A Call to World Governments: Save Youth Generations from Obsoleted Education Systems!

My research is a result of accumulated provocation of obsolete and paralyzing education that has been frozen since the middle ages. We have to admit that before the pandemic, education was already in crisis. Governments have been ignoring to adopt any comprehensive plan to reform the educational systems till it has been unprecedently disrupted by COVID-19. I try through this paper to make a global call for governments to immediately start cooperating together for setting international qualifications framework that best suit future competencies. This call should be prioritized on the world agenda. It would be more plausible for governments, UNESCO and other education stakeholders to seize the opportunity of the 2020 disruption of life cycle for the maximum benefit of humanity. For this to happen we need exceptional leaders with extraordinary vision to transform education instead of ensuring children can keep learning and that every single child returns to school after the pandemic. Another challenge to be expected is the reduction in education budgets being under pressure as governments shift spending towards the health and economic response to the pandemic. The impact of schools closing on a generation of children will be immense on the long term. We must act now to save the education and life chances of generations of youth. At this time of unprecedented crisis, the world must come together to protect education and put it at the very heart of the global recovery effort. Recovery, not as before but as convenient and sustainable with the perspective requirements. It is time to expose youth to real life experiences; we need our children to learn about finance from characters like Jef Bezos or Bill Gates or Mukesh Ambani; to learn about psychology from John Anderson, Eliot Aronson and Ahmed Ukasha; to know approaches of math and physics as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak. We shouldn’t settle for less when it comes to building minds and souls of our children. With all due respect to teachers and university professors, they are not the only best option for qualifying and training our youth for tomorrow’s challenges. However, those entrepreneurs are not teachers or willing to be, education specialists and strategists are required to set the vision and the procedures required to pave the way for highly practical competencies framework. Analgesics are no longer feasible.

How Compassion and Justice Mediate the effect of Ethical Leadership on Interpersonal Citizenship Behavior (OCBI)

While many analysts have directed few investigations on the influence of ethical leadership on the behavior of citizenship, in different contexts, however, not much is known about the moral components make it possible to produce follow-up findings as Organizational Citizenship Behavior(OCBs) for leaders, especially, Interpersonal OCBs (OCBI). For this, we suggested a hypothetical structure, thereby adapting Zoghbi-Manrique-de-Lara and Viera-Armas (2019) model to include Organizational Justice. Therefore, we intend to study the association of Ethical Leadership with OCBI empirically while in the view of various determining factors of Workplace Compassion (i.e. empathic concern, common humanity, mindfulness, and kindness), and Organizational Justice (i.e. procedural justice, distributive justice, and interactional justice) as mediating variables. Empirical validity was recognized; by directing a review utilizing a standardized close-ended questionnaire. Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structured Equation Modeling (SEM), information was collected from 350 employees and investigated. Both direct and indirect effect was tested; by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS software. Thus, the results revealed that: except for Common Humanity, ethical leadership remained significantly and positively connected with all factors of Workplace Compassion (Empathic Concern, Mindfulness, and Kindness), as well as with all three-factor of Organizational Justice (Procedural Justice, Distributive Justice, and Interactional Justice. However, ethical leadership seems to hurt the Mindfulness factor. Also, among compassion determinants, only Empathic Concern seems to affect OCBI. Whereas only interactional justice has a significant positive association with OCBI; further, the findings revealed that there is an insignificant mediating effect of workplace compassion and organizational justice in the ethical leadership relationship with OCBI. Hence, the investigation has portrayed significant ramifications for the organizations.

Ethical Leadership and Deviant Workplace Behaviour: The Role Ethical Reasoning, LMX, Distributive Justice, and Psychological Safety and Attachment in a Moderated Mediation Framework

The article aims to analyse and explain the relationship between ethical leadership, organisational deviance. We proposed a theoretical framework arguing a mediatory role of situational factors including psychological safety, psychological attachment, distributive justice, and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX). We also argue that utilitarian based ethical reasoning make employees more responsive towards the ethical decision by the leadership making them less deviant. Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 254employees and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modelling. The measurement and structure model were assessed using AVE (average variance extracted), Composite Reliability (CR), Cronbach’s alpha, discriminant validity through the Fornell-Larcker Criterion, and Collinearity methods in PLS-SEM. The results suggested a significant and positive effect of ethical leadership on Leader-member-exchange, psychological attachment, distributive justice, and psychological safety. Moreover, apart from distributive justice, all other factors seem to decrease Organisational Deviance, however, their effect remained insignificant. Surprisingly, ethical leadership (EL) seems to be directly instigating Organisational Deviance (OD), as well as through the mediation of distributive justice. However, EL seems to significantly reduce deviance through including Utilitarianism ethical reasoning amongst its followers, as EL seems to positively affect utilitarianism, which in turn negatively affects deviance. Utilitarianism also seems to complement EL in reducing OD directly as the result showed significant and negative complementarities amongst EL and Utilitarianism in explaining OD. The results imply that EL and OD nexus is more affected by ethical reasoning rather than situational factors.

Is Ethicality Itself a Boundary Condition for Ethicality: The Complementary Role of Employees’ Exchange Ideology and Moral Awareness in Restricting the Effect of Ethical Leadership in Reducing Workplace Deviance

Ethical leadership (EL) seems to be effective in reducing workplace deviance, questions remain as to whether its benefits are consistent across all situations. Specifically, whether its effectiveness remained in an already ethical environment. In this investigation, we explore two important boundary conditions of ethical leadership that are themselves related to ethicality. We first explore how employees’ moral awareness (MA) may lessen the need for ethical leadership. Drawing on substitutes for leadership theory, we suggest that when individuals already possess a heightened level of moral awareness, ethical leadership’s role in reducing deviant actions may be reduced. We also contended that Employees’ Exchange Ideology - the strength of an employee’s belief that the work effort should depend on treatment by the organization- also reduces EL effectiveness. This norm of reciprocity may not be ethical, as the leader’s positive or negative efforts towards employees may divert them from doing what is morally right to reciprocate. However, not all individuals value reciprocity to the same degree, hence higher Employees’ Exchange Ideology (EEI) may be another boundary condition of EL effectiveness. We conceptualize this framework by modifying Gok et. al. (2017) model to add Employees’ Exchange Ideology as a moderating factor along with Moral Awareness. Workplace Deviance was measured by organizational directed deviance (OD) and supervisor directed deviance (SD). Empirical validity was established by conducting a survey using a close-ended questionnaire. Data was collected from 310 employees working in different organizations in Pakistan and was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation modeling. Results indicated a significant negative complementarity of EEI, in the effect of EL on both dimensions of workplace deviance. This suggested, higher EEI seems to limit the effect of EL on organizational and supervisor-directed deviance. However, the moderating effect of MA was not substantiated for Pakistan. EEI also seems to have a positive effect on both OD and SD, while, SD seems to have a positive effect on OD. Interestingly, EL seems to be causing rather than reducing both OD and SD in the Pakistani environment.

Exploring the Link between Corporate Reputation with Sustainability Leadership and Market Valuation: A Comparative Analysis of Award and Non-Award Companies in PSX

This literature investigated the impact of corporate reputation on companies’ performance and their market valuation in the Pakistan stock market. We attempted to explore whether companies with a high reputation for sustainability also perform better in the Pakistan stock market. Verifying signaling theory and asset-based theories on the Pakistani market, we explained why associations signal their promise to practicality to influence the outer point of view on reputation. A company's standing for being focused on supportability is a theoretical asset that can expand the estimation of an association's normal cash flows or potentially lessen the inconstancy of its cash flows. For finding out the companies with a reputation with sustainability, we used the PSX criteria of the award list. Data was taken from 2014 to 2018 (five years) from the award list announced by Pakistan stock exchange limited. We classify a company as an award company if it continuously got included in the PSX award list in a specified period of four out of five times. Similarly, a non-award company was classified as an accompanying with the same market capitalization as Award Company but not included in the list. In this way, 12 awards and 24 non-award companies were shortlisted. We also include 12 non-award companies of the same sector and market capitalization for sector analysis between reputation and non-reputation. Comparative analysis was carried out through 1-way ANOVA and factor affecting and market valuation of the two groups were explored using regression analysis. These factors included net income (NI), book value of equity (BV), Size, ROE, ROA, and Leverage (LEV) represented by debt ratio. According to expectation, our results of t-test suggested that the mean of all variables for award and non-award companies are significantly different and the mean of award companies are higher than their counter part. One way Anova consequences of sectorial examination demonstrated that concerning net gain, there is huge contrast between the methods for trustworthy organizations and non-respectable organizations in seven out of nine areas. Regression Analysis prove our equation that independent variable has significant impact on dependent variable. Our findings showed that the overall firms with incredible sustainability reputation and managed to name on award list of our sample year has greater valuation by the market when stood out from their counterparty (non-award companies). Hence, our results imply that organizations have to focus on their reputation for corporate sustainability which in turn improve their financial position and enhance their market valuation.

A Comparative Study of the Quality of Higher Education Provision in Public and Private Universities in Bangladesh

The evolution of a modern society largely depends on the essence of quality higher education. In a developing country, higher education has enormous potential to foster its development. Universities all over the world are changing actors of culture and remain the center of transformation and growth. Different Education Commissions have been formed in Bangladesh to explore the potentialities and create highly skilled human resources to contribute the national development (Topader, 2021). Due to the economic and globalization change emphasis on the quality education in education policy across the world. As a result, policymakers, academicians, and professionals in Bangladesh have expressed various issues regarding the quality of higher education. Over the last two decades, the standard of higher education in Bangladesh has steadily deteriorated (Rabbani & Chowdhury, 2014). In this regard, the government, ministry, and UGC have taken various initiatives to ensure quality higher education, especially at the tertiary level, to meet global demand. In this regard, this research aims to learn more about a particular scenario of higher education quality and investigate policy options for higher education in Bangladesh. In this connection, this study tried to determine the specific design of quality higher education and analyze the policy options for higher education in Bangladesh.

Teachers’ Attitude towards Using Songs in English Vocabulary Classes

This paper aims at identifying teachers’ attitude towards using songs in English vocabulary classes. The study is descriptive in nature. It uses a sample of closely related group members; formed of teachers of English from different Sudanese schools. That group is made up of 35 teachers. The data collection tool used is a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire for the teachers. The data from the questionnaire are treated statistically by using SPSS program. The weighted means for the individual items and for the whole aspects of the tool are calculated. The results are used to answer the study questions and to verify the hypotheses. The study comes out with some important results that include (1) Teachers strongly agree that songs make the teaching English vocabulary classes fun, so they have positive attitudes towards using them. (2) There are many difficulties that face teachers in using songs in English vocabulary classes. The paper offers five recommendations concerning the following: (a) songs have to have their due weight in classroom practice. They have to be used more frequently. (b) Teachers should be trained on how to avoid the pitfalls of songs and they should be trained on how to maximize their benefits. (c) School administrations should be made aware of the importance of songs and they should provide more opportunities for the teachers to use them. (d) Class tests and continuous assessment have to include songs. (e) Parents should be educated on the value of songs as effective techniques for learning English. Songs should be a constant feature in the Parents Day. The paper also suggests three areas for further research. These include (a) the ability of songs to develop listening and speaking skills. (b) The potentiality of songs to develop cultural awareness. (c) The potentiality of songs to match the characteristics of the new generations (Alpha Gen in particular).

The Need to Implement Modelling and Simulation as Part of the Curriculum in Basic Engineering Courses

In this paper a proposal for implementing modelling and simulation techniques into the curriculum of basic engineering courses is introduced. Justifications and case studies from some engineering courses are discussed. Examples from particle and rigid body motions in engineering mechanics course and other related courses are emphasized. In this proposal we introduce a method of simplification of basic concepts in applied engineering sciences. The concept of course project can be utilized to encourage students to apply their basic knowledge on modelling and simulation of some basic topics such as projectile and constrained motions. This proposal has the advantages of communicating concepts in science through the daily use of communication technology among students and instructors. Simulation can attract other students, who find difficulty understanding engineering problems, to the engineering profession. In addition, the new proposal can be applied with no additional cost on the institution, no extra credit hours for students, and a minimum additional load on the instructor.

Health Practices and Classroom Engagement of Minority Pupils in the Southern Philippines

When pupils are physically healthy, they engage actively in classroom activities and perform higher in their learning. This study aimed to determine the relationship between health practices and classroom engagement. This study employed a correlational research design. It involved all sixty-three (63) minority pupils in a public elementary school in Sarangani Province in the southern Philippines during the school year 2015-2016. Tailored and modified questionnaires were used to gather the needed data. The statistical tools employed in the analysis were frequency count, percentage rate, weighted mean, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. The results showed that pupils display health practices to a great extent. They also exhibit a high level of classroom engagement. The analysis further revealed that there is a moderately significant relationship between health practices and classroom engagement. Hence, this study provides evidence as regards the influence of the health practices on classroom engagement. It is recommended that more comprehensive researches should be conducted in different contexts, with larger samples, and exploring the influences of other relevant variables.

Designing a Pre-Service ELT Methods Course and Use of Case Method Analysis

This paper aims to show the design and implementation of an English Language Teaching (ELT) methods course based on five conditions. Four were related to research on ELT methods: There is no single best method; there are numerous methods that exist in the literature; the claim that ELT is in a post-method era, and teachers need to be better informed of learning theories to further understand teaching methods. The fifth condition was based on a pedagogic rational that implementation of course materials must be socially mediated, through discussion and critical analysis. The paper outlines a theory to method to practice syllabus design of a 15-week, 90-minute course to 14 pre-service English teacher education majors at a university in Japan. Collaborative case method analysis was used to give students opportunities to analyze real classroom events that go beyond lectures and contents in the textbook. Students discussed the case in collaboration, and tried to apply what they learned in the course in their analysis. Results of a two-part questionnaire to learn students’ views on course content and use of case method analysis were given. Outcomes showed students felt they could make connections to learning theories and methods, and that case method analysis was beneficial in their teacher learning. The research contributes to designing an ELT methods syllabus and using case study method analysis. Although the outcomes from the course of 14 students were positive, further research in using the design of the course is encouraged to strengthen the findings.