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The integration of technology in special education can profoundly enhance student outcomes (Marino et al., 2024a). For instance, assistive technologies such as speech-to-text software and communication devices enable students with disabilities to participate more actively in the learning process (Fernández-Batanero et al., 2022). Additionally, adaptive learning platforms can customize content to meet individual student needs, fostering personalized learning experiences (Contrino et al., 2024). Moreover, technology can support differentiated instruction, equipping teachers to address the diverse learning profiles and capabilities within their classrooms (Unal et al., 2022). Numerous impediments obstruct the efficacious integration of technology in special education training and implementation. These include inadequate access to requisite technological resources, insufficient professional development opportunities and limited administrative support (Brennan et al., 2024). Furthermore, educators frequently encounter difficulties tailoring technology to the distinct needs of their students, necessitating specialized training and sustained support across the teacher education process (Basham et al., 2024; US Department of Education, 2024a).

This manuscript describes how the University of Maine’s (UMaine) Special Education Teacher Preparation Program addressed these challenges in its special education teacher preparation program through a strategic partnership with the National Center on Innovation, Design and Digital Learning’s (CIDDL) Tech Alliance. Sponsored by a grant from the US Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs, the alliance provides technical assistance for teacher preparation programs to improve technology integration and enhance student performance. The case study begins with a description of the CIDDL Center, followed by the demographic trends of Maine’s PK-12 public school students. Next, an analysis of the UMaine program provides insights into its challenges related to these topics. Finally, the outcomes of this case study are discussed.

The administration and faculty reported ten primary barriers to (RQ1): “What are current barriers related to the UMaine Special Education Teacher Preparation Program’s ability to increase the capacity of education technology integration during the teacher preparation program?” In response to (RQ2): “What was the faculty’s base-line knowledge and capacity to leverage technology within the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development (COEHD) special education, educator preparation programs, and other related education programs?” About 80% of faculty surveyed indicated they considered themselves to have moderate to expert knowledge of the use of digital tools when conducting research/literature reviews (e.g. accessing research databases, locating resources, checking for relevance and credibility of sources). About 80% also indicated having moderate to expert knowledge of the use of technology for communications, such as the use of digital tools for communication/collaboration (e.g. social media, collegial interactions, communities of practice, etc.). Findings also indicated the following faculty needs, which are consistent with the program needs. (1). Limited understanding of how emergent technology can support students with disabilities. (2). Limited knowledge to incorporate Universal Design for Learning during courses taught by professors outside special education. (3). Limited knowledge and abilities to conduct student clinical observations at a distance using technology. In response to (RQ3): “In what ways could the special education program support sustainable strategies to increase innovative technology practices to support positive outcomes for preservice teachers and their future PK-12 students with and without disabilities?” Findings indicated the need for a clear vision at the college and program level of how different types of technology (e.g. assistive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence) could be integrated in the coursework.

This exploratory case study examined UMaine’s Special Education Teacher Preparation Program and its collaboration with the national CIDDL as part of a Tech Alliance initiative. Researchers employed a practice-oriented design (Ebneyamini and Sadeghi Moghadam, 2018) that incorporated multiple data sources, contextual analysis and both qualitative and quantitative data to ascertain the educator preparation program needs related to equipping teachers to utilize technology. The research is limited in that it addresses only one program in the United States. However, the Tech Alliance included ten programs.

The barriers noted for research question one are common across educator preparation programs (EPPs) throughout developed nations (Kerkoff and Cloud, 2020). For example, a study by Williams et al. (2023) indicated the influence of EPP program culture in relation to supporting teacher candidates’ growth is critical as they progress through technology-infused teacher preparation. Additionally, Karchmer-Klein et al. (2021) found that specifically developing teachers technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) was crucial, yet not enough to lead to sustained technology integration across teachers’ pedagogical practice in the long term. The authors noted that although participants in their study perceived technology as important, there was a mismatch between this belief and the actual integration of technological tools into their teaching practice (Karchmer-Klein et al., 2021). The lack of access to assessment methods using technology and the integrated use of UDL in course design are also common barriers (Graziano et al., 2023; Marino et al., 2024b; Weisberg and Dawson, 2023). Graziano and colleagues identified key pillars that EPPs should strive for: (1) technology integrated coursework throughout their EPP curriculum, (2) faculty-modeled experiences, (3) opportunities to practice with reflection and (4) fostering of technology self-efficacy amongst EPP students. Likewise, Weisberg and Dawson (2023) noted two pedagogical styles were particularly beneficial for students in EPPs: (1) leveraging technology to teach about equitable and socially just access to education for all learners and (2) adopting a critical stance toward the role of technology integration in schools through modeling digital equity pedagogy.

The integration of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in special education, as demonstrated by the University of Maine’s program, provides a transformative model that can be adopted worldwide. The necessity of comprehensive professional development and strategic collaboration is emphasized, aligning with global trends toward inclusive education and promoting equitable learning opportunities (Contrino et al., 2024; Fernández-Batanero et al., 2022). The use of assistive technologies, adaptive learning platforms and digital resources in special education is crucial for addressing the diverse learning needs of students with disabilities, making this model relevant and replicable in various educational contexts internationally. Barriers identified in the manuscript, such as limited access to technological resources, insufficient professional development and lack of administrative support, resonate with challenges faced by educational institutions globally. Addressing these challenges through strategic partnerships, as exemplified by the collaboration with the CIDDL, offers a framework for enhancing infrastructure and faculty capabilities internationally (Brennan et al., 2024; Gangone and Fenwick, 2024). Building digital literacy among teacher candidates and integrating Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles into curricula fosters a more inclusive and technology-driven approach to special education, encouraging global educational stakeholders to prioritize similar strategies within their own contexts (Marino et al., 2024b).

The findings of this exploratory case study underscore the critical importance of integrating emerging technologies into special education teacher preparation programs. UMaine’s collaboration with CIDDL demonstrated that strategic partnerships and targeted professional development can significantly enhance the digital readiness of preservice teachers. This study noted comprehensive professional development, sustained support and the adoption of UDL principles are essential for equipping educators with the skills necessary to effectively incorporate technology into their teaching practices.

This study aims to evaluate the caffeinated drinks, levels of vitamin D and calcium in the blood, and their relationship to bone mineral density (BMD) in osteoporotic women in Al-Ahsa Saudi Arabia.

This study included 85 women over approximately 18 months with ages ranging from 40 to 70 years who were evaluated in the laboratory via blood analysis. Moreover, sociodemographic data and information on health and nutritional awareness were collected via a questionnaire. The BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and considered osteopenia when the T value total of the lumbar spine or hip was between −1 and −2.5 and osteoporosis < −2.5. Blood levels of vitamin D and calcium were measured via blood analysis.

There were 54.1% and 45.9% of women who suffered from osteoporosis and low BMD, respectively. There was a significant difference in the number of osteoporotic, and low bone mineral mass groups in marital status (p = 0.04), but no difference was found in age and educational level. A significant difference (p = 0.01) between low bone mass and osteoporosis groups in heights. BMD was significantly and negatively correlated with vitamin D in the blood in individuals with osteoporosis (r = −0.358, P = 0.014). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between calcium in the blood and total samples (r = −0.355, P = 0.0578). There was a negative significant relationship between calcium supplements and BMD in individuals with low BMD (rt = −0.279, P = 0.041). There was a significant association between cola intake with the occurrence of low BMD (p = 0.027), whereas tea drinking was not associated with risk in both groups.

The study indicated that there is a direct relationship between osteoporosis and low bone mass with different variables. This study was conducted to address the lack of research related to the levels of vitamin D and calcium in the blood and their relationship with BMD in women with low BMD and osteoporosis in Al-Ahsa province-KSA.

Previous research provides adequate evidence on performance management (PM) for hospitals and healthcare providers; however, less is known about their individual and PM appraisal process. Additionally, there is limited research exploring PM in the Middle Eastern context. This study investigates PM practices in the Middle Eastern healthcare industry.

This study adopts the qualitative research methodology through semi-structured interviews of healthcare professionals in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Thematic analysis was adopted for analyzing this qualitative data.

The main findings have uncovered different facets of appraisal challenges for both the appraiser (i.e. manager) and the appraisee (i.e. employee). These challenges include communication deficits, lack of goal setting standards and regular meeting updates in order to ensure employee satisfaction and motivation in the workplace.

This study has significant implications for policymakers in Middle Eastern hospitals in terms of implementing PM for their staff. Moreover, future studies can conduct in-depth analysis and provide comparison between public and private sectors in the Gulf countries.

This study is one of the first to portray challenges involved in conducting PM in the Middle East healthcare sector specifically in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), both from the perspectives of the appraiser and appraisee.

The theory of consumption values (TCV) has successfully explained much consumer choice behavior, but few studies have investigated the values that drive food-delivery application (FDA) use. This study aims to bridge this gap by extending the TCV to the FDA context to examine food consumption-related values and interpreting and rechristening generic consumption values to adapt the TCV to the FDA context.

An explorative mixed-method research approach was taken to conduct focus group discussions with 20 target users to develop the questionnaire and then administer it for a cross-sectional survey (pen and pencil) to FDA users aged 22–65 years; 423 complete responses so received were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings show that epistemic value (“visibility”) is the chief driver of purchase intentions toward FDAs, followed by conditional (“affordances”), price (part of functional value) and social value (“prestige”). Food-safety concerns and health consciousness (proposed as part of functional value) did not share any statistically significant association with purchase intentions toward FDAs.

The findings of this study are insightful for FDA service providers competing for higher shares in the market by helping them understand ways to influence consumer choices and purchase intentions.

It is the first study that combines FDAs 2014 an online service that it is attracting a lot of investment 2014and TCV which has continued to be one of the most relevant theories of consumer behavior. It extends the TCV by adapting it to the FDA context with food-consumption-related values. Thus, it adds to the relatively scant literature on FDAs on the whole which is essential, as FDAs represent the business model of new economy, i.e. online-to-offline (O2O). Finally, this study formulates a conceptual framework that may serve as the basis of future research.

Skilled workers are crucial for an organization’s success, and managing, retaining and attracting them is vital in long-term. This study aims to explore talent management practices in the Finnish restaurant industry and to align workers' expectations with the real-world experiences of their work to reduce turnover and enhance job satisfaction.

The study adopts a mixed methods approach, including a survey and interviews with workers and managers to gain insights into their expectations and experiences of work. The study considers themes for designing and implementing effective talent management procedures.

This study highlights the importance of employees' experiences of their work conditions, leveraging positive emotions and fair utilization of temporary agency work (TAW). Understanding the different work preferences of generational cohorts and addressing the challenges associated with owner disengagement and TAW can also contribute to attracting and retaining talent in the restaurant industry.

Skilled workers have often been portrayed as targets that need to be managed, with insufficient consideration given to their preferences, needs and expectations. With the findings of this study, companies can establish mutual understanding with their employees and attract diverse talent.

This study tries to free women from the “invisible role” prison and understand the different managerial goals and styles adopted by males and females in family small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in managing employees. In particular, this paper grasps the complexity of the relationship between women’s leadership positions and configurational human resource management (HRM) practices in family SMEs.

The authors use the qualitative fuzzy set comparative analysis (fsQCA) on 623 small and medium Italian family businesses to explore women’s contributions and impacts on adopting HRM practices and business performance.

The findings confirm that gender-specific leadership styles influence the adoption of distinct bundles of HRM practices and ultimately affect organizational performance in family SMEs. Indeed, women in the family SME social context, to meet certain gender expectations, are more likely to implement steward-oriented HRM practices. This reinforces the role of women as key players in improving organizational performance by adopting people-centered HRM practices that promote employee satisfaction and retention.

Using the fsQCA analysis and the gender theory, family business and HRM literature, the paper investigates the role of women in Italian family SMEs as CEOs or HR managers in implementing HR management practices to achieve good organizational performance.

Born-again global internationalization is a rarely researched topic. Especially process-oriented studies are largely missing. In loss modes concerning their socioemotional wealth (SEW), family businesses take more risks and can be informative examples of born-again global internationalization.

This article analyzes the process of born-again global internationalization of a mature family business triggered by succession in an SEW loss mode. The interplay of dynamic capabilities (DCs) as drivers and SEW preservation guides the in-depth analysis based on an interpretative single case study design.

The analysis reveals a model with (1) the personal and familial level of the business family, (2) the bonding and transfer level between the business family and the family business and (3) the organizational level as three levels of DCs as drivers of born-again global internationalization in family businesses and SEW preservation as a continuously influencing context.

The article contributes to push forward the fragmented level of knowledge in the field of born-again global internationalization of family businesses. It brings together the triggering phase of born-again global internationalization with the later phases (driving successful rapid internationalization). In particular, it explores how the triggering factors on the family level can be translated into the development of capabilities on the firm level to drive successful internationalization. Based on these insights, the article offers novel implications for research and practice.

This paper reviews the literature on disability inclusion (DI) in supply and demand chains of hospitality and tourism (H&T) organisations. The purpose of this study is to assess disability support and interventions within H&T organisations. Through the assessment, we identified gaps to recommend H&T scholars’ and practitioners’ knowledge of DI from new perspectives.

An integrative review was conducted to examine the published evidence on DI in H&T organisations. This study used high-ranking H&T journals from the Scopus and Web of Science databases between 2001 and 2023. In total, 101 empirical papers met the criteria for the review analysis.

DI focuses heavily on customer disabilities, with scant research on DI in H&T employment. The review emphasises the critical need for empirical research into the varied disability employment ecosystem within H&T organisations, focusing on social integration for inclusive workplaces.

This study contributes to the H&T literature, which previously overlooked the disability context in diversity. The research offers strategies for creating inclusive environments in the H&T industry for disabled consumers and producers.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the moderating role of psychological empowerment on the relationships between authentic leadership and innovative work behaviour, as well as transformational leadership and innovative work behaviour.

We have applied the mixed-method research on the selected case study. The quantitative field study was conducted on a sample of 126 employees in a multinational technological company. A series of paired sample t-tests were followed by a hierarchical regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The qualitative study consists of a content analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews with four leaders.

The research provides further confirmation of the positive relationship between leadership and innovative work behaviour. Specifically, the results showed that psychological empowerment moderates the relationship between leadership (authentic as well as transformational leadership) and innovative work behaviour.

This paper contributed to leadership and innovation literature and provided insights in studying the boundary conditions on the relationship between authentic leadership, as well as transformational leadership, in stimulating innovative work behaviour through the moderating role of psychological empowerment. The added value is expanded by introducing the comparison of the two leadership theories.

The current study aims to investigate if different measures related to online psychosocial well-being and online behavior correlate with social media fatigue.

To understand the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework is applied. The study consists of two cross-sectional surveys that were organized with young-adult students. Study A was conducted with 1,398 WhatsApp users (aged 19 to 27 years), while Study B was organized with 472 WhatsApp users (aged 18 to 23 years).

Intensity of social media use was the strongest predictor of social media fatigue. Online social comparison and self-disclosure were also significant predictors of social media fatigue. The findings also suggest that social media fatigue further contributes to a decrease in academic performance.

This study builds upon the limited yet growing body of literature on a theme highly relevant for scholars, practitioners as well as social media users. The current study focuses on examining different causes of social media fatigue induced through the use of a highly popular mobile instant messaging app, WhatsApp. The SSO framework is applied to explore and establish empirical links between stressors and social media fatigue.