Global Partners in Education Journal

Introduction to the 9th Global Issues Conference Special Edition

Władysław Chłopicki — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Assessing North Carolina Pre-K Teachers’ Knowledge, Confidence, and Experience on Trauma Informed Care

Chalyne Barrow Barrow, Archana V. Hegde, Mary Cate Komoski, Erin Roberts — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The purpose of this study was to assess NC Pre-K teachers’ knowledge on trauma and trauma-informed practices, their confidence in actions with students who have experienced trauma, and training – received or desired by teachers – on trauma-informed care (TIC). Quantitative data was collected using a standardized Primary Early Childhood Educators Trauma-Informed Care Survey for Knowledge, Confidence, and Relationship Building scale (PECE-TICKCR, 2017). All participating NC Pre-K teachers (n=68) were females and had a 4-year degree in early childhood or another related field. Teachers’ knowledge on trauma and their confidence in their own actions were highly correlated (r=.73). Similarly, mean scores indicated that teachers understand how trauma affects student behavior (M=3.93), and on the confidence scale teachers felt most confident in their ability to maintain positive relationships with students. However, teachers need more training on some items on the scale of knowledge (e.g. Community resources for families who have experienced trauma) and confidence (appropriate steps to be taken if a student has experienced trauma). Teachers who have experience working with children of trauma were more knowledgeable and confident in their actions related to TIC, compared to teachers with no experience. Teachers continue to express their interest in receiving more training on topics related to TIC.

Keywords: trauma-informed care, NC Pre-K teachers, teacher knowledge, teacher confidence, early childhood education, training need

Investigating the Implementation of Cooperative Learning in Lebanese Private Schools and Its Impact on Students’ Academic Performance and Behavior

Abeer Al Danaf, Samar Bouzeineddine — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Although many schools worldwide continue to rely on traditional teaching methods, an increasing number have embraced cooperative learning (CL). Cooperative learning is a widely recognized pedagogical approach that promotes student engagement, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving. This study examines the implementation of CL and its impact on student achievement, motivation, and engagement in Lebanese private schools. Using a quantitative survey design, the research investigates how CL influences students' cognitive and social development. The findings indicate that CL enhances student participation and knowledge retention, offering a framework for educators seeking to improve learning outcomes. The study also addresses challenges in implementing CL and provides practical recommendations for educators and policymakers in Lebanon and internationally.

Keywords: cooperative learning, collaborative activities, academic performance, student behavior, Lebanese private schools

Navigating Anxiety and Uncertainty: International Students’ Challenges and Strategies to Cultural Adjustment

Addison H. Carrasquillo, Sachiyo M. Shearman — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

International students face unique challenges when transitioning from their home countries to another culture. Guided by Gudykunst’s (2005) Anxiety-Uncertainty Management (AUM) Theory, the current research highlights how international students in the U.S. manage their uncertainty, anxiety, and cultural distance in academic and social settings. This study draws on ten in-depth interviews with international students (five males and five females) at a large public university in the Southeastern United States. We examined how they navigate the cultural adjustment process in a higher education institution located in a rural area of the United States. Thematic analysis of the in-depth interview revealed that international students experienced a variety of challenges such as pre-arrival expectations, navigating American communication styles, adjusting to academic expectations and campus culture, barriers to building social connections, and economic/time constraints. Despite these challenges, the international students managed anxiety and uncertainty by building support systems, engaging in campus involvement, taking on leadership roles, and practicing mindfulness and other strategies to manage stress. The current study highlighted the resilience of international students and identified ways in which institutions can strengthen their support.

Gender Equality in Higher Education: A Comparative Study of Universities in Algeria, Poland, and North Macedonia

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gender equality in higher education is a key global goal, yet significant disparities persist in academic roles and institutions. While women now constitute the majority of university enrollees in many areas, their representation among faculty and leadership remains low, highlighting ongoing horizontal and vertical segregation. Most existing research focuses on national or single-institution trends, leaving cross-institutional comparisons largely unexamined. This study addresses this gap by analyzing gender representation among students, faculty, and administrative staff at three universities: Tlemcen University (Algeria), PANS Krosno University (Poland), and Macedonia University (North Macedonia). We examined institutional data from 2020 to 2025 and contextualized our findings with reports from OECD, EIGE, and UN Women. Our results show significant variations: at Tlemcen University, women comprise 64% of students but are underrepresented among senior faculty. PANS Krosno University has near parity among professors (50.5% female) and a substantial female majority in administration (67%). Macedonia University reports balanced administrative staffing (49% female) but only 44% female professors, especially in STEM. Despite Gender Equality Plans and gendermainstreaming efforts, women encounter barriers such as biased merit systems and limited leadership opportunities. We recommend targeted strategies to dismantle these obstacles, including embedding gender perspectives in quality assurance processes, implementing equitable hiring practices, expanding mentorship programs, and establishing transparent monitoring of gender outcomes. These measures are crucial for advancing Sustainable Development Goals 4 (quality education) and 5 (gender equality).

Keywords: comparative study, higher education, gender equality, UN SDGs.

Ghanaian Female Celebrities’ Digital Engagements as Rhetorical Feminism: A Rhetorical Analysis of Celebrity Instagram Rhetoric in Amplifying Unique Literacies

Ernestina A. Akorli-Coffie, Wendy Sharer — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper rhetorically explores the symbolic actions of agency exhibited by three Ghanaian female celebrities on Instagram to understand the literacy practices developed from the digital circulation practices of their audience on the platform. It specifically analyzes how Yvonne Nelson’s 2024 #DumsorMustStop vigil and Berla Mundi and Anitta Akuffo’s embodied rhetorics manifested in their Instagram photo posts and stories in 2024, considering them as symbolic actions that mobilize vernacular, digital, civic, and collaborative literacies among Ghanaian publics. By engaging with Cheryl Glenn’s (2018) framework of “invitational rhetoric” as tactics of rhetorical feminism and with Kovalik and Curwood’s (2019) theory of transliteracy to understand the celebrities’ symbolic actions, this rhetorical analysis highlights the rhetorical dexterity of Ghanaian female celebrities’ digital engagements and demonstrates how these engagements transform Instagram into a transmediatory space where dynamic digital and special literacies converge and also emerge. Ultimately, this study contributes to a contextualized understanding of rhetorical feminist tactics on Instagram, the rhetoricity of celebrity digital agency, and the ways this agency amplifies marginalized voices in order to create civic awareness through dialogic and collaborative rhetoric.

Keywords: rhetorical feminism, invitational rhetoric, digital literacy, Instagram, celebrity rhetors

Individual and Cultural Differences in Sound Perception: An Exploratory Study

Samah Gourari, Abdelhak Chikhaoui, Dominik Wróbel — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Most studies on sound perception use a two-dimensional arousal–valence model, plotting responses along pleasant–unpleasant and calm–excited scales. Despite being a valuable method, it oversimplifies auditory experience, often neglecting links to shapes, colours or memories. Moreover, most research on sound perception has focused on participants from Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies, leaving many cultures understudied. For example, little research has examined how Algerians experience sounds. Similarly, uncommon sound types such as infrasound or recordings from space have received negligible attention. This study explores how Algerian and international participants perceive a diverse set of sounds, considering not only emotions but also sensations, memory recall, and cross-modal associations, through testing the influence of neurodivergence, musical training, age and gender. An online survey was conducted among a diverse sample (N=94) with strong representation from Algeria. Participants were asked to listen to ten sound clips and report their experiences. The analysis shows low awareness of neurodivergence in Algeria, while geophonic and classical sounds more often trigger memory recall. Neurodivergent participants express greater tolerance for low-frequency sounds and also exhibit distinct colour–shape mappings along with stronger musical training. These results suggest that cultural background, neurodivergence, and musical training all influence how people perceive sound. Instead of relying solely on traditionally “calming” sounds, therapies, educational programmes, and learning environments, they could benefit from more personalised approaches that consider unconventional frequencies and textures, which may be particularly meaningful or enjoyable for certain groups.

Keywords: Sound perception, culture, neurodivergence, musical training, cross-modal associations

Technology Industry Employees’ Consciousness and Readiness for AI and Automation in Taiwan

Chia-Jung Wendy Chang, Yu-Chih Doris Shih — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This paper explores how employees in Taiwan’s technology industry view the effects of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) on their work and how ready they are for these changes. A mixed-methods design was used, combining a survey of 33 respondents with follow-up interviews with five participants. According to the survey results, only 3% of workers felt ready to adapt, even though the majority acknowledged that AI and automation already affected their jobs and the industry as a whole. Due to limited handson experience with AI tools, a lack of training opportunities, and restricted access to resources, nearly half of the employees felt unprepared. Almost all participants expressed their interest in further training, suggesting strong motivation despite existing barriers.

Keywords: technology industry employees, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, Taiwan

The Great Drug Regulation Divide: How Resource Imbalance Is Strangling Global Health Equity

Wenhan Jiao, Wanyu Zhang, Shanshan Kang — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the global disparity in the allocation of pharmaceutical regulatory resources, focusing on the significant gap between high-income and low-income countries in terms of regulatory capacity, drug quality, safety, and accessibility. It highlights how differences in resources directly impact the ability of low-income countries to ensure the safety and availability of medicines, with high-income countries benefiting from more robust regulatory systems. The research utilizes a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative data analysis of regulatory budgets and staffing levels, alongside qualitative case studies of countries with data gaps, such as Haiti and Papua New Guinea. The study also includes a detailed case analysis of China—the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market—to explore how regulatory capacity differences manifest within a large, middle-to-high-income economy. The findings reveal that the regulatory divide not only constitutes a technical challenge but also represents a fundamental issue of global health equity and public health security. To address this divide, the study proposes solutions including strengthening international cooperation, enhancing regulatory capacity in low-income countries, and implementing digital tools to improve regulatory efficiency. The study concludes with policy recommendations and identifies future research avenues, emphasizing the need for standardized data collection, cross-country comparisons, and the development of regulatory frameworks that suit the unique needs of different countries.

Keywords: drug regulation, China, country income levels, pharmaceutical industry

The Role of Algeria in African & Global Energy Markets: Challenges & Opportunities for Local Economic Development

Nourhane Lagreb, Maliha Bouayed Meziane — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Last July during my internship at Schlumberger (SLB), an energy technology company, a local engineer told me: “When the diesel truck arrives to fix the generator, everyone hears it. But when solar panels do their job, no one notices because power flows without anyone noticing. That quiet reliability is how people realize real change has happened”. That is true because when it is that quiet, people realize that something has truly changed for the better! The clean energy not only solves problems but does so in a way that blends into daily life seamlessly and sustainably. When you first hear about Algeria’s energy sector, a vivid image comes to mind: the vast Sahara, its golden sand lying silently above, hiding underground reservoirs of oil and gas, while the sun shines over untapped solar fields stretching across the horizon. A professor from my school once joked: “Our wealth lies under the sand and above it!” referring to Algeria’s traditional oil and gas riches and its enormous solar potential, and this spontaneous remark captures the core challenge and promise facing Algeria today. This paper explores the paradox of immense energy wealth and lack of development, emphasizing on the impact of Algeria's energy sector on its local economic development, exposing the challenges and opportunities arising from its integration into the global energy landscape.

Keywords: Algeria, energy market, future scenarios.

Cultivating Aloe Vera: An Economic and Environmental Asset in a Changing Climate

Saib Ibtissem, Zeggai Houaria, Abdelmalek Nihad, Azzi Rachid, Nehar Benameur — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aloe vera, a member of the Asphodelaceae family, is predominantly used for medicinal, pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes, but its cultivation is now threatened by climate change. As global demand for this “green gold” keeps growing, extreme heat, unpredictable rainfall, and soil degradation threaten its sustainable expansion. This study examines the impact of climate change on Aloe vera production, while also evaluating its industrial consequences and exploring sustainable solutions. Aloe vera production is dominated by Mexico, which is the largest producer, and together with other major producers in the Americas, accounts for approximately 81% of the world's supply due to favorable climatic conditions. While nations such as India and China battle heat waves and unseasonal monsoons that reduce yield and quality of gel. The U.S. and Canada also rely on greenhouse technology to protect production from climate risk. Whereas Algeria, where this plant is known for its traditional use, shows potential as an untapped climate-resilient desert farming. As climate change triggers droughts and temperature fluctuations, the bioactive compounds are reduced in the Aloe vera resulting in altering the global supply chain that will affect pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The market analysis indicates an increasing demand, with the Aloe vera extract industry estimated at $2.99 billion by 2031. However, there are economic dangers associated with growing costs and unstable production. For these challenges, this study proposes sustainable alternatives like drought-resistant Aloe vera varieties, greenhouse farming, and advanced irrigation systems. Additionally, Algeria could use its vast desert regions to develop a climate-resilient Aloe vera industry.

Keywords: Algeria, Aloe vera, climate change, drought resistance, desert agriculture, greenhouse farming, sustainable solutions.