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This paper aims to explore the extent to which the Uganda lower secondary curriculum (LSC) reform, instituted in January 2020, has ensured equitable educational opportunities for secondary school learners considering school and learner socio-economic status.

A qualitative approach was adopted in which the experiences and perceptions of both facilitators and implementers of the reform were gathered using interviews and lesson observations.

Data revealed disparities among high and low socio-economic-status schools in their preparedness and capacity to implement the reform, with the consequence of divergent educational opportunities for learners in these contexts.

The sample was limited to government-aided secondary schools and thus excluded private schools; the majority in Uganda. This means that the findings may be limited in generalizability. However, the majority of private schools serve the lower socio-economic demographic, so the study findings and implications may extend to them as well.

The findings suggest that unless the government intervenes with measures to boost the capacity of schools in low socio-economic contexts to implement the reform, the outcome of the curriculum may be a society further stratified along socio-economic lines.

The findings indicate that the new LSC may contribute greatly to social stratification through disparate educational opportunities for different sections of the Ugandan populace. This could work against national socio-economic ambitions and also lead to non-achievement of the UN SDG4 of quality, equitable, inclusive education for all.

This paper demonstrates how Uganda, a developing nation, is faring in the achievement of the global educational policy goal of equity in the implementation of its competence-based LSC reform. It highlights key policy and research gaps that should be addressed to promote equitable learning opportunities for all learners.

Disruptive behavioural disorders (DBD) of children are a major concern for teachers while engaging in the classroom. Correspondingly, primary school teachers should be well-equipped to manage child learners with DBD. This study explored what factors influence primary school teachers' access, utilisation and appraisal of vital health information for managing students with DBD.

The data used in the current paper was collected through in-depth interviews with teachers working in public lower primary schools in central Kerala, India. The refined data was then analysed thematically.

Four focal themes emerged from the input data: bridging social capital, classroom strategies, trained incapacity and role strain. The study found that the charismatic authority of teachers influences child learners with behavioural disorders only in the short term. Additionally, the study asserts that in-service teacher training programmes often overlook the behavioural and social components of health.

This study significantly advances our understanding of how the social embeddedness of health literacy among teachers influences their management of child learners with behaviour disorders. Specifically, it unravels the unique ways teachers utilise social networks to access health information (how), identifies the effective strategies they employ (what) and elucidates the underlying reasons for these strategies (why). The merit of this study lies in its comprehensive analysis of the interplay between social structures, social networks and health literacy, providing novel insights into practices followed by teachers in managing child learners with DBD.

Drawing on concepts from workplace diversity and cognitive evaluation theories (CETs), this study seeks to deepen our understanding of the link between transformational leadership and teachers’ creative teaching in a more and more diverse campus.

Survey data involving a total of 895 high school teachers across Taiwan were collected using purposive sampling methodology and analysed with SPSS and SmartPLS software.

The results reveal that the positive relationship between the principal’s transformational leadership and teachers’ creative teaching is partially mediated by teachers’ promotion focus and task interdependence which could reduce the defensive silence and reluctant collaboration found in diverse workplaces. Moreover, principals’ cross-cultural competence also moderates such relationship, since it helps transformational leader to take adaptive measures to address the challenges associated with managing differences in perspective and ideas within a heterogeneous workforce. Based on these findings, implication for educational leadership is discussed.

Studies have affirmed the positive association between transformational leadership and creative teaching. However, the mechanism sustaining this relationship and how this relationship can further be intensified are still unknown, especially in a more and more diverse education context. Our analysis shows that principals’ cross-cultural competence, and teachers’ task independence and promotion focus are relevant factors school leaders should consider in enhancing the link between their transformational leadership and teachers' creative teaching.

The purpose of this paper is to invite Professor René Proyer, a leading positive psychologist and authority on play, to tell his story, share highlights from his research and insights into playfulness, mental health and positive psychology.

A positive autoethnographic case study approach is used to enable Professor Proyer to narrate his story while also addressing topics within a Q&A format.

Play is important for childhood, adolescent and adult mental health and well-being. Although distinct from one another, humor, laughter, creativity and playfulness exhibit overlap. Proyer’s research has even shown that just reflecting on playful moments can increase happiness and alleviate depression.

The experiences, perspectives and insight of one person are narrated in this case study and these cannot be generalized.

Play can be widely defined, and there are many ways to enjoy it freely and at no cost, making it highly accessible and practical to support mental health and well-being. By seeking out and creating playful situations, we can embrace playfulness as adults.

As Proyer relays by quoting Christopher Peterson, one definition of positive psychology is “Other people matter”. By finding ways to playfully interact with others, we can find immediate enjoyment but also build and strengthen relationships and support our health and well-being, and that of others too.

Professor Proyer is a positive psychologist and authority on playfulness. Here, he shares with us multiple insights in the areas of mental health and play.

The purpose of the study was to gather data to determine whether instructional coaching partnerships can improve teachers’ implementation of learned mathematics instructional strategies. Teachers are willing to learn and implement new mathematics strategies after professional development sessions to see better student learning results. However, the implementation process can become difficult. Our purpose was to determine whether implementing mathematics strategies improved if an instructional coaching partnership supported teachers.

“Do instructional coaching partnerships improve teachers’ implementation of mathematics instructional strategies?” We gathered data to determine whether instructional coaching partnerships support teachers’ capacity to implement new learning. Data were collected using video recording or classroom observation as a pre- and post-assessment. Teachers received 4 to 6 weeks of instructional coaching support during the intervention. Teachers completed a questionnaire about their intervention experiences. Student testing data were also analyzed to determine whether the intervention increased learning outcomes.

Our findings showed improved mathematics strategies, explicitly implementing the open-ended questioning strategy used during mathematics instruction. Open-ended questions to check students’ mathematics understanding increased by 42%. Teachers responded to a qualitative survey and stated overall satisfaction with the support provided by the instructional coach. Additionally, state testing scores in Grades 3 to 5 increased proficiency levels. Grade-level growth comparisons increased between 5 and 28%.

This study adds to current research stating that instructional coaching cycles and the implementation of partnership principles can positively support the execution of learned teaching practices. The study also indicates the effects of coaching support on students’ learning.

This paper reviews the recent collapse of two cryptocurrency enterprises, FTX and Celsius. These two cases of institutional bankruptcy have generated criminal charges and other civil complaints, mainly alleging fraud against the CEOs of the companies. This paper aims to analyse the fraud leading to these bankruptcies, drawing on key concepts from the research literature on economic crime to provide explanations for what happened.

This paper uses a case study approach to the question of how large financial institutions can go off the rails. Two theoretical perspectives are applied to the cases of the FTX and Celsius collapses. These are the “normalisation of deviance” theory and the “cult of personality”.

In these two case studies, there is an interaction between the “normalisation of deviance” on the institutional level and the “cult of personality” at the level of individual leadership. The CEOs of the two companies promoted themselves as eccentric but successful examples of the visionary tech finance genius. This fostered the normalisation of deviance within their organisations. Employees, investors and regulators allowed criminal and highly financially risky practices to become normalised as they were caught up in the attractive story of the trailblazing entrepreneur making millions in the new cryptoeconomy.

This paper makes a contribution both to the case study literature on economic crime and to the development of general theory in economic criminology.