scholarly journals Gansu Studio: "Plug-in" rural school unit for rural China

10.33177/6.2 ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 13-44
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Education ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Sustainable Engineering ◽  
Complementary Approach

Gansú ‘Plug-in’ Studio was a community outreach project based in China developed over a course of 2 years (2014-2016). It proposed a complementary approach of education to improve quality of learning in primary schools in rural areas. The premise for the work was to engage higher education institutions such as UNNC and primary education institutions, such as HEPAN, by exchange of resources, (e.g. physical or human - staff and students as well as contexts as real opportunities for learning). It worked using design as a tool for development and environmental awareness. It worked in partnership with industry and government institutions and it involved over 120 students and 15 staff from 5 different areas (Architecture, Product Design, Environmental Engineering, Film Studies and English/Education). Through interactive workshops with academics and industry practitioners, UNNC students were guided to realise their ideas through innovative design and sustainable engineering solutions, also developed their communication and team working skills for real to help rural education and community development. Meanwhile, pupils and teachers in rural areas could develop sufficiently as their urban counterparts through this connected learning hub. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the processes and outcomes of Gansu Studio. The Plug-in Gansu Unit was designed to be the first net positive energy rural school building in China producing an estimated 18304 kWh/year of renewable energy to the school and reverting back to the county grid an annual extra clean energy 2304kWh/annum upon completion. An estimated 22 tons of water per year would be also saved.

scholarly journals From Teachers’ Views to Explore the Implementation of Energy Education in Taiwan’s Elementary Schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 115
Author(s):  
Mei-Ching Chen ◽  
Chin-Cheng Chou ◽  
Chao-Ti Hsiung
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Learning Performance ◽  
Positive Energy ◽  
Energy Awareness ◽  
Energy Education ◽  
Energy Behavior ◽  
Significant Difference

<p>This study intended to explore the implementation of promoting “energy education” in Taiwan’s elementary schools. The research adopted a questionnaire (Likert five-point scale) from teachers’ view in three dimensions to construct examination. The 45 participants come from 10 different primary schools distributed across Taiwan, which participate in <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">e</span>nergy education program in the second period (2015-2017). The data was analyzed by ANOVA, mean and standard deviations of the viewpoints of the participants in the energy education learning achievement of the primary schools. The first findings in this research is, the program of energy education was most effective in “energy attitude” (M=4.282, SD=0.814), followed by “energy awareness” (M=4.049, SD=0.720) and “energy behavior” (M=3.983, SD=0.875). It shows that students have positive energy attitude, but they were relatively weak at energy saving behavior. Secondly, there is statistically significant difference in overall students learning performance with urban areas are higher than rural areas. Finally, it is suggested that in addition to strengthen energy attitudes and energy awareness, we should encourage students to take action in save energy in their daily life. Furthermore, we should invest more resources to rural areas to balance the students’ performances between urban and rural areas.</p>

scholarly journals Review of Heating Methods for Rural Houses in China

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guozhong Zheng ◽  
Wentao Bu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Social Economy ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Perceived Difficulty ◽  
The Social ◽  
Indoor Comfort ◽  
Selection Of

With the continuous development of the social economy, residents living in rural China pay more attention to the heating quality and require a comfortable and healthy indoor thermal environment in winter. The existing traditional heating methods cannot meet the high-quality heating demands. Although the new heating methods based on clean energy can satisfy the needs of residents in terms of energy saving, environmental protection and thermal comfort, they have not been widely used due to their high initial investment, the misunderstanding of principal functions and the perceived difficulty of application. This study firstly summarizes various available heating methods for rural areas from aspects of technical characteristics, environmental friendliness, indoor comfort, and economy. Then it gives advice for government and relevant institutions to increase publicity for new heating methods. It aims to provide a theoretical basis and feasible suggestions for the selection of heating methods for rural residents in China. It also aims to provide theoretical policy making references for the transformation of the original rural heating methods.

scholarly journals Design and Modeling of a Standalone DC-Microgrid for Off-Grid Schools in Rural Areas of Developing Countries

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 6379
Author(s):  
Yohannes Biru Aemro ◽  
Pedro Moura ◽  
Aníbal T. de Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Rural School ◽  
Large Contribution ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Development Education ◽  
Potential Cost ◽  
Dc Microgrid ◽  
Teaching Resources

Energy access is critical for health, education and social welfare improvements. In countries like Ethiopia, with a low electrification rate and with the majority of the population located in rural areas, about 76% of primary schools do not have access to electricity. This limits the hours of classes and does not allow the use of basic or modern teaching resources. Off-grid solutions have emerged as potential cost-effective alternatives to electrify rural areas and schools, but the availability of off-grid appliances and the size of the system can lead to different solutions. Therefore, this study proposes a DC microgrid system to supply the electricity demand of a rural school located in Ethiopia, considering load estimation scenarios with standard and high-efficiency appliances. The simulation results show that the designed DC microgrid is a valid option to electrify the rural school under each load and generation scenarios. The system costs were also evaluated, and the high-efficiency appliances option has a 51% lower cost. The study also applies to other sub-Saharan countries in the region with very low energy access rates and abundant solar energy, thus giving a large contribution to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Education Goal 4 (SDG 4).

scholarly journals Bullying Victims in Rural Primary Schools: Prevalence, Correlates, and Consequences

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 765
Author(s):  
Huan Wang ◽  
Jingjing Tang ◽  
Sarah-Eve Dill ◽  
Jiusi Xiao ◽  
Matthew Boswell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
School Bullying ◽  
Bullying Victimization ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Reading And Math ◽  
Using Data

School bullying is a widely recognized problem in developed countries, but remains under-investigated in developing countries, especially in remote rural areas. In this paper, we examine the prevalence, correlates, and consequences of bullying victimization and its relation to educational performance and creative attitudes. Using data from 10,528 students across 120 primary schools in rural China, we find an alarmingly high prevalence of bullying victimization and that several individual, family, and school characteristics are correlated with bullying victimization. Analyses indicate students who are bullied frequently score lower in Chinese, reading, and math tests and creative attitudes. Taken together, the results demonstrate a need for further research and policy interventions to reduce bullying in schools.

scholarly journals Custom Practices of English Education at the Rural Primary Schools in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (11) ◽  
pp. 71-87
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ehsanul Islam Khan ◽  
Md. Abu Bakar Siddique ◽  
Mohammad Nazmul Haque Shikder Shiblu
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
English Education ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Assistant Teachers ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
Structured Questionnaire ◽  
Comprehensive Study

This comprehensive study dealt with the existing traditional practices of English education at rural primary schools in Bangladesh. The researchers collected data from twenty-five assistant teachers of thirteen primary schools located in the rural areas of four different districts of Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions. These English teaching participants also represent the key informants for related queries. The study used a semi-structured questionnaire with ten comprehensive and open-ended questions related to the existing teaching patterns with face-to-face interviews on the collected responses of the participants. All the data were interpreted in a qualitative approach. The study revealed the educational constrictions of the current ‘English as a Foreign Language (EFL)’ situation emphasizing the implementation of practical activities as a solution for the kids and suggested some development aspects from teachers’ perspectives. The research explored the flaws of current teaching strategies and materials used in primary EFL education and recommended some practical tactics to include in the curriculum for the development of primary EFL education in Bangladesh.

An Analysis of Restraints on Effective Demand for Loans in Rural China

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Wenjie Ma ◽  
Minxin He ◽  
Xinyu Zhong ◽  
Shengsong Huang
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Effective Demand ◽  
Second Child ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
First Choice

China’s overall economic growth is, to a great extent, hindered by the lack of economic growth in rural areas. Based on data from the Thousand-Village Survey (2015) of 31 provinces conducted by Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, we conduct this empirical study to analyze the current state of rural financial services and the factors influencing effective demand for loans in rural China. Looking at the demand side, in 2014, only 13.91% farmers had loans, and only 15.53% of them made financial institutions their first choice when they needed loans. Clearly, there is still much to do with regard to inclusive finance. From the perspective of the supply side, only 43.86% of dispersed loans can be categorized as productive loans, further reflecting that the financial services industry does not provide strong support for rural economic growth. Further study shows that the main factors influencing effective demand for productive loans are the population age structure and the rate at which migrant workers return home. Therefore, the "Second-Child" policy and policies that encourage migrant workers to go back home to start businesses are of vital importance in order to raise effective financial demand in rural China.

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) for Inclusive Human Development: A Review

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
pp. 130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Kumar Gulati ◽  
Manveen Kaur
Keyword(s):  
Human Development ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Information And Communications Technologies ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Work Family

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) adoption is increasing globally for human development because of its potential affect in many aspects of economic and societal activities such as GDP growth, employment, productivity, poverty alleviation, quality of life, education, clean water and sanitation, clean energy, and healthcare. Adoption of new technologies has been the main challenge in rural areas and is the main reason for the growing gap between rural and urban economy. The work related ICT use have also yielded mixed results; some studies show the individual’s perceived work-family conflict, negative cognitive responses e.g. techno stress while others show increased productivity, improved job satisfaction and work-family balance due to flexible work timings. This paper attempts to understand the role of ICT in human development areas of health, education and citizen empowerment taking into consideration of digital divide which exists in geographic area and within the communities through literature review.

scholarly journals Does Social Support Affect the Health of the Elderly in Rural China? A Meta-Analysis Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (18) ◽  
pp. 3471 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natuya Zhuori ◽  
Yu Cai ◽  
Yan Yan ◽  
Yu Cui ◽  
Minjuan Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Meta Regression ◽  
The Impact

As the trend of aging in rural China has intensified, research on the factors affecting the health of the elderly in rural areas has become a hot issue. However, the conclusions of existing studies are inconsistent and even contradictory, making it difficult to form constructive policies with practical value. To explore the reasons for the inconsistent conclusions drawn by relevant research, in this paper we constructed a meta-regression database based on 65 pieces of relevant literature published in the past 25 years. For more valid samples to reduce publication bias, we also set the statistical significance of social support to the health of the elderly in rural areas as a dependent variable. Finally, combined with multi-dimensional social support and its implications for the health of the elderly, meta-regression analysis was carried out on the results of 171 empirical studies. The results show that (1) subjective support rather than objective support can have a significant impact on the health of the elderly in rural areas, and there is no significant difference between other dimensions of social support and objective support; (2) the health status of the elderly in rural areas in samples involving western regions is more sensitive to social support than that in samples not involving the western regions; (3) among the elderly in rural areas, social support for the older male elderly is more likely to improve their health than that for the younger female elderly; and (4) besides this, both data sources and econometric models greatly affect the heterogeneity of the effect of social support on the health of the elderly in rural areas, but neither the published year nor the journal is significant. Finally, relevant policies and follow-up studies on the impact of social support on the health of the elderly in rural areas are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of Production of Woody Pellets in the Southeastern United States on the Sustainable Development Goals

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 821
Author(s):  
Keith L. Kline ◽  
Virginia H. Dale ◽  
Erin Rose ◽  
Bruce Tonn
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Southeastern United States ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Responsible Consumption ◽  
Development Goals

Wood-based pellets are produced in the southeastern United States (SE US) and shipped to Europe for the generation of heat and power. Effects of pellet production on selected Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) are evaluated using industry information, available energy consumption data, and published research findings. Challenges associated with identifying relevant SDG goals and targets for this particular bioenergy supply chain and potential deleterious impacts are also discussed. We find that production of woody pellets in the SE US and shipments to displace coal for energy in Europe generate positive effects on affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and life on land (SDG 15). Primary strengths of the pellet supply chain in the SE US are the provisioning of employment in depressed rural areas and the displacement of fossil fuels. Weaknesses are associated with potential impacts on air, water, and biodiversity that arise if the resource base and harvest activities are improperly managed. The SE US pellet supply chain provides an opportunity for transition to low-carbon industries and innovations while incentivizing better resource management.

scholarly journals Association of Child Mental Health with Child and Family Characteristics in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5107
Author(s):  
Huan Wang ◽  
Cody Abbey ◽  
Xinshu She ◽  
Scott Rozelle ◽  
Xiaochen Ma
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Child Mental Health ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Family Characteristics ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional

Assessing the mental health problems encountered by school children and understanding the contributing factors are crucial to inform strategies aimed at improving mental health in low-resource contexts. However, few studies have investigated the mental health problems among disadvantaged children in poorer countries. This study examines the prevalence of mental health problems in rural China and their association with child and family characteristics. The study uses survey data from 9696 children in 120 rural primary schools and measures child mental health using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Overall, 17.9% of the sample children were found to be in the abnormal range of the SDQ total difficulties scores. The mean score was 12.93 (SD = 4.94). Abnormal scores were associated with child and family characteristics, including older child age (Odds Ratio, OR = 0.704, 95% CI: 0.611, 0.810; p < 0.001), gender (OR = 1.235, 95% CI: 1.112, 1.371; p < 0.001), and academic performance (OR = 0.421, 95% CI: 0.369, 0.480; p < 0.001). Reading time was found to be protective for mental health. Risk factors include excessive screen time (OR = 1.685, 95% CI: 1.409, 2.016; p < 0.001) and being bullied (OR = 3.695, 95% CI: 3.301, 4.136; p < 0.001). Our study suggests that future mental health illness prevention programs in rural China should consider targeting different aspects of children’s social contexts.

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