Shared Medical Appointments for Multimorbidity: Harnessing the Relational

Background: Shared medical appointments (SMAs) involve a clinician seeing more than one patient at a time and are often thought of as advantageous in terms of saving human and financial resources and may be especially helpful in multimorbidity management in primary care. SMAs are typically rated highly by both patients and the clinicians delivering them. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore staff and patients' views about SMAs, in particular the dynamics and relational processes underpinning their experiences of the SMAs. Design and Setting: The study utilised qualitative inquiry within a general practice setting. Method: Focus groups were carried out with staff and patients who had been involved with an SMA pilot in general practice. Results: Results stemming from thematic analysis suggest that the holistic care and space for relational processes provided by SMAs underpin the satisfaction of patients, GPs, and the wider primary care team. Conclusion: SMAs offer an opportunity for both patients and GPs to have an enhanced experience of managing chronic multi-morbid health conditions

Re-thinking nature-connection: Practitioners’ worldviews as multi-paradigmatic entanglements

Nature-connection is increasingly promoted as a way of prompting care and concern for nature and encouraging pro-environmental behaviours. Yet its conceptual foundations remain unclear and contested with researchers defining the construct in divergent ways. In this study, a situational analysis of interviews with nature-connection practitioners is used to provide empirical evidence demonstrating entwined and contradictory discourses at work in their talk about nature-connection theory and practice. The analysis illustrates the ways in which cartesian dualism and relational ontologies occupy the same discursive space. The data are used to discuss possible routes toward a more coherent premise for an environmental ethic than the ubiquitous biophilia hypothesis, in-troducing panpsychism as a promising rationale for the moral consideration of nonhumans and the fostering of cultural intuitions of animacy in relationship to urban environments and human-made artefacts. Conservationists and educators are encouraged to explore panpsychism for its potential to provide an ethical framework for promoting a greater sense of ecological responsibility

Pretty Poverty: Rural School Participation and Belonging in Cornwall with International Perspective

School attendance crises are rarely understood through the lens of place-based disadvantage. This paper examines how rural poverty systematically undermines educational belonging and school participation, using Cornwall, England, as an exemplar case study with broader international significance. Drawing on qualitative data from the Pretty Poverty Report (Ovenden-Hope et al., 2025), I analyse how transport dependency, employment precarity, housing displacement, healthcare withdrawal, and educational isolation create cascading barriers to participation and belonging in rural contexts. I situate Cornwall's experience within international evidence, demonstrating that rural educational disadvantage is a persistent global phenomenon requiring place-sensitive policy responses. The paper argues that belonging-centred, place-based approaches offer more promising pathways to improving attendance than individualised interventions

Adventure monuments: entanglements of history, matter and practice

This theoretical paper departs from the premise that local forms of adventure are often at risk of being erased or appropriated by colonial-capitalist systems such as tourism or the adventure sport industry. This phenomenon usually sidelines the needs of local communities and jeopardises the health of local ecosystems in the process. In suggesting that part of the problem lies in how the connection between adventure, place and culture is often theorised, the author goes on to introduce the term ‘Adventure Monuments’ – a concept that frames places of adventure as materially vibrant and challenges capitalist narratives that primarily view adventure as a human spectacle or commodity. Framing places as adventure monuments centres their material significance as relational and political spaces where adventure has been slowly co-authored by human and nonhuman agents. This approach draws from posthuman discourse to frame adventure, place and culture as mutually constitutive agencies that jointly evolve and become within a complex weave of relations involving multiple human and non-human actors. After its key theoretical premises are discussed, this perspective is applied to a case (The Trampolino of Rhodes) to demonstrate its epistemological value and how it can contribute to the wider effort to decolonise adventure at both local and global levels

"BEYOND COLONISATION: DEVELOPING A SENSE OF PLACE THROUGH OUTDOOR EDUCATION IN VIETNAM .."

In this paper, I explore the recontextualization of place-responsive pedagogy within Vietnamese cultural and geographical setting. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks and empirical findings from Leather and Thorsteinsson [6] and Thorsteinsson et al. [10], I critically examine how outdoor education can develop a sense of place that is experientially, culturally, and politically sensitive. As a white European from the UK, a nation known for its colonising history and legacy, I adopt a reflexive stance, questioning the colonial influences and legacies of traditional British outdoor education while exploring its potential for social, ecological and environmental justice. I situate place-based education in dialogue with my current understanding of Vietnamese values [9] and landscapes [8], and outline pedagogical adaptations that respect local narratives, challenge colonial legacies, and embrace the aesthetic, embodied, and more-than-human dimensions of learning

Beyond ChatGPT: a review of the use of AI tools in biological education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping biological research, yet its adoption within biological education has been much slower, partly due to concerns surrounding generative AI (GAI) tools such as ChatGPT. Despite this, AI-driven applications including iNaturalist and Google Lens are being used to support teaching and learning in biology. This review examines the potential benefits of AI in biological education, including enhanced student engagement and subject knowledge, support for coding skills, assistive technologies for students with disabilities, and the use of predictive modelling to identify at-risk students. It also reviews emerging literature on the integration of specialised machine learning tools for bioimaging and species identification in biology teaching. Evidence suggests that tools such as iNaturalist can improve learning outcomes, promote engagement, and foster environmental stewardship. However, challenges associated with GAI are also discussed, including academic integrity, assessment design, misinformation, and the potential erosion of critical thinking and independent research skills. To maximise benefits while minimising risks, appropriate professional development for educators and clear guidance for students are essential. The review highlights the need for further rigorous research, particularly regarding impacts on critical thinking and the integration of AI into laboratory and field-based activities

Overtourism and Migrant Economic Activity

This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge of the relationship between overtourism and migrant economic activity at a destination level. While the displacement effects of overtourism are well documented, the employment/self-employment impacts of overtourism remain under-researched. Drawing on existing literature, the analysis offers a conceptual framework that explains the impact of overtourism on the economic activity of locals and migrants, and the mobilities at play between the tourist zone and the peripheral zone. Several key elements stand out: the extent to which the economic base has been restructured, the extent to which locals gain employment in tourism, mobility patterns between the tourist zone and the peripheral zone, ownership of economic resources (capital) and levels of entrepreneurship/self-employment

Sustainability in business and economics education in South African universities: Whose agenda is it?

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become increasingly significant in business and economics disciplines due to their focus on production, consumption, and economic policy. However, integration of sustainability into these curricula in universities remains uneven, especially in contexts like South Africa, where socio-political and economic challenges intersect with environmental concerns. This paper explores how faculty in South African universities understand, experience, and embed sustainability in business and economics teaching. Drawing on interviews with faculty from three institutions, we investigate definitions of sustainability, perceived barriers and opportunities, pedagogical strategies, and contextual influences. Findings reveal that sustainability is often viewed as peripheral, with understandings rooted primarily in economic concerns, complicated by limited student awareness, resource constraints, and lack of curriculum guidance. While some faculty demonstrate personal commitment to sustainability, their efforts are largely unsupported by institutional or governmental frameworks. The socio-economic context of South Africa, including poverty, corruption, and post-apartheid inequalities, shapes how sustainability is understood and prioritised, leading to tensions between economic development and environmental protection. Decolonisation and Africanisation efforts further challenge dominant western sustainability narratives. The study highlights the disconnect between international sustainability agendas and local realities, underscoring the need for contextually appropriate ESD approaches in business and economics. It offers original insight into how faculty negotiate complex educational, political, and cultural landscapes to embed sustainability in teaching, and contributes to the emerging body of literature on ESD in African higher education. Findings have implications for policy, curriculum development, and faculty support both within South Africa and other emerging economies

Still niche? Stakeholder perspectives on growing the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy industries

Shifting towards plant-based diets is a crucial aspect of mitigating climate change. As part of this transition, growing the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy industries has significant potential to reduce the environmental impacts of the food system in Western countries. To date, little research has examined the systemic challenges faced by stakeholders involved in developing and supporting these industries. By applying a multi-stakeholder perspective, our study addresses this gap in the literature, exploring the factors influencing industry growth. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 respondents representing consumers, manufacturers and retailers. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied, identifying seven overlapping themes applicable to both industries. Findings indicate that support for plant-based products is often grounded in sustainability goals and belief that newer plant-based alternatives can effectively meet consumer expectations. However, industry growth is restricted by complex structural challenges, including the influence of the meat and dairy sector, negative consumer perceptions, and the high financial risk of investing in these emerging alternatives. Stakeholders identified two key changes needed: greater industry investment and more effective strategies to stimulate consumer demand. Applying the multi-level perspective (MLP) to interpret findings suggests that the plant-based meat and plant-based dairy sectors are still operating as niche industries, and that sector growth depends on changes at both the niche and regime levels to fully integrate plant-based meat and plant-based dairy into the food system. This research contributes original insights into the dynamics of sustainable food system transformation by foregrounding stakeholder experiences across multiple points in the value chain