong and significant, fully affirmed the Motivation–Hygiene Theory. Other researchers may explore additional variables and employ qualitative approaches to better explain the 36.1% remaining variance in the predictive model, while educational leaders may initiate targeted leadership development and inclusive education training to optimize teacher job satisfaction in inclusive classroom settings.
Maria Lady Sol A. Suazo, Nadien B. Dingal
This focused manuscript extract presents the results aligned with three selected statements of the problem from the study on technology integration in English language teaching: current classroom practices, perceived effectiveness, and the significant relationship between technology practices and perceived effectiveness. Findings showed that technology use in English language classrooms was generally highly practiced, with teachers’ proficiency and students’ engagement emerging as strong indicators. Technology integration was also perceived as highly effective, especially in supporting teachers’ workload management, student motivation, and overall classroom outcomes. Correlation results further indicated a significant positive relationship between current technology practices and perceived effectiveness, particularly when technology was used frequently, purposefully, and in ways that promoted student engagement. These findings suggest that technology integration becomes more meaningful when digital tools are applied consistently, ethically, and instructionally in English language teaching.
Cui Tiankuo, Liu Quanjie, Ning Zhiyuan
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are common among basketball players and have a significant impact on athletic performance; consequently, the extent to which athletes can return to competitive level following reconstruction surgery has become a key focus of sports rehabilitation research. Basketball involves frequent jumping, rapid changes of direction and physical contact, placing high demands on lower limb strength and dynamic stability. The degree of functional recovery following surgery directly influences an athlete’s ability to participate in training and competition, and is closely linked to the risk of re-injury. Previous studies have shown that determining the timing of return to sport based solely on postoperative time does not accurately reflect actual functional status. Functional performance has gradually become the core basis for assessment, primarily encompassing muscle strength, jumping ability, dynamic balance, neuromuscular control and sport-specific performance, whilst also involving functional symmetry and subjective perceptions of recovery. These indicators influence one another and collectively determine athletic performance. Current evidence suggests that multidimensional functional assessments hold greater value than single-parameter measures, and sport-specific functional testing is increasingly being prioritised. However, issues such as discrepancies in assessment criteria and a lack of sport-specific tests persist in the research literature. The development of a comprehensive assessment system that integrates basic functional abilities with sport-specific skills will help enhance the safety and effectiveness of postoperative return to sport for basketball players.
Arabella Bueno Pamplona
This research aims to determine the impact of local tax policies on budget performance and public service provision in the municipalities of Nagcarlan and Rizal, Laguna, during the 2025 fiscal year. The fiscal federalism theory has been the basis and foundation of the study on public choice, budget incrementalism and aiming to assess how do tax rate structures, taxpayers' compliance and the collection efficiency influence revenue adequacy, budget utilization, and fiscal discipline. This study hypothesized that the budget utilization efficiency, revenue adequacy, and fiscal discipline have significant relationship to tax policy implementation and the quality of public services provided. A researcher made instrument was used to collect the data. It utilized a quantitative research design consists of 152 respondents comprising the local government officials, employees and taxpayers from Nagcarlan and Rizal Municipalities and a descriptive correlational research methodology to analyze the status of variables, and inferential statistics. The research findings show that both municipalities have moderately high local tax policies and budget performance with positive correlations observed between tax administration and public service outcomes. The LGU's tax policies effectively drive budget utilization and the delivery of essential services. It is also recommended for the LGUs to include adopting digital tax collection platforms and enhancing transparency and participatory budgeting to further optimize revenue generation and service delivery.
Anita Che Hassan, Nor Jaslina Nik Wil, Noraida Saidi., Suzana San, Syuhaila Razak
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in Malaysia’s economic development, nevertheless they face expanding challenges arising from globalization, technological interference, and increased competition. Traditional Management Accounting Practices (MAPs) are often inadequate to support timely and strategic decision-making in a rapidly developing business environment. In response, the integration of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud accounting, and data analytics has been proved as a potential enabler for enhancing the effectiveness of MAPs. However, previous studies tend to study digital transformation and accounting practices in separation, with inadequate attention given to their combined impact on SME performance. This conceptual paper aims to develop a comprehensive framework that links digital technologies, management accounting practices, and SME performance in the Malaysian context. The study suggests that digital technologies function as strategic resources that improve the design and implementation of MAPs, which in turn improve both financial and non-financial performance results. This is based on the Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory. Digital capabilities are translated into organizational performance through management accounting methods, which are further conceptualized as a mediating mechanism. By combining management accounting viewpoints with digital transformation, the suggested framework adds to the body of knowledge by providing a more comprehensive understanding of SME performance determinants. Practically speaking, the report offers advice on how SME owners, professionals, and legislators can use digital tools to improve accounting operations and promote long-term company expansion. To validate the recommended relationships, further empirical research is advised.