ABSTRACT
This study examines the magnitude of the effect of the KIP Kuliah scholarship on the academic achievement of students at Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Administrasi Karya Dharma Merauke (STIA KD Merauke), a private higher education institution in South Papua Province, Indonesia. The study is motivated by the persistently high cost of higher education relative to the financial capacity of many academically capable students, and by field indications that a substantial share of KIP Kuliah recipients at the institution have struggled to maintain their required grade point average despite receiving scholarship support. Employing a quantitative, causal-associative design, data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire administered as a census to all 81 KIP Kuliah recipients from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 cohorts, supplemented by institutional documentation and supporting interviews. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, the coefficient of determination, and the F-test, following instrument validity and reliability testing and classical assumption testing. The results show a positive and significant relationship between the KIP Kuliah scholarship and student academic achievement, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.553 and a regression equation of Y = 20.692 + 0.142X. The coefficient of determination indicates that the scholarship explains 30.6 percent of the variance in academic achievement, with the remaining 69.4 percent attributable to other factors. The F-test confirms the effect is statistically significant (F = 34.814 > F-table 3.96; Sig. = 0.001 < 0.05), leading to rejection of the null hypothesis. Interpreted through William Dunn's six policy-evaluation criteria, effectiveness, efficiency, adequacy, equity, responsiveness, and appropriateness, the KIP Kuliah program at STIA KD Merauke is found to have been implemented well, though its effect on achievement operates alongside substantial unexplained variance linked to time ma

ABSTRACT
The preservation of urban cultural heritage is an important part of sustainable development, but the implementation of preservation policies still faces various institutional, resource, and coordination challenges among stakeholders. This study aims to analyze the implementation of Malang City Regulation No. 1 of 2018 on Cultural Heritage in the Kayutangan Heritage Area based on George C. Edwards III’s policy implementation model, as well as to identify the factors that support and hinder its implementation. The study employed a qualitative case study approach using purposive sampling to select informants comprising local government officials, heritage community members, business operators, building owners, and academics. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that policy implementation has proceeded fairly well due to relatively effective communication, the availability of human resources, the commitment of implementers, and institutional support. However, limited funding for conservation, insufficient technological support, suboptimal interagency coordination, and the absence of an integrated heritage area management body remain major obstacles. This study demonstrates that the effectiveness of policy implementation is determined not only by organizational factors, as proposed by Edwards III, but also by collaborative cultural heritage governance through institutional coordination, community participation, and multi-stakeholder partnerships. These findings have implications for strengthening the implementation of cultural heritage preservation policies while supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.4.

ABSTRACT
The study examined Structural Equation Modeling of teacher’s motivation and adherence to test‑construction principles as determinants of Test Construction Competence of Public Secondary School Teachers in Cross River State, Nigeria. The research design used for this study was Ex-Post Facto design. The area of the study was Cross River State. The population of the study consist of 4183 public secondary school teachers. The stratified sampling technique was used to select the sample. The sample of this study was 1095 public secondary school teachers. The instrument used for collecting data was questionnaire. Data analysis and modeling of the variables was carried out using SPSS AMOS version 24. at 0.50 and above level of significant. The hypotheses tested using structural equation modeling and the results reveals that all the hypotheses were significant. Hypothesis one revealed that Motivation significantly influence test constructions competence of public secondary school teachers. Hypothesis two revealed that Adherence to test‑construction principles significantly influence test construction competence of public secondary school teachers. Based on the conclusion, it recommended among others that, Government and principals of Schools should always encourage their teachers by retraining them on test construction and giving them incentive to motivate them in discharging their duties. Public secondary school teachers should also be encouraged to have empathy on their students.

ABSTRACT
Learning innovation for pre-service Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI) teachers is essential to address the challenges of the digital era. The digital technology era requires critical thinking skills to integrate information and knowledge comprehensively. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of mental model-based learning in enhancing the critical thinking abilities of pre-service Islamic Primary School Teacher Education students in the era of disruption. The research employed a quantitative approach with a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design. The research subjects consisted of two groups: an experimental group (30 pre-service teachers) and a control group (30 pre-service teachers). The research instrument comprised a critical thinking test based on Facione's indicators. Data analysis used t-test, N-Gain, and effect size. The results demonstrate that mental model-based learning significantly improved students' critical thinking abilities, with an N-Gain of 0.51 (medium-high category) and an effect size of 0.85 (large category). These findings indicate that the mental model approach is effective in developing critical thinking skills through cognitive simulation and technology integration in learning for pre-service MI teachers. This study contributes to the development of innovative learning models to improve the quality of teacher education in the era of disruption.

ABSTRACT
This paper is centred on fictionalized examples drawn from Nadine Gordimer’s The House Gun and Get a Life and exposes the author’s solutions to the major challenges threatening the consolidation of South Africa’s multiracial democracy. It explores how the ‘new’ nation can strengthen its democratic identity amid persistent socio-economic and political emanating from the legacies of apartheid. What distinguishes this discussion is its deliberate racial dimension: it examines how a former fervent anti-apartheid white writer articulates strategies that could assist the ANC-led leadership (government controlled by the African National Congress, ANC) in fostering national unity after decades of struggle against apartheid. It argues that the solutions must be broad-based rooted in national consciousness, and guided by principles of both individual and collective commitment to values that sustain post-apartheid nationhood. Ultimately, the attainment of a robust multiracial democracy is achievable if citizens cultivate awareness and responsibility - first at the individual level, then collectively – while the ANC-led government reinforces the public sphere and tackles pressing national issues through concrete and pragmatic action. The discussions engage with some key postcolonial concepts such as the Centre/Margin dynamic, Self/Other binary, hybridity, transformative resistance, and new historicism’s emphasis on referentiality.

ABSTRACT
Poor academic performance in rural community secondary schools remains a major concern because it constrains educational progression, weakens human-capital development, and reproduces social inequality across already disadvantaged communities. Although recent African and Nigerian studies increasingly show that student achievement is shaped by interacting school, teacher, home, and learner conditions, there remains limited integrated evidence from rural community secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu State. This study investigated students’ perceived determinants of poor academic performance in selected rural community secondary schools in Nsukka. A quantitative descriptive survey design was adopted. The target population comprised 977 students from three selected schools, from which 280 respondents were selected through purposive school selection followed by proportionate simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire organized into demographic items and four substantive domains: parent/home-based, school-related, teacher-related, and student-related factors. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, were used for analysis. Mean scores of 2.75 and above were interpreted as major perceived factors, scores from 2.50 to 2.74 as minor perceived factors, and scores below 2.50 as non-significant factors. The results show that lack of parental encouragement, weak parent/guardian involvement, inadequate teaching and learning materials, distance from home to school, unsuitable home study environments, poor teacher–student relationships, teachers’ failure to complete schemes of work, student lateness, and student absenteeism were the most salient perceived contributors to poor academic performance. The study concludes that poor performance in the selected schools is not reducible to individual learner weakness; rather, it reflects a multidimensional ecology of home support, school resources, classroo

ABSTRACT
District-level planning plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality and equity of basic education, especially within decentralised systems. In Ghana, where educational disparities persist across regions, examining how local planning influences learning outcomes is both timely and essential. This review examine how district-level planning influences the quality of basic education in Ghana a question that lies at the heart of educational equity and systemic reform in developing contexts. Drawing on literature published between 2010 and 2025, the review considers how decentralised planning, when done well can serve as a powerful lever for transforming learning outcomes at the local level. It probes how decisions made at the district level about teacher deployment, financing, curriculum implementation, and stakeholder engagement shape not just access to education, but its depth, relevance, and inclusivity. While Ghana has invested heavily in policy frameworks like the Education Strategic Plan and decentralisation reforms, implementation remains uneven. Districts continue to face persistent challenges for instance weak data infrastructure, limited financial autonomy, inadequate planning capacity, and political interference. Yet, there are hopeful signs. Evidence from selected districts shows that where planning is inclusive, data-informed, and grounded in local realities, schools achieve better results especially for the most marginalised learners. The review concludes by arguing that district-level planning must move beyond technical compliance to become a practice of adaptive, participatory, and equity-driven leadership if Ghana is to realise its vision of quality education for all.