COVID wrought havoc on the world’s economic systems. Higher education did not escape the ravages brought on by the pandemic as institutions of higher education around the world faced major upheavals in their educational delivery systems. Some institutions were prepared for the required transition to online learning. Most were not. Whether prepared or not, educators rose to the challenge. The innovativeness of educators met the challenges as digital learning replaced the face-to-face environment. In fact, some of the distance models proved so engaging that many students no longer desire a return to the face-to-face model. As with all transitions, some things were lost while others were gained. This book examines practice in the field as institutions struggled to face the worst global pandemic in the last century. The book is organized into four sections on 'Changing Education”, 'Education in the Pandemic”, 'Sustaining University Education”, and 'Embracing the Future in a Global World”. It presents various perspectives from educators around the world to illustrate the struggles and triumphs of those facing new challenges and implementing new ideas to empower the educational process. These discussions shed light on the impact of the pandemic and the future of higher education post-COVID. Higher education has been forever changed, and higher education as it once was may never return. While many questions arise, the achievements in meeting and overcoming the pandemic illustrate the creativity and innovativeness of educators around the world who inspired future generations of learners to reach new heights of accomplishment even in the face of the pandemic.

The studies in this book focus on factors that challenge the developmental paths of adolescents. The themes are: online experience (i.e., the overuse of screens, the proliferation of inappropriate videos, or parental pressures for children to remain always connected), the difficulties of pandemic times (i.e., coping with anxiety or illness), and two conditions of great fragility (that of being a migrant refugee minor, or an adolescent with severe mental disorder). These topics illustrate the multiple adolescent development pathways that inspire the plural title of the volume: Adolescences. Each author suggests protective factors (personal, family, educational, and friendship-related) that can contribute to promoting a healthy developmental outcome.

In modern education, students and teaching methodologies face many challenges that hinder smooth development. The digital age presents students with information overload, impeding the cultivation of their critical thinking skills. Traditional language teaching methods must be revised to prepare students for the intricacies of a globalized, multilingual world. The rise in academic demands contributes to heightened stress levels among students. Despite the urgency of environmental challenges, educational systems need a cohesive focus on eco-conscious practices. The abrupt transition to virtual learning during crises has exposed challenges in adapting to and fully realizing the potential of virtual environments. These interrelated issues underscore the imperative for a comprehensive solution that aligns pedagogical practices with the demands of contemporary society. Educational Innovation to Address Complex Societal Challenges begins by dissecting pedagogical renewal and educational innovation, illustrating their expansive reach and adaptability in addressing the diverse educational challenges of our time. It emphasizes that these innovative elements extend beyond mere educational enhancements, presenting many opportunities to catalyze substantial societal change. A crucial aspect highlighted is the reciprocal relationship between educational practices and social reality, creating a symbiotic circle that adds meaning to the educational process.

This book assesses the influence of the international organization UNESCO on the development of national Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems in the Southern African Community Region (SADC), focusing particularly on Botswana and Namibia. Designed around UNESCO’s Better Education for Africa’s Rise (BEAR) project, the study is an excellent example of applied policy research. Analysis is from the perspective of key stakeholders including UNESCO headquarters and field offices, Ministries of Education and of Labor, employers and employees, education and training institutions, international partners and more. Both qualitative and quantitative evidence are used to provide a comparative overview, and the author also reveals the current state of data on skills. Readers will discover common goals and challenges across the nations but also a common lack of action to measure the impact and influence that UNESCO’s programs have had at a national level, prior to this study. Were the newly implemented educational policies successful or not? If the public policies failed, why was that? These chapters shed light on such questions and how UNESCO's contribution influenced the national development processes, in the context of globalization processes and trends of global mass education. The book has much to offer for both scholars and those working in UN agencies or national governments who seek to develop education systems and better link them to the world of work.

El presente libro aborda una construcción crítica y, además, práctica de la investigación cualitativa en enfermería y salud. Bajo su integración destaca la presencia de aspectos epistemológicos, ontológicos y metodológicos que permitirán al lector comprender el origen del conocimiento cualitativo y su construcción en fenómenos relacionados con la salud y el cuidado, pues defiende la importancia de considerar los enfoques epistemológicos para una comprensión sustantiva y rigurosa de la realidad. Esta obra revoluciona la comprensión de la investigación cualitativa puesto que proporciona herramientas y reflexiones para la realización de investigaciones rigurosas y significativas en este campo, ya que además de que se describen los principales diseños y métodos cualitativos, así como herramientas metodológicas, el lector tendrá la oportunidad de tener una aproximación a estrategias prácticas que le permitan incursionar en la investigación cualitativa. En el recorrer de cada página, el lector podrá adentrarse en la comprensión de los métodos cualitativos desde la fenomenología, teoría fundamentada, etnografía, etnoenfermería, investigación convergente asistencial e investigación acción participativa; todos ellos con una introducción a sus fundamentos teóricos. En cuanto a la metodología, podrá discernir entre las técnicas de colecta de datos, el proceso de análisis y los criterios de rigor científico que le darán una fortaleza de sustentación. Asimismo, es indispensable que el lector profundice en el activismo académico y la responsabilidad social en la investigación cualitativa, destacando el enfoque ontológico y la importancia de compartir conocimientos con los participantes del estudio. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52501/cc.109