Studies in Humanities and Education

Project-Based Learning and High-Quality Teaching: Student Challenges and Scaffolding

Xiaomei Sun — 2026-06-27

This case study delves into project-based learning (PBL) and high-quality teaching as conceptualised by OECD (2025), with the aim of identifying effective pedagogical strategies for PBL implementation. By examining the challenges faced by students and their responses to both teacher and peer scaffolding within a tertiary teaching context, the study unfolds a rich narrative. Data collection, spanning an entire semester, encompasses a range of sources, including student artefacts produced at various stages of the project, their data documentation files, and the teacher’s reflective teaching journal. Data analysis was carried out using the thematic analysis approach. By exploring in depth the complex interplay between PBL and high-quality teaching, the research offers new perspectives for the pedagogical design, implementation, and evaluation of PBL. The key findings have been translated into a three-dimensional model of PBL scaffolding, that is, methodological, emotional, and informational scaffolding. An important finding of this study is that student support and collaboration is as essential as teacher scaffolding in the successful implementation of PBL. The implications also extend to strategies for enhancing data and digital literacy of tertiary learners.

Stakeholders’ Awareness, Acceptability, and Involvement in the VMGO: Bases for an Enhancement Program

Beatriz Clemente — 2026-06-27

The Vision, Mission, Goals, and Objectives (VMGO) serve as the strategic foundation of higher education institutions because they guide academic programs, governance, research, extension, and quality assurance processes. This mixed-methods study assessed the awareness, acceptability, and involvement of stakeholders in the VMGO of Cagayan State University (CSU) and its College of Teacher Education (CTEd). A total of 2,042 stakeholders participated, including students, faculty members, staff, administrators, alumni, parents, and community partners. Quantitative data were gathered through a validated researcher-made survey questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics; inferential comparison of stakeholder groups should be completed using item-level or raw data before final journal submission. Qualitative data from open-ended responses were examined through thematic analysis. Findings showed that students, faculty members, staff, administrators, alumni, and community partners generally reported high awareness and acceptability of the VMGO. Parents obtained comparatively lower ratings, indicating the need for more sustained and accessible dissemination strategies. Qualitative findings indicated that VMGO formulation, review, dissemination, and monitoring were characterized by participatory consultation, alignment with Commission on Higher Education policies and accreditation standards, multimodal communication, and continuous feedback mechanisms. The study proposes the Parent Engagement and VMGO Awareness Enhancement Program (PEVAEP) to strengthen parental participation and improve stakeholder alignment with institutional aspirations. The findings contribute to higher education quality assurance by highlighting that VMGO effectiveness depends not only on formal articulation but also on stakeholder understanding, acceptance, and meaningful participation.

Oil Theft in the Niger Delta and Its Economic Implications for Nigeria between 2021 and 2025

Emuesiri Joshua Esiere — 2026-06-27

Oil theft in the Niger Delta has long undermined Nigeria’s oil-dependent economy by lowering government revenue, harming the environment, and escalating socioeconomic unrest. Between 2021 and 2025, a time of policy, regulatory, and security reforms, such as the Petroleum Industry Act of 2021, this study examined patterns in crude oil theft and their economic effects on Nigeria. The study, which is based on the Frustration–Aggression Theory, sees oil theft as a reaction to marginalisation, perceived hardship, and environmental deterioration in communities that produce oil. A mixed-method approach used secondary data from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, a survey of 278 respondents, twenty key informant interviews, and field observations in the states of Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Edo. While descriptive statistics and trend analysis examined quantitative evidence, thematic content analysis was used to assess qualitative material. According to the findings, oil theft reached its highest point in 2021, when almost 37.6 million barrels of crude oil worth more than US$2.6 billion were lost. Stronger security measures, better pipeline surveillance through private security contracts, and regulatory changes all contributed to a notable decrease in theft starting in 2022. Nonetheless, small-scale artisanal refining persists due to host communities’ lack of employment prospects, poverty, environmental harm, and unemployment. The study concludes that in order to maintain recent gains, security enforcement must be combined with community development, environmental restoration, economic diversification, transparency, and more robust institutional oversight throughout the Niger Delta.

Strengthening Civic Responsibility and Nation-Building through Social Studies Education: Rethinking Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Democratic Values in Contemporary Classrooms

Yemi Ogundare — 2026-06-27

Social studies education occupies a central place in shaping civic responsibility and sustaining nation-building in contemporary societies. As nations grapple with democratic backsliding, rising inequalities, and identity-based conflicts, the role of education in nurturing informed, active, and responsible citizens becomes increasingly urgent. This paper examines how social studies education can be repositioned as a transformative tool for embedding civic values, strengthening democratic participation, and fostering collective responsibility for national development, with particular focus on Nigeria. Drawing on civic education theory and critical pedagogy, the study highlights how curriculum design, participatory teaching methods, and experiential learning contribute to the cultivation of civic virtues such as tolerance, accountability, and social justice. It further interrogates the challenges that undermine the civic mission of social studies, including rote learning practices, politicization of curricula, and the marginalization of civic discourses in policy priorities. By analyzing case studies and comparative insights from diverse educational contexts, the paper argues that effective social studies education must transcend mere transmission of knowledge and instead cultivate critical consciousness, empathy, and community engagement among learners. The study concludes that rethinking social studies education is vital for reinforcing democratic resilience, strengthening national unity, and preparing young people to confront the complexities of a rapidly changing world. Practical recommendations are offered for curriculum reform, teacher training, and policy alignment to ensure that social studies education fulfills its civic mandate in building nations that are inclusive, participatory, and sustainable.