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The purpose of this paper is to describe the conversion of the former coal mining site in Kamp-Lintfort into a public park and learning space for biodiversity. In 2020, an urban green space was established, featuring various aquatic and terrestrial habitats and a high level of biological diversity in the city centre with broad community support.

This study presents secondary data of a literature review on participatory management of biodiversity in urban green spaces, with a focus on the sustainability context, participation approaches, theoretical frameworks and the role of education. The example of Zechenpark Kamp-Lintfort (Germany) shows how urban green space development can meet the challenging demands of inner city development while fostering knowledge generation via citizen science and participatory biodiversity management. The study collected primary data on plant biodiversity using a citizen science approach to raise awareness and create opportunities for human–nature interaction.

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 is the most important development goal in the context of participatory biodiversity management of urban green spaces. Most of the studies have a place-based focus and integration of local knowledge is the main reason for a participatory approach. The findings show how a green learning space can offer opportunities for digital learning as well as participatory biodiversity management in urban areas. The project lead to an increase in local citizens’ awareness of biodiversity. Based on a literature review, this report identifies challenges and opportunities for establishing a green learning space for biodiversity education. The example illustrates that an urban green space can provide numerous possibilities for citizens and students to get involved and that it can foster the sustainable development of a new urban neighbourhood.

A place-based approach limits generalisability. To overcome this limitation, a literature review was conducted, and the location was compared to two parks with similar site conversion history.

The example of developing an urban green space can inspire universities to take an active role in biodiversity management in urban green spaces, integrating biodiversity into university activities and creating a positive impact in the urban environment.

Analysis of studies in the field shows that education deserves a more prominent role in theoretical frameworks.

The study represents an example of transition and citizen-led participatory management of biodiversity from a medium-sized city, transformation processes covering these aspects are underrepresented in literature.

The study examines a mediated mechanism for enhancing students' engagement i.e. peer, intellectual and academic engagement within a higher education setup via the interaction of hope and mindfulness.

Data were conveniently collected using self-reported questionnaires from a sample of 542 students. PLSc-SEM was used to test the stated hypotheses.

Results from the analysis showed hope and mindfulness positively predict student academic, peer and intellectual engagements. Furthermore, mindfulness positively mediates the effect of hope on academic, peer and intellectual engagements.

This study demonstrates that management of higher institutions must develop effective and efficient policies targeted at enhancing students' hope and mindful awareness.

This paper is the first to examine a model involving mindfulness, hope and peer, intellectual and academic engagement.

This paper aims to propose and examine the relationship between students’ perception of service quality and dimensions and their academic achievement.

Based on the resource-based view, a conceptual relationship between service quality and dimensions and academic achievement is proposed and tested with a sample of 380 STEM university students who attended secondary schools in a region of Spain.

Service quality and four of its dimensions (i.e. empathy, reliability, responsiveness and assurance/confidence) could contribute to students’ academic achievement. The expected effect of tangible elements on academic achievement was not supported by the data. Results were controlled for student’s personal factors that have proven important in explaining academic achievement in previous studies (i.e. need for cognition, need for emotion and self-efficacy).

Previous research has extensively studied factors affecting students’ academic achievement. However, the direct relationship between service quality and student’s academic achievement has been rarely proposed and examined. Service quality has been mostly viewed as a precursor of student satisfaction and loyalty. This research views service quality as a school higher-order capability that supplements students’ capabilities.