International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation (IJSEIro)

RECONSTITUTING THE SENSE OF THE REAL: A SCHUTZIAN PERSPECTIVE ON ONLINE GAMING

Lucian MOCREI-REBREAN — 2026-04-01

The ongoing virtualization of daily life represents one of the most significant shifts of the 21st century. The actual boundaries between physical and digital are increasingly negotiated, challenging common conceptions of what is “real”. Using a conceptual framework grounded in Alfred Schutz’s phenomenological sociology, the paper explores the intersubjective experience of online gaming as participation in a very specific "finite province of meaning" within an expanding social multiverse. As millions of individuals chose to regulary migrate from the paramount reality of the "world of work" to the immersive alternative worlds of massive multiplayer games, social life undergoes unpredictable transformations. The study analyzes how the very sense of reality is reconstituted within these digital environments, where sensory immersion and the suspension of everyday physical limitations alter the subject's cognitive style and temporal experience. By contrasting the everyday "world of work", characterized by wade awakeness and vivid pragmatic interest, with the world of play, the research investigates the shifts in the "tension of consciousness" that define virtual sociality.

WOUNDS OF THE PAST AS ROOTS OF SHAME: THE LINK BETWEEN EARLY EXPOSURE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, INSECURE ATTACHMENT, AND SHAME PRONENESS

Alina NECULAU-COJOCARU — 2026-04-02

The present study aimed to investigate the relations between early exposure to domestic violence, childhood trauma, insecure attachment (i.e., anxious and avoidant), and shame proneness. The sample comprised 718 Romanian participants aged 17 to 62 (M = 27.16, SD = 10.28; 76.60% female). Results suggested that participants’ exposure to domestic violence during childhood was positively associated with anxious and avoidant attachment and shame proneness. Though childhood trauma was positively associated with early exposure to domestic violence, it was not significantly associated with anxious or avoidant attachment nor with shame proneness. Further mediation analysis suggested a complete, statistically significant positive mediation of the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and shame proneness through insecure attachment. We discuss these findings and consider their implications for practical interventions aimed at addressing the adverse long-term effects of childhood traumatic events and the complex implications of insecure attachment styles.

IMPACTS OF LIQUIDITY INDICATORS ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF PRIMARY MORTGAGE BANKS IN NIGERIA

Oluwafunmike OBASESAN — 2026-06-03

Nigeria's financial landscape has changed dramatically over time due to the growth of numerous financial institutions and the increasing demand for liquidity, which, in the context of this study, refers to a financial institution like a primary mortgage bank's capacity to fulfill its short-term financial obligations as they become due. By examining the connection between liquidity metrics and the financial performance of Nigeria's leading mortgage banks, this study seeks to broaden the body of empirical data in the industry. Using an ex-post facto research design, this study examines data from a purposive sample of five major mortgage banks between 2013 and 2024. The study uses a panel regression model for analysis, with net income as the dependent variable and liquidity indicators including total assets, current assets, loans and advances, and total liabilities as independent variables. These results reveal that there was no statistically significant negative correlation between the net income of Nigeria's leading mortgage banks and any of the liquidity measures (total assets, current assets, loans and advances, and total liabilities). This highlights the distinctiveness of the relationship between liquidity indicators and financial performance across banking sectors and calls for context-specific analyzes. Even in cases when liquidity indicators do not significantly affect financial performance, the study emphasizes the significance of diversifying investment strategies for primary mortgage banks. This study adds significant knowledge to the banking industry in developing nations, especially in Nigeria. The results showed that total assets, current assets, loans and advances, and total liabilities did not significantly impact financial performance; therefore, major mortgage banks should consider diversifying their investment strategies. Investigating other investment choices or altering the distribution of assets might boost overall profitability.

INNOVATION IN FRANCHISING SYSTEMS UNDER THE IMPACT OF DIGITALIZATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Beatrice IPSALAT — 2026-04-16

This paper provides an analysis of the franchising system, synthesizing the theoretical foundations of vertical cooperation, the innovator’s psychological profile, and customer loyalty mechanisms, correlating them with cutting-edge research on the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework and the impact of Artificial Intelligence. The results highlight the importance of integrating the traditional rigor of the franchise-specific business package and the agility provided by new technologies. Additionally, the paper emphasizes the importance of technological education and demonstrates that the future success of franchise networks depends on the capacity to generate not only economic but also social value, in the form of Digital Social Innovation (DSI) in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which defines franchising not just as a replicable business model, but as one capable of continuous evolution through innovation.

BEYOND STRESS: EMOTION REGULATION, BURNOUT, AND WORK ENGAGEMENT AS PREDICTORS OF TEACHERS’ OCCUPATIONAL SELF-EFFICACY IN SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION SYSTEMS

Monica TURTUREAN — 2026-04-10

The long-term sustainability of educational systems depends not only on structural conditions but also on teachers’ capacity to maintain effective professional functioning under persistent instructional, relational, and organizational demands. Although teacher stress has been widely examined, stress-centered explanations alone do not fully account for variation in teachers’ occupational self-efficacy.

The present manuscript develops and reports an integrative structural model in which emotion regulation operates as a personal resource, burnout reflects resource depletion, and work engagement functions as a motivational mechanism linking resources to professional confidence. Framed by Social Cognitive Theory and the Job Demands–Resources model, the article reports a coherent structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis for a sample of 412 in-service teachers. The model demonstrated good fit, χ²/df = 2.41, CFI = .94, TLI = .93, RMSEA = .052, SRMR = .047. Work engagement emerged as the strongest direct predictor of occupational self-efficacy (β = .49, p < .001), whereas burnout showed a substantial negative effect (β = −.41, p < .001). Emotion regulation predicted self-efficacy directly (β = .34, p < .001) and indirectly through work engagement (β = .18, p < .001).

The findings support the argument that sustainable teacher functioning is best understood as the outcome of interacting emotional, motivational, and depletion-related processes rather than as the simple absence of stress. Implications are discussed for teacher development, school leadership, and sustainable educational policy.

THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITY LECTURERS IN ENHANCING INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR BLACK NEURODIVERGENT FEMALE STUDENTS WITH ADHD

Maryam Chinasa ADEWUNMI — 2026-04-15

Inclusive higher education remains a critical yet underexplored area, particularly at the intersection of race, gender, and neurodiversity. Black neurodivergent female students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face compounded barriers, including attention and executive functioning challenges, coupled with experiences of racialised and gendered biases. This study aimed to explore how university lecturers contribute to enhancing inclusive learning environments for this student population. Employing a qualitative research design, the study relied on purposive sampling to select 15 lecturers from diverse faculties with direct engagement with neurodivergent students. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, transcribed verbatim, and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework. Findings revealed five key roles of lecturers in fostering inclusivity: pedagogical, emotional and relational, advocacy and support, culturally responsive, and reflective and developmental. Lecturers adopted flexible, multimodal teaching strategies, demonstrated empathy and relational engagement, advocated for access to institutional resources, embedded cultural responsiveness in pedagogy, and engaged in continuous professional reflection. These strategies collectively supported the academic, emotional, and social inclusion of Black neurodivergent female students with ADHD. The study recommends institutionalising inclusive pedagogical practices, prioritising emotional and relational teaching, formalising lecturer advocacy structures, promoting culturally responsive pedagogy, and fostering continuous reflection and professional development. The study concludes that effective inclusion requires collaborative, whole-institution approaches, where lecturers act as educators and advocates, ensuring equitable access and a sense of belonging.

NARRATIVES OF CHANGE: TEACHERS’ LIVED EXPERIENCES OF ONLINE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON TEACHING PRACTICE

Peter Babajide OLOBA — 2026-04-15

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is widely recognised as essential for improving teaching quality; however, traditional models are often criticised for being prescriptive, decontextualised, and limited in their impact on classroom practice and teacher beliefs. The emergence of online professional communities offers alternative, teacher-driven spaces for professional learning, yet there remains limited understanding of how teachers’ lived experiences within these environments influence their teaching practices and professional beliefs. This study aimed to explore teachers’ lived experiences of participation in online CPD communities and examine how such engagement shapes their pedagogical practices and professional beliefs. A qualitative approach, grounded in a constructivist paradigm, was adopted. Data were collected from 100 teachers through an open-ended questionnaire, followed by semi-structured interviews with 20 purposively selected participants. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that participation in online CPD communities significantly influenced teaching practice through improved learner engagement, resource mobilisation and curriculum development, pedagogical advancement, and innovation. Additionally, teachers experienced shifts in professional beliefs related to assessment, collaboration, leadership, and identity while demonstrating increased agency and confidence in their practice. These findings show that online communities function as dynamic spaces for collaborative learning, reflective practice, and professional transformation. The study recommends the design of context-responsive and inclusive CPD platforms, the promotion of teacher voice and leadership, and the strengthening of collaborative and interactive learning environments. It concludes that online CPD has the potential to transform professional development into a more participatory, flexible, and impactful process that supports both practice and belief transformation.

VOICES AND DOMINANT EMOTIONS IN THE DIGITAL RHETORICAL ARENA: FACEBOOK COMMUNICATION ABOUT AIRLINES DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Mădălina TOMA — 2026-07-10

This article examines the digital rhetorical arena formed around three airlines, TAROM, Wizz Air, and Blue Air, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath. While previous research on airline crisis communication has mainly focused on the messages produced by companies, this study shifts attention toward the broader online environment in which multiple actors participate in defining, amplifying, and emotionally framing the crisis. Drawing on Rhetorical Arena Theory and the Integrated Crisis Mapping model, the article analyzes Facebook posts collected through CrowdTangle, a Meta-provided service that was available at the time of corpus construction, using hashtags associated with the three airlines. The study focuses on two dimensions: the distribution of voices involved in the online conversation and the dominant emotions expressed in these messages. The findings show three distinct configurations of the rhetorical arena. TAROM is associated with a community-based and symbolic arena, shaped mainly by travel groups, diaspora communities, local pages, and supporter groups. Wizz Air is discussed mainly through a media-driven arena, dominated by mass-media mentions and travel-related commercial actors. Blue Air, by contrast, displays a concentrated organizational arena, where the company’s own communication accounts for most of the identified mentions. Anxiety is the dominant emotion in all three cases, but its intensity is highest for Blue Air. Anger and sadness are more visible in the cases of TAROM and Wizz Air, where external voices participate more actively in the construction of the crisis. The article argues that emotions in digital crisis communication should not be interpreted separately from the voices that produce and circulate them.

ANALYSES OF RESPONSE SCALE FOR CONTENT OF LOVE MESSAGES AND MODALITY OF LOVE MESSAGES SCALES, IN COUPLES SEEKING PSYCHOTHERAPY: A PILOT STUDY

Marius MARICI — 2026-06-11

The study pilots a receiver-based response scale, derived from clinically observed relational stages, that captures qualitatively distinct positions toward individual love messages rather than simply their frequency or intensity. This pilot study examines the descriptive properties of the Content and Modality of Love Messages scales, developed within the framework of the Love and Rejection Messages Theory (LRM^T), in couples seeking psychotherapy. The study aimed to explore how relational behaviors conceptualized as love messages are distributed across items, partners, and response categories, focusing on the functional meaning of a 0–7 response scale reflecting qualitatively distinct relational stages. The sample consisted of 11 couples with a mean age of 35.86 years. Results indicated high internal consistency for both scales (α = .90 for content; α = .984 for modality) and substantial variability across items. Response distributions were generally concentrated in mid-to-high categories, with evidence of distribution toward higher scores, particularly for modality, which is expected in couples seeking therapy. No significant gender differences were found in mean scores; however, differences emerged in the distribution of response categories. At the couple level, marked asymmetries between partners were observed, particularly in dysfunctional relationships, highlighting discrepancies in the perception and experience of love messages. The findings support the descriptive utility of the scales and their capacity to capture meaningful variations in relational functioning, with implications for both assessment and therapeutic intervention.

EFFECTS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FINANCIAL PROGRAMMES ON THE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMES IN PHARMACEUTICAL BUSINESS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Olalekan AJAYI — 2026-06-19

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry is essential to the provision of healthcare, yet small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in this industry frequently struggle with funding, which hinders their expansion and viability. Accordingly, this study examined the financial performance of pharmaceutical small and medium-sized businesses in Kwara State, Nigeria, in relation to government support programs and other funding sources. The study used a survey research design. The study selected 109 registered pharmaceutical SMEs in Kwara State from a population of 149 using Yamane's (1967) algorithm, and used structured questionnaires to collect primary data. Using Stata 17, descriptive statistics and Ordered Logistic Regression were used to examine the data. The results showed that the financial performance of pharmaceutical SMEs was positively but statistically insignificantly impacted by government support financial programs (β = 0.038, p =.707). Access to loanable funds, for example, had a favorable and substantial impact (β = 0.597, p =.003). The government support program indicators are jointly significant, according to the Wald Chi-square value of 22.99, p =.0017. Additionally, the study discovered that while macroeconomic variables like inflation and insecurity had detrimental effects, commercial bank lending made a substantial contribution to financial performance. The study concluded that although there are government support programs, their influence on pharmaceutical SMEs in Kwara State is still restricted because of problems with implementation and accessibility. According to the report, government organizations should restructure assistance programs to guarantee simple access, prompt payment, and more awareness. To foster a climate that is favorable for pharmaceutical SMEs, the government should address inflation and insecurity while commercial banks offer flexible credit packages.

Keywords: Government Support Programmes, Access to Finance, Financial Performance, Pharmaceutical SMEs.