The relationship between education and societal development is unquestionable. Education contributes to achieving both societies’ and individuals’ social and economic goals. Quality education is recognized as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which, jointly with other behaviors and attitudes, could impact the development of societies in other fields like health and well-being, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability, and even peace and stability—all of them also listed as SDGs. However, the capacity, or not, to reach higher levels of compliance with quality in education (SDG 4) varies from country to country, according to the 2023 Sustainable Development Report results. Thus, the present study aims to identify the sufficient conditions for achieving higher levels of quality education (SDG 4) globally and to analyze how these conditions vary across different world regions. Applying a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis and using data from the 2023 Sustainable Development Report, we focus our analysis on four SDG 4 indicators—early education, primary education, lower secondary education, and literacy rate—across 117 countries, in order to assess the conditions for attaining higher levels of quality education. The results reveal there are specific and identifiable conditions that are sufficient for achieving higher levels of quality education on a global scale, with significant regional variations. These insights contribute to understanding the complex dynamics of educational quality and could be used as guidance for policymakers and educators aiming to improve educational outcomes worldwide.

The COVID-19 pandemic had severe implications in different economic sectors, among them tourism, with countries where tourism has a relevant economic role, such as Portugal, being greatly affected. However, the impact was different in the various regions of the country, which could be related to some tourism units, being more isolated or with fewer rooms, being seen as more attractive and safer. Based on data from Portuguese firms, and distinguishing their location between coastal and inland, it is possible to conclude that inland tourism units were less affected than coastal ones, which could be related to tourists seeking less densely populated areas, a relevant conclusion for the different agents.

This study was conducted in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and, more specifically, within the research project ‘Teaching and Learning in Times of COVID-19: Teachers’ and Students' Perceptions in Cross-border Regions'. This study—conducted in Portugal—intended to diagnose the perceptions of basic education teachers and students regarding distance learning (D@L), considering a wide range of variables. This study was developed based on a multi-perspective approach, and data were collected via questionnaire surveys with open- and close-ended questions. In this study, we only intend to understand teachers' perceptions and, more specifically, issues pertaining to teaching professionalism. The results reflect teachers' perceptions of the transformations and challenges of D@L, the affirmation and recognition, and the ethical and deontological issues associated with the teaching profession following the educational changes imposed by the pandemic. More concretely, they suggest that D@L was accompanied by transformations or challenges that led to the reconfiguration of teaching and learning processes and contributed to the professional development of the study participants. However, the response trends differed because D@L has enabled the affirmation and social recognition of the teaching profession and raises ethical and deontological questions regarding the participants' professionalism.

Considering the unquestionable role of education in economic development, it has an impact at a macroeconomic level—contributing to enhancing productivity and innovation, reducing poverty and promoting social cohesion—and at a personal level—ensuring the improvement of knowledge, skills and individual capabilities and promoting social values like empowerment and equality. Notably, quality education is recognized as one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which, jointly with other behaviors and attitudes, could impact the development of societies in other fields like health and well-being, cultural preservation, environmental sustainability and even peace and stability—all of them also listed as SDGs. However, the capacity, or not, to reach higher levels of compliance with quality in education (SDG 4) varies from country to country, according to the 2023 Sustainable Development Report results. Thus, the present study used a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to assess the conditions for attaining higher levels of quality education based on the different indicators used to measure SDG 4. The analysis will allow comparisons of results among different countries and provide information about the initiatives that could be relevant to increasing quality education worldwide and for policymakers.