Research Article
Beyond Conflict Management: Operationalizing Metaphysical Peace Theory and Spiritual-Structural Transformation (MPT-SST) as a Unified Science of Peace
Aliyu Sani Kafinga*
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
84-94
Received:
7 February 2026
Accepted:
21 February 2026
Published:
22 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajap.20261504.12
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Abstract: Peacebuilding interventions continue to yield limited results because conflict analysis remains largely confined to social, political and economic frameworks, neglecting the foundational role of psychological and consciousness dimensions. This article proposes Metaphysical Peace Theory and Spiritual-Structural Transformation (MPT-SST) as a comprehensive applied science that conceptualizes peace as an ontological state of coherence between individual and collective consciousness and the systems they inhabit. Integrating insights from peace psychology, systems theory and consciousness studies, the article positions MPT-SST as an evolutionary peace paradigm transcending traditional conflict management toward proactive coherence cultivation. As a conceptual investigation, this study does not present empirical data but instead offers a structured theoretical foundation and operational blueprint designed to inform future empirical inquiry and interdisciplinary collaboration. The framework is operationalized through three interconnected components: Universal Peace Dynamics, the Metaphysical Coherence Index and AI-assisted coherence monitoring, demonstrating applicability to applied psychology through trauma healing, deradicalization initiatives and collective behavioral regulation. These components are presented as provisional analytical tools requiring psychometric development and empirical validation in subsequent research phases. A contextual analysis of the Boko Haram insurgency illustrates how simultaneous attention to inner psychological realignment and external structural reform enables more profound and sustainable peace outcomes. This analysis functions as an illustrative heuristic rather than a formal empirical case study, reflecting the article's contribution as conceptual scholarship. By integrating psychological interiority with structural transformation within a unified measurement framework, MPT-SST provides both a theoretical foundation and practical methodology for advancing peace research and intervention design.
Abstract: Peacebuilding interventions continue to yield limited results because conflict analysis remains largely confined to social, political and economic frameworks, neglecting the foundational role of psychological and consciousness dimensions. This article proposes Metaphysical Peace Theory and Spiritual-Structural Transformation (MPT-SST) as a comprehe...
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Research Article
Bereavement in All Spheres: An African-centered Analysis
Oscar Stuta*
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
95-105
Received:
23 March 2026
Accepted:
29 April 2026
Published:
22 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajap.20261504.13
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Abstract: Bereavement is a universal yet deeply contextual human experience arising from loss, separation, and rupture of meaningful attachments. In African contexts, bereavement extends beyond individual grief to encompass familial, communal, cultural, spiritual, economic, and national dimensions. This manuscript offers a comprehensive, African-centered exploration of bereavement across all spheres of life. Drawing on psychology, sociology, anthropology, theology, and public health, the work examines the origins, causes, stages, risk factors, impacts, and coping mechanisms associated with bereavement. Particular attention is paid to African belief systems, communal mourning practices, historical trauma, poverty, conflict, disease, and structural inequalities. The manuscript proposes culturally grounded strategies for prevention, care, healing, and policy intervention. Bereavement is never a purely intellectual experience; it is embodied. The body often reacts before the mind can interpret the loss. Sleep becomes fragmented, appetite changes, concentration declines, and the bereaved may report physical sensations such as tightness in the chest or heaviness in the limbs. These physiological responses reflect the deep integration between attachment systems and stress regulation mechanisms. In African contexts, these bodily manifestations are frequently described through metaphors—“a broken heart,” “a dried spirit,” or “a weakened blood”—illustrating how grief is lived holistically rather than compartmentalized. Moreover, bereavement challenges identity. When a spouse, parent, or child dies, the bereaved must renegotiate who they are without that relational anchor. Identity in African societies is deeply relational; one is known as someone’s child, spouse, or clan member. The loss of a significant relationship therefore destabilizes social identity. Healing requires not only emotional processing but also identity reconstruction within communal structures.
Abstract: Bereavement is a universal yet deeply contextual human experience arising from loss, separation, and rupture of meaningful attachments. In African contexts, bereavement extends beyond individual grief to encompass familial, communal, cultural, spiritual, economic, and national dimensions. This manuscript offers a comprehensive, African-centered exp...
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Research Article
The Impact of Cooperative Learning on Higher Secondary Academic Achievement
Saradha Priya,
Muthukaman Vasimalairaja*
Issue:
Volume 15, Issue 4, August 2026
Pages:
106-114
Received:
23 June 2026
Accepted:
3 July 2026
Published:
24 July 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ajap.20261504.14
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Abstract: Conventional teacher-oriented instructional strategies tend to render higher secondary learner’s passive in the classroom settings, underscoring the significance of interactive methods. Despite the extensive popularity of cooperative learning in education in general, the dearth of empirical evidence concerning the influence of such instructional technique on the academic success of secondary students requires more attention. Therefore, the purpose of this paper was to assess the effects of cooperative learning on the academic success and skill acquisition of senior secondary learners as well as evaluate their attitudes towards the instructional technique. A quasi-experimental, realistic intervention approach was used. The participants comprised two groups, experimental (N=35) and control (N=28), chosen from among higher secondary school students. Prior to intervention, a pretest was performed to gauge the prior knowledge of learners. In turn, the learners of the experimental group were taught through the utilization of Jigsaw strategy of cooperation during the eight-week intervention period. The collection of data involved an academic success test, an attitude questionnaire, and a cooperative learning behavior form. The quantitative results of the analysis suggest that the learners taught in a cooperative way were characterized by higher academic achievements and more success indicators compared to the control group. Moreover, according to the answers to the questionnaire, learners positively viewed the use of Jigsaw strategy as an effective means of promoting interpersonal skills.
Abstract: Conventional teacher-oriented instructional strategies tend to render higher secondary learner’s passive in the classroom settings, underscoring the significance of interactive methods. Despite the extensive popularity of cooperative learning in education in general, the dearth of empirical evidence concerning the influence of such instructional te...
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