Mohd Syahidan Zainal Abidin, Mahani Mokhtar and Mahyuddin Arsat
The issue of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been on the rise in recent years, with concerns being raised by various stakeholders about its potential effects on…
Abstract
Purpose
The issue of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been on the rise in recent years, with concerns being raised by various stakeholders about its potential effects on education and the environment. However, little research has been done into school leaders' fundamental challenges in addressing ESD.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, single-case study was embarked on to examine the experiences of Malaysian school leaders who actively engaged ESD in their schools. The data were collected by using semi-structured interviews among four school leaders in schools involved in Johor Sustainable Education Action Plan (JSEAP). A thematic analysis was used to understand the challenges and later drive the strategy used to overcome those challenges.
Findings
This preliminary study revealed that the principals perceived the ESD's four main challenges: encouraging positive thinking and passion, acquiring ESD knowledge, developing system thinking, and curriculum adaptation. Based on this study's findings, school leaders need to make concerted efforts to overcome these challenges, such as finding best practices, encompassing support systems, and exploring innovative partnerships to address ESD effectively in their schools.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to a case analysis of the selected schools and cannot be generalized to a larger population.
Practical implications
The results of the study may be of interest to other school leaders and educators who are concerned about ESD and its role in their schools, as well as to other academics who are interested in the topic of ESD and the challenges faced by school leaders in implementing sustainable practices.
Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study investigating ESD challenges in the Malaysian context. The novel finding helps the readers understand the recent phenomena of ESD implementation better and, at the same time, compare it to other settings.
Details
Keywords
Mohd Syahidan Zainal Abidin, Mahani Mokhtar and Mahyuddin Arsat
Education for sustainable development (ESD) has gained significant attention, but integrating ESD into existing education systems is challenging. The study aims to explore the…
Abstract
Purpose
Education for sustainable development (ESD) has gained significant attention, but integrating ESD into existing education systems is challenging. The study aims to explore the challenges of ESD experienced by school leaders, focusing on the context of Malaysian schools.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a qualitative approach with a single-case study design. Eight school leaders involved in the Johor sustainable education action plan (JSEAP) were interviewed and analyzed. The study uses thematic analysis to identify the challenges and other causes associated with the implementation of ESD.
Findings
This study revealed that the school leaders perceived the ESD challenges at three levels. First, restriction to the standardized curriculum (systemic); second, resistance to change (organization) and third, awareness and readiness (individual). These themes stemmed from seven primary codes that school leaders encountered throughout the JSEAP program.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to a case study of the chosen schools and cannot be extrapolated to a larger population.
Practical implications
The study benefits school leaders and educators concerned about ESD and its role in their schools and other academics interested in ESD.
Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to investigate ESD challenges in Malaysia. The novel discovery of the three levels of ESD challenges helps readers better understand the recent phenomenon of ESD implementation and compare it to other settings.
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Sulaiman Musa, Masairol Masri and Mahani Hamdan
This study aims to investigate the effects of audit committees on the real earnings management (REM) in Islamic banks.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of audit committees on the real earnings management (REM) in Islamic banks.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample data used in the study were retrieved manually from annual reports of 57 fully operational Islamic banks across 16 countries between 2012 and 2023.
Findings
The results indicate that the size of Audit Committee (AC), the presence of independent directors on the AC and AC diligence exert a significant and negative influence on REM in Islamic banks. In contrast, the proportion of directors with PhD and female directors in AC positively influences REM. However, the presence of foreign directors in AC does not impact REM in Islamic banks.
Research limitations/implications
The study used six AC characteristics as part of the corporate governance mechanism to investigate their impact on REM in Islamic banks from 2012–2023.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the scanty literature showing how AC attributes influence REM in Islamic banks.
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Hanieh Gholamnejad, Ali Darvishpoor Kakhki, Fazlollah Ahmadi and Camelia Rohani
Hypertension is the most common chronic disease throughout the world. Self-care is the key criteria in determining the final course of the disease. However, the majority of…
Abstract
Purpose
Hypertension is the most common chronic disease throughout the world. Self-care is the key criteria in determining the final course of the disease. However, the majority of elderly people do not observe self-care behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the experiences of elderly people with hypertension in order to understand the barriers of their self-care behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach conducted in Tehran, Iran in 2017. Data collection was done among 23 participants – 14 elderly people; 6 cardiologists, geriatric physicians and nurses working in the cardiovascular ward; and 3 caregivers – who were selected by purposeful sampling. Using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, data collection was continued until data saturation.
Findings
Three main categories, including attitude limitations, inefficient supportive network and desperation, all showed barriers to self-care by the experiences of elderly people with hypertension.
Originality/value
Lack of knowledge of the disease and its treatment process is one of the main barriers to self-care in elderly people with hypertension. Deficient supportive resources along with economic and family problems exacerbate the failure to do self-care behaviors.