Armanul Haque

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a conceptual framework that explores how Virtual Reality (VR) can enhance children's learning engagement in library environments. As libraries transform into interactive learning hubs, integrating immersive technologies presents new possibilities for engaging young learners. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a conceptual research approach grounded in three theoretical foundations: cognitive theory of multimedia learning, flow theory and the technology acceptance model. A systematic literature review and theoretical synthesis inform the development of the proposed model. This study is conceptual in nature and does not include empirical validation, but provides a foundation for future empirical research. Findings: The framework highlights the roles of VR experience quality and educational content relevance in enhancing perceived enjoyment, curiosity stimulation and library space perception. These mediating factors contribute to greater learning engagement among children. The study identifies key constructs and relationships that explain how immersive VR environments can transform passive library visits into meaningful and engaging learning experiences. Practical implications: This study offers a theoretical base for future empirical research and practical guidance for educators, librarians and policymakers aiming to implement VR technologies in libraries effectively. Originality/value: This paper fills a gap in existing literature by focusing on children's engagement with VR in library contexts, a topic often overlooked in educational and technological research. The conceptual model provides a foundation for advancing research in immersive learning environments within public and school libraries.

This study explores the motivations, challenges, and institutional dynamics influencing student engagement in freelancing at the University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior, it examines how personal attitudes, perceived social norms, and control beliefs shape students’ intentions to pursue freelancing as a career. A qualitative approach was employed, involving semi-structured interviews and surveys with 15 active student freelancers. Thematic analysis revealed that financial independence, skill development, and flexible work schedules are primary motivators. The study found that financial independence, flexibility, and skill development are key motivators for Rajshahi University students to pursue freelancing, while inadequate institutional support, unreliable digital infrastructure, income instability, and academic pressure act as major barriers. It also revealed significant gender disparities and highlighted the need for targeted university support to foster sustainable student participation in the gig economy. However, significant barriers including unreliable digital infrastructure, income instability, academic workload, and inadequate institutional support limit sustained participation in freelance work. The study offers an original contribution by applying behavioral theory to student freelancing within a developing country context, an area that remains underexplored in existing literature. By linking theoretical insights with practical realities, it provides a nuanced understanding of how students navigate freelance opportunities alongside academic commitments. The findings hold policy relevance, offering guidance for universities, policymakers, and development actors. Targeted institutional support, improved technological infrastructure, and integration of freelancing into career development programs are recommended to enhance student participation in the gig economy and promote equitable access to digital employment opportunities.

Aim: This study investigates the challenges students in developing countries face in adapting to internet-based education. It aims to identify key trends, influential contributors, and research gaps, with a particular emphasis on the potential of innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain in addressing digital inequality. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted on 352 scholarly documents sourced from the Scopus database. Advanced analytical tools, including Machine Learning techniques, R programming, Bibliometrix, and VOSviewer, were employed to assess performance indicators, visualize topic clusters, and map the research landscape. Findings: The analysis indicates a growing body of research focused on digital adaptation in education, with substantial contributions from Germany, India, and the UK. Although Hong Kong and Singapore contribute fewer publications, their research garners high citation visibility. Prominent authors such as Choo, Fung, and Wootton have significantly influenced the field. The study identified five major thematic clusters: psychosocial barriers (e.g., internet addiction and academic stress), technological innovations (AI, blockchain, and digital platforms), socioeconomic challenges (connectivity costs and gender disparities), research trends and bibliometric mapping, and multi-stakeholder collaboration involving government, academia, and civil society. A notable research gap exists regarding the practical implementation of AI and blockchain to alleviate these challenges. Originality: This study is among the few to systematically map the global academic discourse on internet adaptation in education within developing regions using bibliometric and machine learning approaches. It introduces an interdisciplinary perspective by combining education, technology, and policy analysis. Academic Value: By synthesizing global research trends and highlighting underexplored areas, particularly the role of emerging technologies, gender disparities, and collaborative strategies, this study provides a valuable reference for scholars, policymakers, and educators. Additionally, by identifying key gaps, it supports evidence-based policy formulation and encourages further localized, gender-sensitive research and pilot interventions to enhance educational equity.

Information Retrieval (IR) satisfaction plays a crucial role in shaping user experiences in library systems. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research trends and developments in IR satisfaction from 1968 to 2024, highlighting key themes and contributions in the field. Methods: A comprehensive review of 155 publications from the Scopus database was conducted, using bibliometric tools to analyze publication trends, keyword frequency, author contributions, and thematic mapping. Findings: The study reveals a steady increase in publications from 1968 to 1994, followed by a decline after 2008 and a rise in 2019. The USA and China dominate the field, with minimal collaboration beyond these countries. The primary focus of research is on "information retrieval" and "user satisfaction." New topics include "database systems" and "websites." Originality: This research provides valuable insights into the evolving nature of IR satisfaction, highlighting gaps in global collaboration and the need for further exploration. The study's reliance on Scopus and keyword analysis limits its scope, excluding other databases and emerging trends. Future research should include diverse databases, explore emerging technologies, and examine long-term impacts on user satisfaction across different regions. Academic Value: The knowledge of user satisfaction with library information retrieval is improved by this study. In addition to directing future research in bibliometric trends and providing insightful information for library workers to maximize services in the digital era, it promotes evidence-based enhancements in user-centric information systems.

Purpose. This study was conducted among Bangladeshi undergraduate agricultural students to see how likely they were to launch their agribusinesses after awarding Bachelor’s degrees. Methodology / approach. As an agricultural country, agribusiness among the students is increasingly important. To achieve the purpose, we selected undergraduate students from the University of Rajshahi as the respondents. Agriculture, Fisheries, and Veterinary Science students were surveyed to determine their interest in starting an agribusiness (opening their own enterprises) after graduation. Questionnaire data were subjected to a logit regression analysis. Results. Most students come from rural backgrounds and many work in family farming either directly or indirectly, only a small percentage of them (29.6 %) want to start an agribusiness after graduation. Most students think working for the Government or providing other services is safer than doing business. Except for students whose families had large landholdings, students were not interested in becoming agribusiness entrepreneurs, although female students were more curious than males. The students perceived agribusiness as too risky and preferred civil service or other service sector employment over any business. If they were to set up such companies, they would be the most interested in fruits and vegetables, feed mills, beef, floriculture, and fisheries. Part of the reason for this disinclination to entrepreneurship is South Asian culture, which values security over independence, although agriculture, where the product is perishable, is risky. Originality / scientific novelty. Over the last 10 years, there has been a decline in total agricultural employment despite a rise in the youth unemployment rate. Encouraging these young people to go into agribusiness, we can reduce unemployment and increase agricultural productivity. But, regarding the interest of young people in Bangladesh in agribusiness, there is no published material. Thus, this study is the first in Bangladesh to assess the interest of agricultural students in starting an agribusiness and describe its determinants. Practical value / implications. The state wants to encourage agribusiness, but does not have a policy to achieve the goal and universities do not even teach this subject to agriculture graduates. If the government is serious about expanding agricultural entrepreneurship, it will have to invest in agribusiness to reduce its risk: in agricultural mechanisation, better rural transport and infrastructure, insurance for agricultural enterprises, mentors to impart business skills and advice, and a national capital fund to invest in such enterprises and finance them by capital rather than by debt.

Medical waste management is crucial issues for keeping our life safe and safety. Without effective measures for waste management, we cannot keep ourselves safe from different types of contagious diseases; viruses, bacteria. Knowledge sharing assists healthcare staff in identifying and mitigating hazards on appropriate handling, segregation and disposal medical waste. The aim of the study is to identify a multifaceted analysis of knowledge sharing, training, communication and attitudes for effective medical waste management. This study selected 153 medical workers randomly, including nurses, lab technologists, and cleaners, from hospitals, diagnostic centers, and clinics in the northern part of Bangladesh. The study design of this research is mixed-methods. This research adopts a survey and interview as a research strategy. The samples are collected randomly. SPSS software packages, MS Excel Office, and PLS-SEM are used to analyze data. Most of the respondents always share their knowledge face-to-face according to the findings. The result also shows that there are positive relationship between sources of knowledge (p: 0.046), awareness and knowledge (p: 0.049), attitudes of waste management (p: 0.025) and effective medical waste management. However, there are no relationships between communication and collaboration (p: 0.943), the practice of waste management (p: 0.155), supervision and staff monitoring (p: 0.527), training and education (p: 0.656) and effective medical waste management. Its focus on the northern part of Bangladesh introduces regional specificity, potentially limiting the applicability of results to other regions. The knowledge-sharing practices for waste management among medical staff are examined within this research, along with the relationship between attitude, awareness, and knowledge, staff supervision and monitoring, practice, training, and education and effective medical waste management that have not been studied before home and abroad. This analysis highlights the critical need for an integrated approach to medical waste management, emphasizing the importance of continuous education, open communication, and cultivating a culture that prioritizes environmental sustainability. The insights from this study offer practical recommendations for healthcare institutions to improve their medical waste management practices, ultimately leading to enhanced health outcomes and better environmental protection.

With a focus on bibliometric analysis, this study intends to analyze the patterns in the literature regarding knowledge sharing and student development. To find studies that were specifically focused on the topic under research, the authors searched Scopus using the Boolean operators AND, OR and NOT, together with the terms "knowledge sharing" and "student development," as well as their synonyms. In general, the study did not take the publication date into account. There were 1,154 documents in total in the final data set. The data were analyzed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software based on R. The use of bibliometric analysis to examine the connection between knowledge sharing and student development revealed several themes, influential authors, highly cited papers, prominent organizations and powerful nations. In addition, the study showed how the relationship between knowledge sharing and student development has changed over time and how it may interact with student performance to give educational institutions a long-term competitive advantage. To the author's knowledge, this study is the first to conduct a bibliometric analysis on knowledge sharing and student development. This study can be a starting point for scholars interested in understanding how knowledge sharing can relate to student development.

Social networking has opened up new avenues for learning and knowledge sharing. Because of its document exchange, virtual communication, and knowledge production capabilities, social media is a helpful tool for learning and teaching. This research embraces multiple goals. First, this study examines Bangladeshi university students’ social value, communication and collaboration, trust, and the perceived benefits of knowledge sharing through social media in academic advancement. The second goal is to examine how families and technology support mediate those aspects of social media knowledge sharing with student academic development. This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model and Social Exchange Theory as an example of how knowledge sharing through social media with the help of family and technology impacts academic progress among Bangladeshi university students. This paper uses PLS-SEM on the survey data from 737 Bangladeshi students to test the model with the help of SmartPLS 4. Social value, communication and collaboration, trust, and the perceived benefits of sharing knowledge through social media significantly enhance Bangladeshi students’ academic growth. In the case of mediation, family and technological support mediate the relationship between communication and collaboration, trust, perceived benefits and academic development. However, there is no mediation between the social value of knowledge sharing in social media and students’ academic development. The article concludes with implications, limitations, and future research.

Social networking opened up new avenues for learning and knowledge sharing. Due to its document exchange, virtual communication, and knowledge production capabilities, social media is a helpful tool for learning and teaching. The research embraces multiple goals. First, this study examines Bangladeshi university students' social value, communication and collaboration, trust, and perceived benefits of knowledge sharing through social media in academic advancement. The second goal is to examine how families and technology support mediates those aspects of social media knowledge sharing with student academic development. We used Technology Acceptance Model and Social Exchange Theory as examples of how social media sharing of knowledge impacts academic progress in Bangladeshi university students through family and technological support. PLS-SEM was used using survey data from 737 Bangladeshi students to test the model. Social value, communication and collaboration, trust, and perceived benefits of sharing knowledge through social media significantly enhance Bangladeshi students' academic growth. In the case of mediation, family and technological support mediates the relationship between communication and collaboration, trust, perceived benefits and academic development. However, there is no mediation with the social value of knowledge sharing in social media with student’s academic development. The article concludes with implications, limitations, and future research.

This study examines factors that are responsible for promoting and developing reading habits of the users of Bishwo Sahitto Kendra, Vrammoman Library (Mobile library) in Bangladesh. The partial least square structural equation modelling method is used to assess data from a survey of 160 mobile library users in the Bangladeshi city of Rajshahi. The R2 value of 59.3% indicates that the proposed model effectively accounted for 59.3% of the variability in reading habits based on the independent variables included in the analysis. This suggests that the model was able to explain a significant proportion of the variance in reading habits, demonstrating its potential usefulness for predicting this behaviour. According to the findings, mobile library collections, accessibility, library location, and time of access are all factors that influence users' reading habits.