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The purpose of this paper is to discuss feedback-based group coaching as a strategy towards school leaders’ development. On the basis of data collected within the framework of the project “Professional Learning through Feedback and Reflection” (PROFLEC), this case study explores the Cypriot school leaders’ views about feedback and coaching as developmental tools. The PROFLEC project was implemented in participating countries during 2013-2015 and involved completing an online leadership self-assessment inventory, training as well as coaching sessions.

Observations and interviews with coachees and coaches illustrate participants’ views on feedback-based group coaching, the critical conditions of its implementation and the perceived value of the particular model.

The study concludes that feedback-based group coaching can enhance school leaders’ organisational socialisation and learning; yet, certain aspects, such as the nature of the feedback, the role of the coaches, the establishment of trust as well as voluntary participation are required to enhance reflection towards action for school leaders.

This paper supports the importance of feedback-based group coaching as a developmental strategy for school leaders.

Efficacy has been broadly analyzed and explored in depth in various fields. However, in the field of educational leadership, empirical studies and research evidence are weak. The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a new School Leaders’ Self-Efficacy Scale (SLSES).

Two studies were undertaken. In the first study, the extant literature was critiqued and an initial form of the SLSES was developed; it was then administered to 233 school leaders in Cyprus. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was employed to identify the structure of the scale. The second study aimed at validating the proposed model by employing confirmatory factor analysis. For this purpose, a revised SLSES was administered for a second time to 289 school leaders.

EFA suggested an eight-factor structure, namely: Creating an appropriate organizational structure, Leading and managing the learning organization, School Self-Evaluation for School Improvement, Developing a positive climate and managing conflicts, Evaluating classroom practices, Adhering to community and policy demands, Monitoring learning, and Leadership of Continuing Professional Development. Confirmatory model fit indices, factor pattern and structure coefficients, and reliability analyses provided robust evidence for the construct validity of the SLSES.

The paper describes the construction and validation of a new scale measuring school leaders’ self-efficacy. The SLSES provides practitioners and researchers with a promising tool, with implications for measuring the outcomes of the professional development of school leaders and for school improvement studies.

The purpose of this paper is to explore user engagement (UE) within the Metaverse (MV) environment, emphasising the crucial role of immersive experiences (IEs). This study aims to understand how IEs influence UE and the mediating effects of hedonic value (HV) and utilitarian value (UV) on this relationship. Additionally, the authors examine the moderating impacts of user perceptions (UPs) such as headset comfort, simulation sickness, prior knowledge and ease of use on the utilisation of the MV. This study seeks to elucidate the dynamics of virtual travel at a pre-experience stage, enhancing the comprehension of how digital platforms can revolutionise UE in travel and tourism.

This study used a triangulation methodology to provide a thorough investigation into the factors influencing UE in the MV. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to frame the research context and identify relevant variables. To gather empirical data, 25 interviews were performed with active MV users, supplemented by a survey distributed to 118 participants. The data collected was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) to test the hypothesised relationships between IEs, UPs, HV and UV and their combined effect on UE within the MV.

The findings from the SEM indicate that engaging in the MV leads to a positive IE, which significantly enhances UE. Additionally, it was discovered that HV and UV play a mediating role in strengthening the link between IEs and UE. Furthermore, UPs, including headset comfort, simulation sickness, prior knowledge and ease of use, are significant moderators in the relationship between IEs and MV usage. These insights provide a nuanced understanding of the variables that contribute to and enhance UE in virtual environments.

This research contributes original insights into the burgeoning field of digital tourism by focusing on the MV, a rapidly evolving platform. It addresses the gap in the existing literature by delineating the complex interplay between IEs, UPs and value constructs within the MV. By using a mixed-method approach and advanced statistical analysis, this study provides a comprehensive model of UE specific to virtual travel platforms. The findings are particularly valuable for developers and marketers in the hospitality and tourism sectors seeking to capitalise on digital transformation and enhance UE through immersive technologies.

This paper aims to review the metabolism, epidemiology and treatment of vitamin D and calcium insufficiency as well as its relation to rickets and diabetes type 1 during childhood and adolescence.

The most up‐to‐date and pertinent studies within the literature are included in this narrative review.

Vitamin D deficiency is common in developing countries and exists in both childhood and adult life. The great importance of vitamin D is the moderation of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) homeostasis as well as the absorption of Ca. While insufficiency of vitamin D is a significant contributing factor to the risk of rickets in childhood, it is possible that a more marginal deficiency of vitamin D during life span contributes to osteoporosis as well as potentially to the development of various other chronic diseases such as diabetes type 1.

This paper gives a concise, up‐to‐date overview to nutritionists and dietitians on how vitamin D deficiency may effect rickets and type 1 diabetes.