Agricultural sector accelerates a nation’s economic growth towards sustainable development. There exists a significant relationship between agriculture and the environment. Sustainable agricultural development ensures food quality and in tandem prevents natural calamities like drought. However, in order to fulfill the food demand of a growing population, poor law quality and untenable agriculture practices arise, which in turn lead to environmental degradation. The current study explores the relationship between the agro-economic atmosphere and CO₂ emissions as a measure of environmental degradation in Bangladesh between the years of 1985 and 2017. To exhibit the long-run relationship of agricultural ecology and carbon dioxide emissions, three cointegrated equations- Fully-modified ordinary least square (FMOLS), Dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS), and Canonical cointegrated regression (CCR) were assessed. For cointegration, Bayer-Hanck cointegration was implied. In long-run estimates, it was found that livestock, rice area harvested, cereal production, and other crop production impeded environmental dilapidation. The Granger Causality Test enabled unidirectional causality towards burned biomass (crop residues), the agricultural economy, and carbon emissions. Therefore, this dimension’s causality concluded that carbon dioxide emissions were caused by cereal production, other agricultural production, and agricultural land production. The overall findings of this study could potentially assist the Government of Bangladesh and the necessary authorities for implementing synchronized policies to help reduce environmental pollution and set an example for other developing nations like Bangladesh.

The COVID-19 pandemic drastically transformed the global education system forever. To sustain the education system, e-learning has been adopted as an alternative teaching-learning strategy in most countries. Due to this sudden transition, teachers had practically no time to prepare themselves for distance learning, especially in developing countries. Consequently, teachers faced numerous challenges while teaching online. The present study aimed to explore the effectiveness of need-based teachers’ training programs to address online teaching challenges faced by primary and secondary level teachers. Adopting a mixed-method research approach, this study was conducted between January and July 2021 at 6 primary and secondary level institutions in 4 different districts of Bangladesh. Primary data were collected through face-to-face surveys, electronic surveys, and one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Descriptive analysis and bivariate correlational analysis were carried out for quantitative data exploration. On the other hand, qualitative data were coded and analyzed thematically. Findings highlight that less familiarity with online teaching tools, lack of digital skills, unstable Internet connectivity, difficulties with time management, insufficient teaching materials, lack of satisfaction, heavy workload, and poor self-confidence were the key barriers to online teaching. However, in this study, a proper need-based teacher training program is found to be considerably effective in improving online teaching quality by increasing teachers’ technological skills, confidence, satisfaction, motivation, time management skill, and behavioral changes. The overall findings of this study are expected to assist the devolved authorities in implementing synchronized policies to improve online teaching quality.

Primary and secondary school quality indicators need to be defined, assessed, and monitored due to their incomparable contributions to the entire educational process as well as for the overall development of a country. However, previous studies rarely emphasized indicators that have a substantial impact on school quality, especially in the context of developing countries. Bangladesh is one of them where this has yet to be adequately studied. To bridge this gap, this study aimed to explore the key “driver” constructs of primary and secondary level school quality. Adopting a quantitative cross-sectional research design, the present study was conducted between April 2021 to January 2022 at 128 primary and secondary level schools in 38 different districts of Bangladesh. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Empirical findings revealed that teacher quality (β = 0.588, t = 12.242, p < 0.001), technology (β = 0.279, t = 5.402, p < 0.001), school leadership (β = 0.132, t = 2.383, p < 0.05) have positive influence on students' academic achievement which ultimately affects (β = 0.923, t = 92.713, p < 0.001) the overall quality of the school. While school environment does not significantly influence students’ academic achievement or school quality. The overall findings of this study are expected to assist the devolved authorities in implementing synchronized policies for the improvement of primary and secondary level school quality.

COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted schooling globally. Affecting millions of students, the conventional face-to-face (F2F) education system has been replaced by e-learning overnight. As the advantages, disadvantages, and technical challenges of this abrupt transformation were already well-documented, this study aimed to intensely scrutinize university students' experiences of e-learning practices in this new normal situation. Methods: Adopting the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a smaller sample of respondents (N=25) was observed to gain deeper insights using semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed and interpreted through thematic analysis. Findings revealed that most of the students have had unfavorable experiences with e-learning. The majority of students feel that e-learning has ruined their social relationships by isolating them from their peers and instructors. A significant number of students were observed to be anxious about their future due to unstable financial status, poor learning outcomes, and unfair evaluation processes. Moreover, poor self-esteem, anxiety, and depressive symptoms have been observed among a significant portion of the students. The overall findings of this study are meant to assist stakeholders in taking the necessary steps to address the aforementioned issues and ensure an improved learning experience, particularly in an e-learning environment.

Blended learning (BL), which offers a learning ecosystem through a combination of face-to-face and online learning components, has positively impacted teaching and learning experiences. However, its role in facilitating employability skills remains underexplored. Drawing on evidence from a qualitative exploratory study based on a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and observations of students’ engagement in a BL course at a Bangladeshi university, this study examines the effectiveness of BL in complementing traditional face-to-face and purely online learning, while facilitating students’ employability skills in the process. Findings reveal that BL decreases the shortcomings of both face-to-face and online learning by helping students overcome reticent behavior, time constraints, learning inertia, anxiety about engagement, and the risk of dropping out. Subsequently, it improves a range of recognized employability skills among the students, such as critical thinking skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, cognitive and meta-cognitive skills, communication (reading and writing) skills, teamwork skills, technological skills, and time management skills. Additionally, BL indirectly influences their adaptability and leadership attributes. This study provides valuable insights for designing and refining educational strategies that bolster employability among graduates. The paper concludes with an exhortation for further research on this relatively less-explored subject.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused higher education institutions to switch to online learning. This unique endeavor is being investigated to protect high-quality education. Due to its hasty and emergency implementation, students may have different opinions about this new education system. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the relationships between constructs such as students perceived effectiveness, institutional facility, teaching material, and overall satisfaction during the COVID-19 outbreak. Adopting a quantitative research approach, this study was conducted between November 8, 2020, and February 12, 2021, in private universities in Bangladesh. Data were utilized in structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that perceived effectiveness (0.68, p-value0.01), institutional facility (0.23, p-value0.01), and teaching material (0.14, p-value0.01) are all positively and significantly associated with satisfaction with an online class module. In addition, trajectory analysis establishes a link between satisfaction and effectiveness in e-learning through the SEM. The results of the study also indicate a strong and positive correlation between satisfaction with an online class module and perceived effectiveness, institutional setting, and teaching material. This study will serve as a catalyst for understanding students satisfaction in an online environment, as well as a benchmark for various stakeholders, particularly policymakers, practitioners, academicians, and institution owners, to take the necessary steps to ensure a sustainable online learning platform.