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Your way to school might be by yellow bus, bicycle or car, but around the world children are also getting to class by canoe, through tunnels, up ladders, by donkey, water buffalo or ox cart. In Rosemary McCarney's The Way to School, a collection of gorgeous, full-color photographs of schoolchildren from Myanmar, Ghana, Brazil, China, Canada and beyond, readers will see that the path to school can be \"long and hard and even scary\" depending on the lay of the land, the weather, even natural disasters.

“Peak car” and related discussions suggest that especially younger people (age cohort until 30) have less desire to drive and purchase cars. This might though only be true for a limited range of developed countries. This study aims to understand the role of personal background and the country context influencing future car ownership decisions of younger people in seven countries (China, Indonesia, Japan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Taiwan, and USA). The main foci of this research are undergraduate students where it is expected that their current attitudes and habits will influence their travel behavior after they graduate and obtain a job. A web survey asked students about their attitudes towards car and public transportation, social norms, their socio-demographic situations, current mobility patterns and the intention to own a car after graduation. We conducted a descriptive analysis as well as correlation analysis of the survey data focusing on explaining intentions to own a car in the future. We find that there is a significant difference between developing and developed countries; students in developed countries have less desire to purchase cars. Expectations of others appears an important determinant of purchase intentions whereas income and the symbolic affective meaning of the car are less correlated with intentions.

This study investigates the current and potential uptake of ridesourcing services, such as Uber and Careem, by the students of the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. A hybrid choice model is developed to predict the switching choice from traditional modes of transport to ridesourcing services for social/recreational trips made by these students in Lebanon. Data are provided by a web-based survey that includes revealed and stated preferences, besides demographics. It is found that the switching choice is determined by several observed factors, such as door-to-door travel time, waiting time for pick-up, and one-way fares, in addition to a latent variable that captures individual differences in perceptions and attitudes towards ridesourcing services. A base switching probability from traditional modes to ridesourcing services (calculated under a base scenario representing realistic values of the attributes of ridesourcing services if the latter were used to make the most recent social/recreational trip) is estimated to be 0.22. This probability is expected to reach 0.31 under a forecasted policy scenario consisting of 40% reduction in ridesourcing fares. Car users will be more sensitive to switch to ridesourcing services for their social/recreational trips if the ridesourcing fare reduction (40%) is associated with restricted parking conditions consisting of (a) 100% increase of parking fees from actual prices, and (b) 20-minute increase of parking search time and parking time from the actual car travel time. In this case, the resulting switching probability is expected to reach 0.38. By using the estimated choice model to forecast policy scenarios as such, this study can guide planners, policymakers, and service operators to prioritize effective policies in response to the behavioral change caused by the diffusion of innovative transport services and technologies. The study also contributes to a better understanding of the uptake of ridesourcing services in developing country contexts where public transport services are often inadequate.

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global health threat, partly driven by inappropriate antibiotic use. Healthcare students, as future practitioners, must have a good understanding of AMR to contribute to antimicrobial stewardship. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on healthcare students’ knowledge of AMR and to assess patterns of antibiotic use prior to the intervention. Methods A quasi-experimental pre-and-post study design was conducted with unpaired groups of healthcare students. An educational intervention was carried out comprising of two 20-minute PowerPoint lectures, as well as question and answer sessions focused on understanding the spread, impact, and prevention of AMR. A self-administered questionnaire was given as a pre-test and repeated as a post-test immediately after the training. Students’ knowledge of AMR and patterns of antibiotic use was assessed pre-intervention while knowledge of AMR was assessed post-intervention. The knowledge was categorised into domains (Understanding Antibiotic and Antimicrobial Resistance; Spread and Impact of Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance; Prevention of Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance). The total score for each domain of knowledge tested was categorized into good knowledge (≥ 80%) and poor knowledge (< 50%). Results The number of participants in the pre- and post-intervention were 185 and 157 students with average age of 17.7 years and 17.8 years respectively. Post-intervention, there was a significant increase in students’ AMR knowledge, with correct responses regarding spread and impact of AMR increasing from 40.5% pre-intervention to 62.4% post-intervention ( p  < 0.001; φ (effect size = 0.218). The proportion of students demonstrating good overall knowledge increased from 28.1 to 44.6% ( p  = 0.001; φ (effect size = 0.171). Misconceptions, such as misunderstanding that antibiotic resistance does not result from the body becoming resistant to antibiotics, persisted but not statistically significant (24.9–17.2%, p  = 0.055). Pre-intervention also revealed varied antibiotic use patterns, including the inappropriate use of antibiotics for malaria (51.7%, ( n  = 76)), and common cold (25.2% ( n  = 37)). Conclusions The study findings indicate that educational interventions can effectively improve healthcare students’ knowledge of AMR, though persistent misconceptions underscore the need for more targeted educational efforts. Incorporating structured AMR content into healthcare curricula could help the students contribute to antimicrobial stewardship. Future research should evaluate knowledge retention and behaviour changes to optimize the long-term impact of AMR education.

The objective of this paper is to investigate commute satisfaction differences across car users and public transport (PT) users in a developing country context. Using survey data of the students and staff of the American University of Beirut, we estimate two ordinal logit models in order to predict three satisfaction measures: car users’ satisfaction with their current commute using the car, car users’ Remembered satisfaction using PT, and car users’ actual satisfaction with commuting by PT if they were to regularly commute by PT, with the latter model estimated on a sample of regular PT users. Using the three predicted measures, we compare the satisfaction of car users with car to their satisfaction with an infrequent public transport commute during the past year as well as to their predicted satisfaction with regular PT use. We also compare the latter two measures: satisfaction with (infrequent) PT commute of car users to predicted satisfaction with regular PT use. Results reveal that car users are significantly more satisfied with using the car than using PT (whether infrequent or regular). We also find that the Remembered satisfaction of car users with PT is significantly less than the actual PT satisfaction of car users if they were to become regular PT users. In the last part of the paper, we provide a number of potential explanations for these differences and discuss the policy implications.

The location of primary public schools in urban areas of developing countries is the focus of this study. In such areas, new schools and modification of the current schools are required, and this process should be developed using rational and broad supporting tools for decision makers, such as optimization models. We propose a realistic coverage location model and a framework to analyze the location of schools. Our approach considers the existing schools and their resizing, the best locations of the new schools that may have different capacities, population coverage, walking distances and budget provisions for building and updating schools. As a case study, we assess the current primary school network in Ciudad Benito Juarez to provide managerial insights. Through the proposed framework, we analyze the current locations of schools and decisions to be made by considering future scenarios in different time periods. The proposed model is quite flexible and easy to adapt to new considerations, allowing it to be applied to regions in developing countries under similar conditions.

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the demand for mobility in higher education to understand the critical elements of students' mobility and the potential impact of accessing sustainable alternatives. The demand for different means of transportation accounts for socioeconomic variables such as household income and size, gender, age, among other travel factors such as distance, time, speed and direct cost. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a unique data set encompassing a representative sample of households across gender and municipalities in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area in Mexico. This paper uses the value of transportation time savings approach to estimate the derived demand for mobility in higher education across different means. The empirical strategy uses a linear utility framework in a multinomial non-ordered logit model to analyze the conditional selection of transportation as a function of sociodemographics, direct monetary costs and travel determinants such as travel time, distance and speed. Findings Men students are more likely to use an unsustained transportation mode such as a car or cab than women. Income is a crucial determinant for transportation demand. There is a negative relationship between household income and walking or riding the bus but positive with driving a car. An increase in the time of the trip decreases the probability of walking while increasing the likelihood of using a car or riding the bus to school. Students who feel safe while riding a bus are more likely to use the bus or walk as transportation than using a car. Finally, having access to better quality sidewalks significantly incentive walking over other transportation options. Practical implications Results show that individuals would almost always choose private vehicles because of the personal comforts and time savings. Social implications Understanding the demand for higher education and access to sustainable transportation might provide new insights into campus planning and development. Access to public transportation options can reduce the travel costs for students with lower incomes and enlarge options for students who have to commute longer distances by car. Sustainable transportation access plays a role in promoting equality and economic development. Originality/value This study’s results bring new light on how transportation becomes an essential component of the opportunity cost of college education and could define its role in promoting equality or increasing inequality. This study’s finding is of particular interest for cities where housing location seems to be independent of access to school, work or other amenities.

An alarming number of students drop out of junior high school in developing countries. In this study, we examine the impacts of providing a social-emotional learning (SEL) program on the dropout behavior and learning anxiety of students in the first two years of junior high. We do so by analyzing data from a randomized controlled trial involving 70 junior high schools and 7,495 students in rural China. After eight months, the SEL program reduces dropout by 1.6 percentage points and decreases learning anxiety by 2.3 percentage points. Effects are no longer statistically different from zero after 15 months, perhaps due to decreasing student interest in the program. However, we do find that the program reduces dropout among students at high risk of dropping out (older students and students with friends who have already dropped out), both after eight and 15 months of exposure to the SEL program.

Using four consecutive days of SITRAMP 2004 data from the Jakarta metropolitan area (JMA), Indonesia, this study examines the interactions between individuals’ activity-travel parameters, given the variability in their daily constraints, resources, land use and road network conditions. While there have been a significant number of studies into day-to-day variability in travel behaviour in developed countries, this issue is rarely examined in developing countries. The results show that some activity-travel parameter interactions are similar to those produced by travellers from developed countries, while others differ. Household and individual characteristics are the most significant variables influencing the interactions between activity-travel parameters. Different groups of travellers exhibit different trade-off mechanisms. Further analyses of the stability of activity-travel patterns across different days are also provided. Daily commuting time and regular work and study commitments heavily shape workers’ and students’ flexibility in arranging their travel time and out-of-home time budget, leading to more stable daily activity-travel patterns than non-workers.

Introduction Academic performance is one of the indicators of the success of educational systems in achieving their goals, influenced by various factors. The aim of this study was to examine the status of academic performance and predict it based on the variables academic identity, academic excitement, and academic enthusiasm among students of Jiroft University of Medical Sciences in southern Iran in 2024. Methods This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 290 students. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires on academic identity, academic excitements, academic enthusiasm, and academic performance. The data were analyzed using t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression at a significance level of 0.05. SPSS version 23.0 was utilized for data analysis. Results The mean scores for academic identity, positive academic excitement, negative academic excitement, academic enthusiasm, and academic performance of the studied students 112.45 ± 9.38 out of 195, 56.66 ± 8.34 out of 110, 199.38 ± 9.34 out of 265, 40.41 ± 6.32 out of 75, and 136.35 ± 6.85 out of 240, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was observed between academic performance and academic identity ( r  = 0.576, P  < 0.001), positive academic excitements ( r  = 0.627, P  < 0.001), negative academic excitements ( r = -0.635, P  < 0.001), and academic enthusiasm ( r  = 0.656, P  < 0.001). The correlation between academic performance with academic identity, positive academic excitements, and academic enthusiasm was in a direct direction and inversely correlated with negative academic excitements. According to the results of multiple linear regression, the components of academic identity (academic commitment; β = 0.648, future orientation; β = 0.643, personal agency; β = 0.638, belonging academic; β = 0.631, self-concept; β = 0.629), positive (hope; β = 0.669, enjoyment; β = 0.665, pride; β = 0.647) and negative (hopelessness; β= − 0.657, fatigue; β= − 0.653, anxiety; β= − 0.641, shame; β= − 0.632, anger; β= − 0.531) academic excitements, and academic enthusiasm (cognitive enthusiasm; β = 0.662, behavioral enthusiasm; β = 0.659, emotional enthusiasm; β = 0.652) were identified as predictors of students’ academic performance ( P  < 0.05). Conclusion Academic Identity, positive and negative academic excitements, and academic enthusiasm were identified as predictors of students’ academic performance. Therefore, it is recommended that senior educational managers of the university facilitate the improvement of academic identity, positive excitements, and academic enthusiasm, while controlling negative excitements among students by organizing relevant courses and workshops, to witness the growth and enhancement of their academic performance. In addition, faculty members’ capacity and role can be leveraged to shape and strengthen students’ academic identity. Moreover, fostering vibrant cultural, social, and academic environments within universities is recommended to boost positive academic excitement, reduce negative academic excitement, and cultivate academic enthusiasm. Clinical trial number Not applicable.