Review of Applied Management and Social Sciences (RAMSS) (E-Journal)
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The Role of Dispositional Optimism in Psychological Well-Being and Social Anxiety Among University Students
Get PDFObjectives: The primary goal of this study was to investigate the association between dispositional optimism psychological well-being and social anxiety in university students.Method: The correlational research design was used, and the sample was recruited employing the non-probability purposive sampling technique. The life Orientation Scale developed by Scheier et al., in 1994, the Psychological Well-being scale by Ryff & Keyes (1995), Social Anxiety Scale developed by Ejaz et al., (2020) along with the demographic sheet were utilized for the data collection. Results: The sample constituted 350 participants (165 males and 185 females), with ages ranging from 20-30 years (M=23.46, SD=3.22). Results revealed a significant association between dispositional optimism and all subscales of social anxiety and psychological well-being (p<.05). Similarly, significant differences among both genders were observed in levels of dispositional optimism, psychological well-being, and social anxiety (p<.01). Dispositional optimism and psychological wellbeing were also observed as the significant predictors of social anxiety in university students (p<.001). Likewise, the results proved that dispositional optimism was a significant moderator between psychological well-being and social anxiety (p<.01).Conclusion: the study concluded that dispositional optimism moderates the association between psychological well-being and a level of social anxiety
Investigating how Financial Investments are being directed toward Social Impact Projects, such as Education, Healthcare, and Poverty Alleviation
Get PDFThis study looks into the factors that influence the allocation of financial investments in social impact projects, specifically in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation sectors. As social investments become more important in addressing global challenges, understanding how financial resources are directed toward these critical sectors is essential for fostering sustainable development. A quantitative method was used, and financial data obtained from various countries were collected to analyze the relationship that exists between investment levels and these key economic, political, and governance-related factors. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis were carried out using SPSS to identify the determinants of investment in these sectors. The results suggest that the variables that are significantly influential are economic factors, such as GDP, policy incentives, institutional capacity, and political stability. Descriptive statistics revealed the highest investment to be healthcare, followed by education and poverty alleviation, whereas correlation analysis shows a strong positive relationship between GDP and levels of investment in all the sectors. Regression analysis confirmed that policy incentives and FDI were some of the strong predictors for investment in healthcare, but institutional capacity was the crucial determinant for education. The study sustains the hypotheses that these investments are positively correlated to economic development, vary differently between public and private sector allocation, and are also governed by the expected returns from investment. The study concludes with policy recommendations to optimize investment strategies, including the promotion of public-private partnerships, the development of metrics for Social Return on Investment (SROI), and strengthening institutional frameworks. It also suggests areas for future research, especially in the exploration of long-term impacts of social impact investments and cross-country comparisons
Voices for Emancipation: A Speech Act Analysis of Feminist Activism on Twitter
Get PDFThis study investigates the utterances of three foremost women activists namely Marvi Sirmed, Mahira Khan and Resham claiming to uphold the cause of women emancipation. This study endeavors to probe this phenomenon by employing the speech act framework proposed by Searle (1969). Attention has been drawn to this realm because the global trends are in the wake of subverting gender disparity in favor of gender equality. The nature of this study is predominantly qualitative however; it also attempts to quantify the utterances in the form of their percentages. The data was extracted from the tweeter handles of the women activists. A total of twenty-one tweets have been reserved by subjecting them to the lines of judgmental sampling. The findings show that representative speech acts are 61.90%, expressives are 23.80% and directives are 14.28% respectively. So this outcome clearly marks the fact that women activists for the most part are engaged in expressing their emotions and depicting the situation which exists around them. But their utterances lack the sense of direction and orientation. This study contributes in understanding the orientation of Feminism in Pakistan particularly the trends on social media which though offers a platform to speak yet offers no guidelines for the clear direction
Macroeconomic Factors of Financial Performance: A Case Study of Cement Sector of Pakistan
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This study examines the macroeconomic factors of the financial performance of cement sector firms in Pakistan. For this purpose, the data from 2011 to 2020 of cement sector firms listed on PSX is used in a study. The financial performance of cement sector firms is measured using ROA, ROI and ROE. For data analysis, panel unit root test, correlation matrix and pooled ordinary least square method are applied. The outcomes also point out that interest rate is negatively and significantly related to the ROE. Similarly, inflation rate is negatively associated with the ROA and ROE. Similarly, exchange rate is negatively and significantly related to the ROA and ROI. Lastly, GDP growth rate is positively and significantly associated to the ROA, ROE and ROI. Based on the results, it is inferred that macroeconomic factors are crucial to influence the financial performance of the cement sector in Pakistan. Therefore, these firms should take into consideration the macroeconomic factors to improve their financial performance
Investigating how Rapid Urbanization Contributes to Climate Change and the Social Challenges Cities Face in Mitigating its Effects
Get PDFThis study will determine the impact of rapid urbanization on the environment and social inequality in four large cities of Pakistan: Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Quetta. This selection of the cities has been made considering variations in the rate of urbanization, population numbers, and socio-economic conditions of the selected areas. The perceptions, experiences, and attitudes of the residents living in these urban areas toward environmental change and social disparities will be analyzed in this research. A stratified random sample consisting of 300 urban residents was meticulously selected to guarantee representation across various factors including age, gender, income, and education. The data were collected via a structured survey that incorporated both closed and open-ended questions addressing themes such as greenhouse gas emissions, urban heat islands, resource consumption, housing insecurity, and access to services. The relationship between urbanization and its impacts on the environment and society is analyzed using statistical methods, which include correlation analysis, regression analysis, and ANOVA. The findings indicated significant positive correlations between urbanization and heightened emissions of greenhouse gases, r = 0.78, increased urban heat islands, r = 0.72, resource consumption, r = 0.65, and social inequalities, r = 0.80, housing insecurity, r = 0.75, and strain of the infrastructure, r = 0.70. Regression analysis shows that these environmental and social issues are very strong predictors linked to urbanization. The ANOVA also showed a significant difference between the impacts based on the location of cities. The results were such that if cities have effective sustainable urban planning, technological innovation, and robust policy frameworks that reduce the effects of environmental and social degradation then strategic urban management is very necessary. This highlights the fact that sustainable urban policies need to be implemented to resolve environmental and social challenges for long-term resilience within urban areas
Carbon Emissions in Pakistan: The Role of Financial Development and Foreign Direct Investment
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This study examines the impact of financial development and foreign direct investment (FDI) on CO2 emissions in Pakistan, utilizing annual data from 2000 to 2022 obtained from the World Development Indicators. Using the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) model, the results reveal that in the short run, positive changes in financial development (FD+) significantly increase CO2 emissions, while negative changes (FD-) reduce them. FDI also contributes to higher CO2 emissions, whereas renewable energy consumption effectively reduces emissions, highlighting its environmental benefits. In the long run, positive changes in financial development decrease CO2 emissions, though the relationship is not statistically significant, while negative changes increase emissions. These findings underscore the critical role of renewable energy in mitigating environmental degradation. Policymakers are encouraged to carefully manage financial development and FDI to balance economic growth and environmental sustainability
Assessment of Underground Soil Carbon of Kalachitta Range in Attock District
Get PDFThe carbon cycle has great importance to support life on earth. In this cycle, organic carbon which present in the soil is a vital element in the fertility of land. Which produces many organic as well as mineral nutrients in the growth of plants, improve the soil structure and its biological health and it improves the physical health of the soil. Study was conducted inside the Potohar plateau which is situated from 33.770 to 340 north latitude and from 71.450 to 730 east longitudes. Its elevation was about 1800 feet in eastern region of 3,531 feet in western part just near the Indus River ridge. The western left bank of river Indus experienced the lowest forest strip, elevation of 820 feet in altitude. The area is dominated by four plant species Olea ferruginea, Acacia modesta, Monotheca buxifolia and Dodonea viscosa. 20 Sample plots were selected randomly from various sites in which 180 samples were collected with the help of soil auger in two portions, i.e. 0-15 cm and 16-30 cm. at a distance of 1m and 3m and 5m from the plant and in a vertical extent of 0-15.00cm,16-30.00 cm and 31-45.00 cm, Olea ferruginea soil showed slightly higher total soil organic carbon as compared to Acacia modesta soil
Teaching Practicum Challenges Encountered at University Level: Supervisors’ Perspectives
No full textTeaching practice is crucial for future success and effective student teaching. Supervisors also face challenges during their practicum period. This study aimed to understand these major challenges using a survey research design. Six universities in the Multan district, including Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, University of Education Lahore (Multan Campus), Women University Multan, Times Institute Multan, Virtual University Multan, and Institute of Southern Punjab, Multan, were included in the population. The research aimed to understand the challenges supervisors face during their practicum period. Researchers conducted a study on 43 teachers from three universities, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, University of Education Lahore (Multan Campus), and Women University Multan, to understand the challenges they faced during their teaching practicum. Researchers used a self-developed questionnaire to assess supervisors’ perceptions of teaching practicum challenges. The questionnaire included 20 statements, two open-ended questions, and a five-point Likert scale for perception. Supervisors, experts, and a pilot study conducted the validation. The results showed an acceptable reliability level of 0.87 for the instrument. The researcher personally administered the questionnaire. The study analyzed supervisors' perceptions of challenges they faced during their teaching practice at the university level using mean and standard deviation, an independent sample t-test, percentage analysis, thematic analysis, and ANOVA. The results showed that many supervisors faced challenges with inadequate timing, shortage of skilled personnel, inadequate funding, and lack of communication skills. Adequate timing proved to be the most effective solution, complemented by the recommendations for skilled and experienced personnel, adequate funding, and the development of effective communication skills. The study suggests that supervisors should focus on improving their timing and communication skills to overcome these challenges
Analyzing AI’s Role in Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity within Educational Systems, Addressing different Learning Styles and Needs
Get PDFThis comprehensive study critically examines the critical role that artificial intelligence plays in varying contexts of education towards increasing diversity and inclusion. There is a higher emphasis on how AI has highly significant impacts on the ability to include a wide variety of diverse needs to learn among the students, the facilitation of accessibility to resources for people with disabilities, and the reduction of language barriers, which often pose a challenge to effective communication and comprehension. Data was collected through a strong quantitative research method. A sample size of 300 university educators was used. They were selected with the help of stratified random sampling from the list of various institutions located in the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan, hence providing a well-represented view of the educational scenario prevalent in these two provinces. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires designed to elicit and review attitudes and experiences with AI by education instructors working in the educational field. By applying correlation analysis, regression analysis, and PCA collectively, statistically relevant and significant results were brought out. Correlation analysis revealed a very strong positive correlation that exists between the adoption of artificial intelligence and the improvement of academic results. This is confirmed by the correlation coefficient, which measures 0.70 with a p-value of 0.002, which is particularly related to academic performance and an associated coefficient of 0.68 with a p-value of 0.003, which is particularly related to higher engagement in inclusive classroom environments. A regression study was also carried out that revealed AI-based technologies as the major predictors of higher engagement among students, whose beta coefficient stood at 0.65 with a highly significant p-value less than 0.01. Lastly, PCA was conducted and various critical factors found to influence the integration of AI technologies, issues such as access for students and training for educators. These significant findings highlight the incredible ability of AI technology to create and promote educational settings that are not only more inclusive but also fundamentally fairer for all participants involved
Construction & Validation of Civic Sense Scale (CSS) in Urdu Language for Pakistani Secondary School Students
Get PDFCivic sense plays a crucial role in human life. It determines the success and usefulness of a citizen in a society. The civic sense consists of both civic knowledge and civic practices. The students’ civic knowledge or self-perception of civic sense improves their civic practices in the community. This paper describes constructing and validating the Civic Sense Scale (CSS). This scale is prepared to measure students’ civic knowledge and civic practices. Generalized Structural Component Analysis (GSCA) technique is applied in this study. This scale was administered to 1200 Federal Government Educational Institutions students studying in 10th grade in Pakistan. A total of 1196 students out of 1200 students responded to the questionnaire. The data was collected from students through a stratified sampling technique. Both self-perception and civic practices on civic sense consisted of 45 items. There were 23 and 22 items on Civic Sense Scale on self-perception and civic practices, respectively. The reliability indicator Cronbach’s alpha and Rho were observed to be more than 0.7. Likewise, the construct validity, convergent and discriminant validity measures were in acceptable ranges. These show that Civic Sense Scale (CSS) is highly recommended to measure civic sense and its practices in the educational setting. Initially, this study was limited to secondary school students in Federal Government Educational Institutions of Pakistan