International Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities (IJRSS) ISSN:2582-6220, DOI: 10.47505/IJRSS

The Paradox of Skilled Unemployment: Understanding Underemployment among Engineering Graduates

Ganga Lakshmi — 2025-04-03

Underemployment among engineering graduates remains a critical challenge in India, where the rapid expansion of technical education has not been matched by sufficient job opportunities. This study employs a survey-based approach, analyzing responses from 100 engineering graduates in Kerala and using Chi-Square tests to identify key factors influencing underemployment. The findings indicate that demographic factors, academic performance, and institution type do not significantly impact underemployment. However, participation in internships and skill development programs significantly reduces underemployment, highlighting the importance of practical experience and industry-aligned training. Major challenges include skill mismatches, weak industry-academia collaboration, outdated curricula, and inadequate career guidance. To address these issues, the study recommends mandatory internships, expanded skill development programs, improved career counseling, and stronger industry partnerships. Additionally, government interventions such as hiring incentives and structured employer-academia collaboration are essential to bridging the education-employment gap. These insights contribute to ongoing discussions on education reform and employability, emphasizing the need for systemic changes to ensure engineering education leads to meaningful careers.

Development of outdoor Science Activity of Biomass Briquette Making as Supplementary Activity in Teaching Heat Transfer

Jacqueline m Tabil — 2025-04-03

The study aimed to develop an inquiry-based lesson plan integrating biomass briquette making as a supplementary activity for teaching heat transfer and related thermodynamic concepts. This aims to enhance Grade 7 learners' academic performance and understanding of students in physics, particularly the concepts of thermodynamics. The participants of the study were 10 (ten) in-service science teachers and 3 (three) graduate students majoring in physics education, selected purposively. This study employed a Research and Development (R&D) design and utilized a quantitative method with qualitative support in developing the 7E lesson plan. Quantitative data was obtained from the panel of evaluators’ ratings on the developed lesson using the Likert scale and the rubric. Aiken’s V Coefficient was used to assess the content validity of the lesson plan. Qualitative data was obtained through in-depth analysis of the evaluators' comments and suggestions on the developed lesson. The inquiry lesson was enhanced based on the comments and suggestions from evaluators, to ensure that the lesson was aligned with the DepEd learning competencies. The developed inquiry lesson received a “Valid” rating from the 10 In-service Science teachers and 3 graduate students in Physics Education. The positive rating from the evaluators indicates that the lesson with biomass briquette integration has the potential to enhance the Grade 7 academic performance, particularly in comprehending challenging abstract physics concepts such as heat transfer and related thermodynamics concepts. Therefore, this study recommends using inquiry lessons and measuring student learning through pretest-posttest to evaluate their understanding of the topic of heat transfer. Furthermore, explores the long-term impact of the inquiry lesson on learners’ behaviors toward physics and their ability to apply the concepts of thermodynamics in different situations.

Integrating Simulation-Based and Hands-On Experiments: A Guided Inquiry Learning Packet on Magnetic Induction

Juhana S. Omra — 2025-04-03

Students often struggle with magnetic induction due to its abstract nature and complex relationships between flux, emf, and current. Simulations are known to be effective tools in enhancing understanding complex and abstract physics concepts. But simulations alone limit the complete development of procedural skills of students during physical experiments. On the other hand, guided inquiry learning promotes scientific literacy among learners as it encourages exploration, formulation of hypotheses, and analyzing evidence. Combining guided inquiry-based learning with simulations and hands-on activities can furtherly enhance understanding and achievement by promoting exploration and active engagement. This study developed a guided inquiry learning packet that integrates simulation-based and hands-on activities to enhance student understanding and academic performance on Magnetic Induction. The packet combines PhET simulations with hands-on activities to provide a comprehensive learning experience. The developmental research design supported by both qualitative and quantitative approaches was employed to investigate the effect of this integrated approach on students’ conceptual gain and academic performance. The overall evaluation confirmed that the learning packet meets high standards of validity and acceptance, with the overall mean score reflecting an excellent rating. The impact of the guided inquiry learning packet on students' academic performance was assessed using the devised achievement tests, activities, and problem sets. The results from the six sections that used the learning packet revealed that students' academic performance significantly improved and the average class gain across all sections ranged from 0.48 to 0.62, reflecting a notable improvement in academic performance.

Factors Influencing the Impact of Nurses on Health Care Policy

Ndovoyo Joseph — 2025-04-03

Background: Health care policies directly affects the nursing profession. Given that nursing is a multifaceted, interactive, interdisciplinary, and complex profession, health policies are unavoidably necessary. In order to attain quality care, accessibility, and cost-effective care to improve the quality of life and welfare of society, nurses are expected to consciously recognize the challenges and collaborate with other decision makers to initiate, influence, create, and advance current health care policies.

Purpose: To identify the elements affecting nurses' influence on health care policy and offer the advice that nurses need to support choices about the creation and application of policies.

Methods: Desktop review was done on 18 articles published between January 2001 and May 2022. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases and internet engines were searched. The following phrases were used to search for the data: “nursing policy”, “politics”, “health care policy”, “nurses influence on policy making/politics/health policy”, “nurses challenges in policy making/politics/policy”, and “importance of nursing policy making/politics/health policy”

Results: According to the analysis, nurses have the ability to influence health-related decisions and affairs through their political knowledge, effective communication, and teamwork with other members of the health team. This improves the work environment for nurses and improves patient outcomes.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the researcher observed that nurses' participation in policymaking has not increased over time. Majority of the authors in this study focused on the following issues as obstacles to the development of health policies: a lack of resources, a lack of enabling structures, a negative perception of nursing, and a lack of knowledge and skills in policy making.

Recommendation: Nurse leaders play a crucial role in mentoring, supporting, and developing future nurse policy makers because nurses must be active rather than passive agents who come out to influence and take the lead in policy development. The use of health policy in nursing discipline allows for career growth by providing a guiding and driving force, where the professional body of nurses is directed towards achieving their mission and vision through their set course values and beliefs.

Development and Evaluation of Simulation-Based Guided Inquiry Learning Packet on Projectile Motion Embedded with Metacognitive Scaffolding

Meldren Torrevillas — 2025-04-03

Projectile motion is a foundational concept in physics, yet Grade 9 students consistently struggle with its abstractness and mathematical complexities. Traditional teaching methods often fail to address misconceptions and promote deep conceptual understanding. This study addresses this gap by developing and evaluating an edge-cutting learning packet. This study aimed to develop and assess the efficacy of a simulation-based guided inquiry learning packet embedded with metacognitive scaffolding in enhancing Grade 9 students' conceptual understanding of projectile motion. Employing the Successive Approximation Model (SAM), a learning packet was developed integrating PhET simulations, guided inquiry activities, and metacognitive prompts. The packet was validated by 16 experienced physics educators and implemented with 41 Grade 9 students in a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest-posttest design. Data was analyzed using Kendall's W, mean scores, item analysis, and normalized gain. The needs assessment revealed projectile motion as the most difficult topic, corroborated by Kendall's W (0.37), indicating moderate agreement among DepEd teachers (N=35). Expert evaluations affirmed the packet's quality with a "PASSED" rating across criteria: content, format, presentation, and accuracy. The student achievement scores significantly improved, with the mean increasing from 7.07 to 14.34. The average normalized gain was 0.56, classified as "Average." The findings advocate for a paradigm shift in physics education, emphasizing the role of metacognitive support and simulation-based inquiry to promote deeper, perturbed understanding. This research offers a replicable model for instructional design and calls for the broader adoption of innovative strategies that empower students to master challenging scientific concepts. Ergo suggests determining the metacognitive development of the students.

Accent Bias towards Korean-English Second-language Learners: A Comprehensive Study

Naeun Kim — 2025-04-03

Accent bias refers to prejudice and stereotypes towards individuals speaking a language with a pronunciation different from the dominant trend. This study examines accent biases in second language English learners who speak Korean as their first language. The research took place in an international school located in Jeju Island, South Korea. The study investigates what accent biases are, how they are established against second language English learners, and why people act on these accent biases. Results were collected through an online questionnaire that tested Korean-English bilinguals and English monolinguals’ perceptions of English second language learners’ accents. The audio files of differently accented speakers were obtained through Speech Accent Archive. Research survey participants were presented with audio clips of three different speakers for scenario one, a law firm job interview situation and scenario two, meeting the speakers as newly acquainted friends. The study explores factors that may affect the exercise of accent biases in our society, such as the broadness of the speaker’s accent, the perceiver’s linguistic background, and the context of the interaction. The research tests statistically the correlation between these factors and the accent biases expressed better to understand accent bias towards second language English learners. As a result, the study will guide in the direction of efforts that can be made to eradicate accent biases in decision making situations.

The Main Barriers to Youth Political Participation in Botswana

Bame Romeo Gaonyadiwe — 2025-04-03

Youth participation in elections should not only be limited to voting, they must be seen as potential leaders with the capability of contributing to the progress of society. This paper explores the main barriers to youth political participation in Botswana and uses a qualitative approach to assess the barriers youth face in politics. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from civil society organizations, political parties, academia, and government. The results reveal that young people find themselves in political parties dominated by elders, with fewer resources exacerbated by high unemployment, blocking their meaningful political participation. The lack of civic education, political socialisation, societal attitude and mentality towards the youth further affects their behaviour towards politics. Moreover, youth are also part of the problem because of their perception of politics and failure to invest in their political careers to make a meaningful contribution.

Exploring Entrepreneurial Inclination among Female Students in Colleges of National Capital Delhi: An Analysis of the Role of Higher Educational Institutions in Nurturing Entrepreneurship

DR. Sunil — 2025-04-03

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors influencing entrepreneurial inclination among female students. Specifically, it critically evaluates the role of higher educational institutions, particularly colleges in the National Capital, Delhi, as platforms for promoting female entrepreneurship. The study analyzes the linkage between entrepreneurial inclination and various factors, including the syllabi and pedagogy offered by the colleges, industry internship programs, entrepreneurial motivation, resource constraints, curriculum gaps, and the demographic characteristics of female students.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives, a well-designed questionnaire was distributed among female students. A sample size of 896 students, enrolled in various courses across twelve randomly selected colleges was chosen. The students were asked to complete the questionnaire by self-rating on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree for each statement. After data compilation, factor analysis using the principal component method was conducted in SPSS, which extracted five variables based on the factor loadings. The data was further analyzed using ANOVA, correlation, and regression analysis.

Findings

The study finds that the internship programs offered by colleges motivate female students to incline towards entrepreneurship. However, the syllabus and pedagogy require thorough revision. Despite having a positive relationship with entrepreneurial inclination, the current syllabus and pedagogy do not effectively motivate female students to pursue entrepreneurship. There is a lack of motivational factors. An interaction program with successful female entrepreneurs, lectures by top industry icons, and a coordinated effort by the government, financial institutions, and colleges to implement promotional and motivational policies for female entrepreneurship can help motivate female students. Additionally, modern teaching techniques and simulation programs should be introduced to enhance the learning process and inspire female students to become entrepreneurs. The dearth of resources remains one of the biggest demotivating factors for female entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The study identifies the gaps in syllabi and pedagogy, resources needed for promoting entrepreneurship, gaps in planning and implementation, and lack of coordination among the agencies involved in promoting women entrepreneurship. It suggests that revision of syllabi, adopting modern teaching learning methodology including AI, incorporating more motivational factors, coordinated efforts from higher institutions, government agencies and financial institutions to promote women entrepreneurship.

Key Words: Inclination, Entrepreneurship, Internship Programs, Curriculum