The increasing globalization of healthcare demands that nursing professionals acquire not only clinical expertise but also advanced linguistic competence, particularly in mental health communication. This study presents a retrospective research analysis examining the integration of healthcare-oriented language instruction with entertainment-based media, specifically subtitled audiovisual content, to enhance psychiatric vocabulary acquisition among nursing students. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from English for Specific Purposes (ESP), second language acquisition, and media-assisted learning, the study investigates how exposure to captioned audiovisual narratives contributes to contextualized vocabulary development, comprehension, and retention.

The research adopts a retrospective analytical design, synthesizing findings from prior implementations of audiovisual learning tools and edutainment strategies in educational contexts. It evaluates the effectiveness of integrating subtitled television content, particularly Korean drama series, within structured language instruction frameworks tailored for healthcare learners. The analysis identifies key mechanisms such as multimodal input processing, contextual reinforcement, and emotional engagement as critical drivers of improved lexical acquisition.

Findings indicate that combining entertainment media with domain-specific language instruction significantly enhances students’ ability to acquire and apply mental health terminology. The approach facilitates deeper semantic understanding, improves retention, and reduces cognitive barriers associated with abstract psychiatric vocabulary. Furthermore, the integration supports the development of cultural sensitivity and empathy, which are essential for effective mental health care delivery.

The study also highlights challenges, including variability in language proficiency, the need for pedagogical scaffolding, and potential over-reliance on entertainment content without structured guidance. Despite these limitations, the research demonstrates that edutainment-based learning models represent a viable and innovative approach for enhancing specialized vocabulary in nursing education.

This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on technology-enhanced language learning and ESP by offering a comprehensive framework for integrating audiovisual media into healthcare language instruction. It provides practical implications for curriculum design and suggests directions for future research in multimedia-assisted professional education.

In recent decades, educational discourse has increasingly emphasized the development of cognitive skills, technological competence, and labour market readiness among students. However, comparatively less attention has been given to the emotional and relational dimensions of teaching and learning, particularly in the preparation of teachers themselves. This paper examines the critical role of emotional intelligence (EI) in transforming teacher education to support holistic, inclusive, and future-oriented learning environments. Emotional intelligence, defined as the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and utilize emotions effectively, has emerged as a key competency for educators navigating complex classroom dynamics, diverse student populations, and rapidly changing educational contexts. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship from educational psychology, teacher education, and socio-emotional learning research, the paper argues that emotionally intelligent teachers are better equipped to foster positive classroom climates, support student wellbeing, enhance engagement, and promote meaningful learning outcomes.

The study critically reviews contemporary literature on emotional intelligence in education and highlights how EI competencies, such as self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, and relationship management—are fundamental to effective pedagogy and leadership in modern classrooms. Despite the growing recognition of socio-emotional learning within school curricula, the integration of emotional intelligence into teacher preparation programs remains limited in many contexts. This paper therefore proposes a conceptual framework that positions emotional intelligence as a core component of teacher education, alongside pedagogical knowledge, digital competence, and critical thinking skills. By embedding EI within teacher training curricula, practicum experiences, and professional development programs, teacher education institutions can cultivate educators who are capable of responding to the complex emotional, cultural, and social realities of contemporary schooling.

The discussion further considers the implications of emotionally intelligent teaching for student development, particularly in relation to wellbeing, resilience, collaboration, and ethical citizenship—qualities increasingly recognized as essential for navigating the uncertainties of the twenty-first century. In addition, the paper reflects on the relevance of emotional intelligence for educational contexts in the Global South, including Pacific Island nations such as Fiji, where culturally responsive, relational, and community-oriented approaches to education are particularly significant.

Ultimately, this paper argues that repositioning teacher education to prioritize emotional intelligence is essential for preparing educators who can teach not only with knowledge and skill but also with empathy, compassion, and cultural awareness. Integrating emotional intelligence into teacher education frameworks has the potential to strengthen teaching effectiveness, enhance student learning experiences, and contribute to more humane, inclusive, and future-ready education systems.

Small Pacific Island States are among the most climate-vulnerable regions in the world, facing increasing threats from sea-level rise, extreme weather events, coastal erosion, freshwater scarcity, and ecosystem degradation. These environmental pressures are not only transforming livelihoods, infrastructure, and settlement patterns but are also profoundly reshaping the educational landscape. Schools, which serve as critical sites for knowledge transmission, social cohesion, and community resilience, are increasingly situated on the frontlines of climate change. This paper argues that the impacts of climate change will compel Pacific Island nations to fundamentally reposition and reconfigure their education systems in order to respond effectively to emerging environmental, social, and economic challenges.

Drawing on existing scholarship on climate change education, resilience theory, and education for sustainable development, this study examines how climate-related disruptions—such as school displacement, disaster-induced interruptions to learning, and climate-driven migration—are influencing education policy and practice in Pacific Island States. The paper further explores the growing recognition that education systems must move beyond traditional curricular models to incorporate climate literacy, disaster preparedness, indigenous ecological knowledge, and community-based resilience strategies. In doing so, schools can play a transformative role in equipping future generations with the knowledge, skills, and adaptive capacities needed to navigate an increasingly uncertain climatic future.

Particular attention is given to the Pacific context, where education systems must operate within geographically dispersed islands, limited resources, and high exposure to climate hazards. The paper highlights how education can function as a strategic mechanism for climate adaptation by strengthening community resilience, promoting sustainable environmental stewardship, and preparing youth to participate in climate-responsive governance and development. However, despite increasing global attention to climate change education, significant gaps remain in policy integration, teacher preparedness, curriculum reform, and infrastructure resilience within Pacific education systems.

The study concludes that repositioning education systems in Pacific Island States requires a holistic and forward-looking approach that integrates climate change adaptation into educational planning, curriculum design, infrastructure development, and teacher training. Such transformation is essential not only for safeguarding learning continuity but also for empowering Pacific communities to respond proactively to the complex realities of climate change. By situating education at the centre of climate resilience strategies, Pacific Island nations can transform schools into hubs of knowledge, adaptation, and sustainable development.

Corporal punishment has historically been embedded within schooling systems across Fiji and the Pacific, often justified as a culturally accepted method of maintaining discipline and authority. However, increasing global advocacy for child protection, alongside regional policy reforms aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, has intensified calls to critically reassess its role in contemporary education. This paper interrogates the continued use and perceived effectiveness of corporal punishment in addressing student behavioural challenges, arguing that it is neither pedagogically sustainable nor ethically defensible in modern learning environments.

Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, policy analysis, and emerging empirical insights from the Pacific context, the study highlights the adverse psychological, social, and educational consequences associated with punitive disciplinary practices. It further situates corporal punishment within broader ethical frameworks, particularly deontological ethics, utilitarianism, and the ethics of care, to demonstrate its incompatibility with principles of dignity, equity, and relational pedagogy. Importantly, the paper foregrounds the tension between entrenched cultural norms and evolving human rights discourses, emphasizing the need for contextually grounded yet transformative approaches to discipline.

In response, the paper advances a reconceptualization of school discipline through the lens of positive behaviour support, restorative practices, and culturally responsive pedagogy that resonate with Pacific values of respect, community, and reciprocity. It argues that effective discipline must move beyond compliance-driven models toward approaches that foster self-regulation, accountability, and holistic student development. The study concludes by offering policy and practice recommendations aimed at supporting educators, school leaders, and policymakers in transitioning from punitive to restorative and ethically grounded disciplinary frameworks.

Ultimately, this paper contributes to ongoing debates on educational reform in Fiji and the Pacific by positioning discipline not as control, but as a transformative process central to nurturing inclusive, respectful, and future-ready learners.