Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): Issue 2 (February Issue)

View Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): Issue 2 (February Issue)

Discipline: Social Sciences (Miscellaneous)

Published: 2026-02-28

Articles

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Environmental Education as a Cross-Curricular Approach

Azmat Ullah, Dr. Muhammad Ayaz, Sobia Kaleem, Haleema Sadia

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.269
Climate change, pollution, deforestation, biodiversity loss and natural resource depletion are some of the most pressing issues globally facing the twenty-first century. These environmental issues pose risks to the ecological balance, human health, economic development, and future generations. Hence, it is hoped that all the educational systems in the world can prepare students with knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, and competencies for solving environmental issues for a sustainable life. Environmental Education (EE) has become a strong tool for education to achieve environmental literacy and responsible decision-making. Environmental Education is no longer an isolated subject but is now being taught as a cross-over subject, which means environmental issues are woven into other subjects such as science, social studies, geography, language, mathematics, arts and technology. This interdisciplinary learning connects subjects to real-world environmental issues, helping students develop holistic understanding and practical awareness. This paper reviews the theoretical basis of EE, the educational value of EE, important principles of EE, advantages of EE, methods for implementing EE and the difficulties in successfully integrating EE into school curricula as a cross-curricular educational approach. It also shows the importance of teachers, curriculum designers, educational institutions and policy makers in environmental sustainability through interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The study found that cross-curricular EE develops holistic learning, critical and creative thinking, awareness of the environment, problem-solving skills, collaborative learning, and responsibility as a citizen. It also plays a major role in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under SDG 4, SDG 13, SDG 15, and SDG 17.
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Green Intellectual Capital and Sustainable Performance among Public Sector Employees: A Cross-Sectional Correlational Study

Mohsin Ali, Aurang Zaib Ashraf Shami, Hisham Humayun, Muhammad Nadeem Anjum, Shah Jahan Ashraf

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.275
Although numerous studies have examined the relationship between Green Intellectual Capital and Sustainable Performance, limited evidence is available in the Pakistani public sector. Therefore, the present study aimed to address this gap by adopting a cross-sectional correlational research design and a purposive sampling technique to recruit public sector employees from various organizations in Lahore and Faisalabad, Pakistan. Participants were required to be at least 19 years old, possess a minimum qualification of Intermediate, and have at least one year of work experience. Initially, 300 employees were approached, of whom 260 completed the questionnaires, yielding a response rate of 86.7%. The study utilized two standardized instruments: the Green Intellectual Capital Scale and the Sustainable Performance Scale. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between Green Intellectual Capital and Sustainable Performance. Furthermore, Green Intellectual Capital significantly and positively predicted Sustainable Performance among public sector employees. The findings highlight the importance of Green Intellectual Capital in enhancing Sustainable Performance within public sector organizations
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10-18
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Lived Experiences of Adolescents with Stuttering: Exploring Self-Esteem, Social Anxiety, and Coping Mechanisms

Raeesa Tabassum, Bushra Kanwal, Urwah Jabbar, Sumeha Mehmood, Roshanay Naveed

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.277
Stuttering is a communication disorder that extends beyond speech fluency, often influencing adolescents' psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and overall quality of life. The present study aimed to explore the lived experiences of adolescents with stuttering, with particular emphasis on self-esteem, social anxiety, and coping strategies. A qualitative research design grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed to gain an in-depth understanding of participants' subjective experiences. Seven adolescents diagnosed with developmental stuttering were recruited through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured, in-depth interviews, allowing participants to describe their personal experiences in their own words. The interview transcripts were analyzed following the systematic stages of IPA, including repeated reading, initial noting, development of emergent themes, and identification of patterns across cases. Six themes emerged: Daily Hassle of Stuttering; Wounded Self: Impact on Self-Esteem and Identity; The Social Environment as an Intimidating Environment: Social Anxiety; Environmental Influences and Stigma; Emotional and Psychological Experiences; and Coping Strategies. Although participants experienced considerable psychological and social challenges, they also demonstrated resilience by adopting a range of adaptive coping strategies. The findings highlight the importance of integrating psychological counseling with speech-language therapy to address the psychosocial needs of adolescents who stutter and contribute to the limited qualitative literature in this area.
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19-30
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Trust in AI Influencers and Purchase Intention for Experience Products: The Mediating Role of Parasocial Interaction

Anzeela Mahmood

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.281
This study aimed to examine the relationship between trust in AI influencers and purchase intention for experience products, with parasocial interaction as a mediator, within the cultural context of Lithuania to address the existing research gap. The study adopted a cross-sectional correlational design and a purposive sampling technique to collect data from university students aged 18 to 30 who had been using social media for the past year and had experience purchasing products or services recommended by at least one AI influencer during the past year. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure the study variables. The correlational analysis revealed significant relationships among trust in AI influencers, parasocial interaction, and purchase intention for experience products. The mediation analysis revealed a significant mediating role of parasocial interaction in the relationship between trust in AI influencers and purchase intention for experience products, as the direct effect was not significant, whereas the indirect effect remained significant. These findings highlight the importance of fostering parasocial interaction to enhance the effectiveness of AI influencer marketing. Marketers should focus on developing trustworthy and engaging AI influencers to foster consumers’ purchase intentions for experience products.
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31-37
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Perceived Environmental Uncertainty and Strategic Flexibility among Entrepreneurs in Pakistan

Abdul Samad, Dr. Abida Hassan, Aurang Zaib Ashraf Shami

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.330
Entrepreneurs across the globe face environmental uncertainty, and successful enterprises adapt to it through strategic flexibility. However, such studies are rare in Pakistan. Therefore, the present study aimed to address this gap by assessing the relationship between perceived environmental uncertainty and strategic flexibility. The study employed a cross-sectional correlational research design and purposive sampling to collect data from entrepreneurs with at least one year of experience in operating and managing a business and a minimum of an intermediate-level qualification. Initially, 300 entrepreneurs from Lahore and Faisalabad were approached, of whom 240 completed the questionnaires and met the inclusion criteria, yielding a response rate of 80%. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure the study variables. Correlational analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between perceived environmental uncertainty and strategic flexibility. Furthermore, regression analysis demonstrated that perceived environmental uncertainty significantly and positively predicted strategic flexibility. The study addressed a gap in the indigenous literature and provided useful implications and recommendations.
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38-45
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Artificial Intelligence Capability and Urban Infrastructure Project Performance: The Mediating Role of Logistics Management Capability

Mahmoud Abdelaziz Hussein Mohamed Ibrahim, Karim Mohamed Moustafa

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.299
The world is becoming increasingly technologically advanced, and the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many aspects of modern life. There is ample literature regarding Artificial Intelligence and urban infrastructure however, a mediating role of logistics management capability has rarely been studied particularly in Saudi Arabia. The current study aimed to address this gap. For this purpose, a cross-sectional correlational design and purposive sampling technique were employed to collect data from civil engineers in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, who had at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in civil engineering, were at least 24 years old, and had a minimum of one year of work experience. The study utilized three questionnaires: Artificial Intelligence Capability Scale (AICS), Strategic Logistics Capabilities Scale and Project Implementation Profile. The correlational analysis revealed a significant positive relationship among study variables whereas, mediation analysis revealed significant full mediation of the role of logistics management capability between artificial intelligence capability and urban infrastructure performance as the direct effect was not significant but the indirect effect remained statistically positive and significant. The study provided useful implications and recommendations.
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46-55
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Relationship between School Culture and Teachers’ Well-being at Secondary School Level

Umara Tania, Dr. Tanveer Iqbal

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.350
Present study aimed to examine the relationship between school culture and teachers’ well-being at secondary school level. A correlation research design was employed to examine the relationship between variables of the study. Population of the study was comprised of all male and female secondary school teachers from Multan division. A sample of 1090 (Male=450, Female=640) were selected as sample of the study. Present study adapted two instruments as school culture and well-being to measure the variables. Three experts ensured the validity of the instruments and reliability was calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha. The reliability of school culture is .952 and workplace well-being is .945 respectively. Data were analysed by using inferential statistics (Pearson’s r, Independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA). Findings of the study revealed that a significant moderate correlation between school culture and teachers’ well-being at secondary school level. Findings further indicated a significant difference between male and female teachers’ school culture and well-being existed, however an insignificant difference was found regarding school culture and teachers’ well-being at secondary school level. Study recommended to adopt strategies of positive school culture to enhance teachers’ well-being at secondary school level.
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56-65
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Determinants and Consequences of Drug Addiction among Youth: A Cross-Sectional Study in Peshawar, Pakistan

Zia Ullah, Hazrat Ilyas, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Muhammad Shahab

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.357
Drug addiction among young people is an important public health and social issue in Pakistan. It affects not only drug users but also their families and communities. This study examined the factors associated with drug addiction and their effects on youth performance in District Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 108 male drug users receiving treatment at five hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. Data were collected using a pretested interview schedule with simple random sampling and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and chi-square tests. Most participants were aged 20–25 years (53.7%), and 60.2% had only primary-level education. The findings showed significant relationships between youth performance and several factors. Psychological problems such as anger (p < .001), sleep disturbance (p = .018), and forgetfulness (p < .001) were significantly associated with performance. Peer influence, including being offered drugs by friends and viewing drug use as a social symbol, was also significant (p < .001). Family-related factors, particularly poor parental monitoring (p = .001) and family disputes (p < .001), showed significant associations. Lack of awareness about the health effects of drug use was also significantly related to youth performance (p < .001 to p = .030). The study shows the response to drug addiction. Community, education, and religious institutions, along with strong family follow-up, awareness campaigns, counselling programs, drug rehabilitation centers, effective government policies regarding drug addiction, and non-governmental organizations, play a vital role in reducing drug addiction among youth.
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66-85
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Relationship between Academic Stress, Cyberloafing and Academic Achievement among Undergraduate Students

Iqra, Dr. Umbreen Ishfaq, Dr. Tehseen Tahir, Sehrish Fida, Bushra Habib

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.364
The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between academic stress, cyberloafing and academic performance of undergraduate students. The quantitative descriptive survey research design with correlational and comparative approaches were used, where structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 324 students (162 male and 162 female) of the University of Haripur. The study examined dimension of academic stress such as inadequate study facilities (ISF), teacher–pupil relationship (TPR), personal inadequacy (PI), interpersonal difficulties with teachers (IDT) and fear of failure (FOF) and dimension of cyberloafing was divided into sharing, shopping, real-time updates (RTU), accessing online content (AOC), and gaming. The results showed that students' academic stress experienced was moderate, and the most frequent stress dimension was fear of failure. The students' level of cyberloafing was moderate, with real-time updates being the most common cyberloafing behavior. The correlation analysis revealed that the academic stress and cyberloafing had high positive correlation. The results also demonstrated significant negative correlations between academic stress and academic achievement, and between cyberloafing and academic achievement. Inadequate study facilities showed the strongest negative relationship with CGPA among stress dimensions, while gaming demonstrated the strongest negative relationship among cyberloafing. For undergraduate students, there were no significant gender differences in academic stress, cyberloafing or academic achievement, as found by an independent samples t-test. The overall findings indicate that increased academic stress and increased cyberloafing negatively affect students’ academic performance and highlight the need for stress management and responsible technology use among university students.
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86-93
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Participation Patterns of Parent-Teacher Council Members in Public Secondary Schools of Pakistan

Dr. Nasrullah, Abdullah

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.391
It is well known that parental involvement is a key contributor to improving students' learning and the effectiveness of schools. This study aims to find out the extent of participation of Parent-Teacher Council (PTC) members and how it affects the academic performance of students in public secondary schools of District Malakand, Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey design was used, which involved 258 members of the PTC and a structured participation assessment tool. Descriptive statistics and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the participation was high among the members of PTC. Gender and position within the PTC had significant effects, but academic qualification did not. The participation of the female members was higher than that of the male members, and the individuals who were in leadership positions (chairpersons and secretaries) showed significantly higher participation than the general members. The study found that institutional roles are more important than demographic characteristics in influencing participation in PTCs. The results emphasise the importance of policies and practices that ensure inclusive participation, capacity development and equitable engagement of all PTC members to improve school performance and student outcomes.
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AI-Driven Stock Trend Prediction with Market Regime Stratification: A Technical Indicator-Based Study on the KSE-100 Index

Naveen Shah, Dr. Muhammad Naveed Jan, Dr. Muhammad Shariq

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.406
This research analyses the predictive capability of Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks in comparison to Random Forest (RF) algorithms in forecasting the directional trends of the KSE-100 index at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). Utilizing an expansive longitudinal dataset of 15 years from 2010 to 2025, the research incorporates 33 technical indicators along with stratification/categorization of market conditions into bullish and bearish regimes to address the non-linearities of an emerging market. The models’ performance is evaluated using a multi-metric framework comprising of ROC-AUC, F1-score, and Root Mean Square (RMSE) with the statistical significance supported with paired t-test and bootstrapped confidence intervals. Empirical results show the invariable outperformance of Random Forest (RF) over the LSTM architecture with RF consistently showing exceptional classification accuracy and lower rates of error across all regimes. The feature importance approach demonstrates that momentum and trend-following models like the Return Strength Index (RSI) and Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) play critical roles in determining the performance of the model. One contribution of this research is its demonstration of the regime-dependent predictability in turbulent markets through the examination of how algorithmic performance varies depending on different market regimes. The findings of this paper are valuable not only for institutions but also for policy makers because it evaluates the effectiveness of machine learning techniques in decision-making processes.
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106-122
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Firm Resources, Firm Capabilities, and Marketing Strategy as Drivers of Firm Performance: Evidence from Jewelry SMEs in Pakistan

Anam Khan, Dr. Sohaib Uz Zaman

doi https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/v-ii.418
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are an integral component of the economic activities of Pakistan. Indeed, the jewellery industry is a unique industry as it is relevant meshed with artisanal expertise and has a steady buying demand on the local level due to the cultural significance of the industry. But, there are some problems facing jewelry SMEs and preventing them to compete and perform effectively. This study examines the relationships which exist among the three components of the Firm Resources, Firm Capabilities, Marketing Strategy and Firm Performance for jewelry Small and Medium Scale Enterprises of Pakistan. Theoretical framework consists of the Resource Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT) and Contingency Theory. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using quantitative tools and variables with the target group of jewelry SMEs owners, managers and senior management of the major markets in commercial centers of Pakistan. The 320 questionnaires were distributed and 250 were obtained as a usable return, a rate of 78.1%. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with 5000 bootstraps was used to analyze the data using SmartPLS 4. Results - All three hypotheses are accepted. Firm Resources has p<0.001 and β>0.412 relationship with Firm Capabilities. Marketing Strategy was positively and significantly influenced by the firm capability (β=0.385, p<0.001). Among the three constructs, Marketing Strategy has positive and significant and strong relationship with Firm Performance (β=0.468, p<0.001). The findings showcase the need to establish strong resources, enhance organizational capacity and implement systematic market strategies for strengthening jewelry SMEs in Pakistan.
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