Although philosophers have long claimed that reading fiction has the potential to improve imaginative capacities, empirical evidence on this topic is limited. We report an experiment that aims to conceptually replicate and extend previous work by Djikic and colleagues by testing whether reading literary fiction reduces the need for closure, and by…

Snyder's hope theory depicts hope, through the frame of positive psychology, as a cognitive construct with the perceived sense of goal-directed, pathways, and agency thinking (Snyder et al., 1991). Hope levels have been measured in various countries; however, no research to date focused on Haitians. This study, conducted in Petit-Goâve, Haiti,…

Numerous studies have analysed the relationships between the implementation of the railroad within a territory and the demographic, urban, or economic development in that territory. The aim of this study deviates somewhat to focus on the possible repercussions of the railroad line in terms of reducing illiteracy rates in Extremadura (Spain)…

Phonological awareness (PA) is an important predictor and outcome of reading. Yet, little is known about the reciprocal relation between PA and reading across development without consistent reading experience (e.g., as a result of limited access to quality education and late enrolment in school). We tested the hypothesis that variable reading…

Obtaining informed consent can be challenging during peer research when the boundaries between researcher and participant are blurred. We developed a novel visual consent method with illiterate artists in Nepal who conducted peer interviews in their communities. Artists discussed and sketched images related to ethical principles to create a visual…

Compulsory school-dropout is a serious problem affecting not only the education systems, but also the developmental progress of any country as a whole. Identifying the risk of dropping out, and characterizing its main determinants, could help the decision-makers to draw eradicating policies for this persisting problem and reducing its social and…

This article advances an explanation for the dynamics of agencies and institutions responsible for the formation of skills in nineteenth-century western India. It shows that multiple agencies - artisanal apprenticeship, indigenous schools, new "bazar" schools, modern vernacular and English schools, and institutes for technical,…

This article explores the quality of life of adults with poor literacy capabilities (reading, writing and numeracy) in western Rwanda. A concurrent mixed methods research design was used. Data was collected from respondents aged 18 years and over through a survey and focus group discussions. Quantitative results from linear regression analysis…

In 2008 the South African Government launched the "Kha Ri Gude" mass literacy campaign to address the country's adult illiteracy problem. The Campaign drew upon the Cuban "Yo, Si Puedo" campaign model. In 2012, an Australian non-governmental organisation, Literacy for Life Foundation, likewise informed by the Cuban "Yo, Si…

This exploratory qualitative study gathered data on adolescents' mental models of illiteracy before and after they read news articles on the topic and explored their epistemic beliefs about illiteracy and news articles as a knowledge source. Engaging with the news requires critical thinking and civic engagement, both central components of…

This article draws from interviews with two Mixtec migrant farmworkers whose life experiences demonstrate how communication, language, and community, across time and borders, impact the ways Indigenousmigrants choose to practice literacy and non-literacy. Using their stories, I disrupt and decenter the Western definition of literacy and instead…

This study examines parental engagement in their children's pre-primary education in socioeconomically deprived settings in Tanzania. The study administered a Caregiver Report survey to 384 to parents in rural areas prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, focus group discussions were conducted with 106 parents both before and immediately after…

This study provides new evidence on the advance of literacy in Spain during the period 1860-1930. A novel dataset, built with historical information from the Spanish population censuses (over 8000 municipalities), enables this process to be described in detail from the end of the "Ancien Régime" to the Second Republic. The study thus…

Purpose: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at high risk of facing violence globally. Their sanctity and respect are threatened by violence in healthcare settings. Mostly, this occurs at the hands of patients and community members. This study explores the reasons for disrespect and violence against HCP by patients and community members in selected…

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of illiteracy on physical health and mental health. Design: Matching methods (nearest neighbour matching, Mahalanobis metric matching, and propensity score matching). Setting: Elderly people at least 65 years old in 22 provinces of China. Methods: The analysis used data from Chinese…