Journal of Hunan University Natural Sciences

This study investigates the relationship between social media exposure and investment decisions, focusing on the mediating role of herding behavior among Generation Z university students in West Java, Indonesia. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 400 students from 40 higher education institutions with university-based Investment Galleries. All respondents had previous or ongoing investment experience. Data were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) with AMOS. The results revealed positive associations between social media exposure and herding behavior, as well as between herding behavior and investment decisions. The mediation analysis yielded an indirect effect of 0.328 and a direct effect of 0.210, resulting in a total effect of 0.538. The variance accounted for (VAF) was 60.9%, indicating that herding behavior accounted for a substantial proportion of the modeled relationship between social media exposure and investment decisions, while a direct association remained. These findings provide context-specific evidence of the role of herding behavior as a potential mediating mechanism in investment decision-making among Generation Z students who have access to formal capital-market education. The study contributes to behavioral finance research by highlighting the relevance of social influences in digital investment environments. The findings also suggest that university-based investment education should place greater emphasis on recognizing behavioral biases, critically evaluating financial information obtained through social media, and developing independent investment analysis skills. Given the cross-sectional design, the observed relationships should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than causal effects.

Keywords: social media exposure; herding behavior; investment decisions; Generation Z; behavioral finance; financial literacy; Indonesia.

DOI https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.53.9.12

Disaster risk mitigation ability is an essential competency for pre-service teachers, enabling them to translate disaster-related knowledge into preparedness and preventive action. This study investigates the relationships between pedagogical, professional, academic, and social competencies and disaster risk mitigation ability among pre-service teachers. A quantitative research design was employed, using survey data collected from 92 undergraduate students enrolled in a teacher education program in Indonesia who had experience with artificial intelligence (AI)-based learning applications. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to examine the relationships among the competency domains and mitigation ability. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency reliability; however, the average variance extracted (AVE) values for the four predictor constructs were below the recommended threshold of 0.50, indicating limitations in convergent validity. The structural model explained 25.5% of the variance in mitigation ability (R² = 0.255). Social competence exhibited the largest positive standardized coefficient (β = 0.361), followed by pedagogical competence (β = 0.269) and academic competence (β = 0.047), whereas professional competence showed a negative coefficient (β = −0.312). As the statistical significance of these relationships has not yet been consistently verified, the results are interpreted as preliminary associations rather than confirmed hypothesis support. The findings provide an exploratory competency-based perspective on disaster risk reduction education and highlight the potential importance of communication, collaboration, and pedagogical competence in preparing future teachers for disaster mitigation activities. Further research with larger samples and refined measurement instruments is recommended.

Keywords: disaster risk mitigation; pre-service teachers; pedagogical competence; professional competence; academic competence; social competence; PLS-SEM.

DOI https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.53.9.11

This study examines the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Moroccan secondary education, with particular emphasis on teachers’ current experiences, perceived benefits, implementation barriers, and expectations regarding AI-supported teaching practices. A descriptive quantitative design was employed using an online questionnaire administered to 156 middle- and high-school teachers in Morocco through non-probability convenience sampling. The questionnaire investigated teachers’ use of digital technologies, exposure to AI-based tools, perceived obstacles to AI adoption, and expected educational benefits. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages, and distributions.
The findings indicate that AI adoption among the participating teachers remains at an early stage, although many respondents have already experimented with AI-supported applications for content generation, translation, communication, and instructional support. The most frequently reported barrier was insufficient training (33.12%), followed by inadequate technological infrastructure (23.00%) and the high cost of AI technologies (18.42%). Participants also identified several potential benefits of AI integration, particularly reduced lesson-preparation time, improved student engagement, enhanced educational content, support for student assessment, and differentiated instruction. Concerns regarding data privacy, ethical use, and equitable access were also reported.
Overall, the findings suggest that the responsible integration of AI into Moroccan secondary education will require sustained professional development, stronger technological infrastructure, appropriate ethical and governance frameworks, and equitable access to digital resources. Given the descriptive design and non-probability sample, the results should be interpreted as evidence of patterns and perceptions among the participating teachers rather than as statistically generalizable conclusions about all Moroccan secondary-school teachers.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; secondary education; teacher perceptions; AI adoption; digital pedagogy; Morocco.

DOI https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.53.9.10

This study investigates the relationship between digital intelligence and stealth marketing in vocational schools in Baghdad, Iraq. Digital intelligence is conceptualized through four dimensions: digital identity, digital usage, digital security, and digital safety. Stealth marketing is operationalized through viral marketing, brand promoters, and celebrity marketing. In the context of vocational education, stealth marketing refers to indirect promotional practices in which the persuasive or commercial intent is not immediately or explicitly recognized by the target audience, including organically shared school-related content, informal endorsements by promoters, and apparently spontaneous celebrity mentions.
A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected from a purposive sample of 120 school administrators using a 35-item questionnaire, supported by interviews and field observations. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were conducted using SPSS v26, while observed-variable path relationships were examined using AMOS v24. The results revealed a statistically significant positive predictive relationship between digital intelligence and stealth marketing (β = 0.527, R² = 0.277, p < 0.001). The strength and statistical significance of the relationships varied across the four dimensions of digital intelligence and the three dimensions of stealth marketing. Digital identity showed particularly relevant associations with selected stealth-marketing dimensions, although the contribution of individual digital-intelligence dimensions was not uniform across all outcomes. Overall, the findings provide contextual evidence that stronger digital capabilities are associated with greater use of indirect marketing practices in Iraqi vocational education. Given the cross-sectional and self-reported nature of the data, the results should be interpreted as predictive associations rather than evidence of causal effects.

Keywords: digital intelligence; stealth marketing; viral marketing; brand promoters; celebrity marketing; vocational education.

DOI https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.53.9.9

Maritime transportation faces increasing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining the continuity and resilience of logistics operations amid environmental, geopolitical, and supply chain disruptions. This study examines green port management strategies for decarbonizing maritime transportation and strengthening maritime logistics resilience. A qualitative literature-based research approach was employed through the review of relevant academic books, peer-reviewed journal articles, institutional reports, policy documents, and other credible scientific sources. The collected literature was analyzed using qualitative content analysis to identify recurring themes, strategic measures, relationships, and theoretical insights related to green port management, maritime decarbonization, and logistics resilience. The findings indicate that renewable energy integration, port electrification, alternative low- and zero-carbon fuels, energy-efficiency measures, digitalization, green infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and stakeholder collaboration can contribute to reducing maritime emissions while strengthening operational continuity and adaptive capacity. The study develops an integrated framework that conceptualizes green port management as a strategic link between maritime decarbonization and logistics resilience. The framework integrates technological, operational, organizational, governance, and environmental dimensions and demonstrates that effective green port transformation requires coordinated rather than isolated interventions. Overall, the findings suggest that green port management can support both long-term emission reduction and the development of more adaptive and resilient maritime logistics systems.

Keywords: green port management; maritime decarbonization; maritime logistics resilience; port electrification; sustainable maritime transportation; green ports.

DOI https://doi.org/10.55463/issn.1674-2974.53.9.8