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Despite endeavors to alleviate construction and demolition waste and the indications that the process of deconstruction has the potential to steer waste reduction initiatives, there has not been a progressive increase in the adoption of Design for Deconstruction (DfD) in the global south, especially Ghana. This paper aims to identify and analyze the barriers to implementing DfD in developing countries.

A structured questionnaire survey was used to solicit the views of 240 design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI). The questionnaire was developed by reviewing pertinent literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analyzed using descriptive and nonparametric statistics.

The findings revealed ten (10) significant impediments to implementing DfD within the construction industries in developing economies. These impediments revolve around cost, legal matters, storage, incentive and design-related matters. Key among these barriers is “For recovered materials, there are little performance guarantees,” “The absence of strict regulations regarding design for deconstruction,” “Lack of a large market enough for components that have been recovered,” “The need for building codes that address how to design with reused materials” and “Lack of effective design for deconstruction tools.”

The results of this research shed light on a relatively unexplored area within the construction sector, particularly in a developing country like Ghana. Furthermore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study contributes fresh and supplementary knowledge and perspectives regarding the challenges in implementing DfD practices.

The study aims to examine the potential benefits of integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) in the housing sector.

The approach adopted was a systematic literature review aided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews criteria and the VOSviewer software. Abductive reasoning was used to analyze the collected data, which was then subjected to content analysis through an iterative read-and-review procedure.

The study identified green walls, indoor greenery, porous pavement and landscaping, rainwater harvesting and water purification and green roofs as elements of buildings where NbS should be incorporated. Although nature-based research on integrated greenery facades and roof applications was noted, rainwater harvesting and water purification-oriented research remained dominant. These findings demonstrate the advantages of implementing NbS in the housing sector, including energy efficiency, environmental development, flood prevention and sustainable water management. Integrating NbS into housing designs can considerably contribute to the creation of more resilient, eco-friendly and comfortable living environments. However, the adoption of NbS faces hurdles, including a lack of awareness, limited policy support and economic constraints.

This study recommends that NbS be mainstreamed into housing development and knowledge exchange opportunities between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, as well as other regions, to promote the adoption of NbS through research and collaborations. Also, it contributes to the discourse of sustainable affordable housing in the Global South while addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, 13 and 15. This study offers valuable guidance to stakeholders, thereby fostering the development of more sustainable and resilient housing practices and policies.

The study used VOSviewer software visualization to identify structural patterns and track prominent research frontiers, allowing for a more thorough yet concise mapping and capture of a scientific knowledge domain.

The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of the relationship between parent-teacher associations (PTAs) activities and school-community development, with a particular emphasis on the ways in which PTAs are utilized as supplemental or alternative sources of funding or support for school self-development initiatives.

The article is based on a case study conducted in two Ghanaian elementary schools. Field notes, in-depth interviews and observations of PTA members (n = 21) and activities make up the data. The article theoretically adopts a community development practice that is predicated on promoting solidarity and agency by upholding the ideas of felt needs, self-help and participation.

The study revealed that PTA initiatives can improve the diversity of activities available within a school while also building the skills and capacity of local communities and enabling individuals to make social connections. The study mainly recommended that in making educational systems resilient, such school-community-based resources of resilience should be preserved, fostered and valued.

The findings are practically relevant to local school managers and other stakeholders involved in school leadership, promoting the relationships between PTAs, school management, children’s well-being and community development, particularly in sub-Saharan African schools like those in Ghana.

This article explores PTA’s involvement in school-community development in Ghana, a relatively under-researched area in this approach, using a community development practice approach, highlighting PTA’s impacts, implementation and challenges at elementary schools in the post-COVID era.

This paper introduces executive functions (EFs)–i.e. high-level cognitive processes that are elicited in novel and non-routinised situations–into discussions within entrepreneurship education (EE). By reviewing the existing literature, it highlights how EFs are important for the entrepreneur, their role in the entrepreneurial process and implications for improving EE.

We conduct a literature review bridging cognitive psychology, EE and entrepreneurship fields to clarify the role of EFs in the entrepreneurial process. To do so, we define EFs and then propose a model of the entrepreneurial process to frame our review and identify knowledge and gaps in current research.

This review shows why EFs are valuable for EE and calls for more focus on them to better prepare students for entrepreneurship and general life challenges. The findings underscore the importance of EFs in understanding key aspects of the entrepreneurial process. Although EFs are studied in the entrepreneurship and EE fields, they are rarely conceptualised from a cognitive psychology perspective, with research often focusing on isolated EF components instead of examining them as a whole.

This review is the first to highlight the role of EFs in the entrepreneurial process in a structured way. Integrating cognitive psychology insights on EFs can enrich EE for both venture creation and value creation approaches while also supporting the development of more effective programs. This focus on EFs also provides a fresh perspective and a valuable lens for understanding complex phenomena such as cognition, learning and the factors behind success and failure in entrepreneurship.