Search Results (395)

Metaphilosophy is often understood as an inquiry into the nature, goals, and methods of philosophy and is sometimes construed as an epistemology of philosophy. Moral questions concerning philosophical practice, however, are no less important and constitute a distinctive field that may be called ‘moral philosophy of philosophy’ or ‘moral metaphilosophy’. This article maps the field by identifying, addressing, and classifying various forms of moral transgressions in, against, and through philosophy. Hermeneutical rational injustices include the devaluation, discrediting, misrepresentation, and non-objective critique within philosophical discourse. Violations within academic philosophical practice encompass such phenomena as intellectual theft; gatekeeping; academic cliques; scholarly neglect; discrimination and favoritism; prestige bias, excellence bias, and other forms of bias oriented toward perceived institutional, professional, evaluative, or symbolic “topness”; unfair peer review; problematic evaluation criteria and rankings; abuses of power; unjust distributions of resources; and the inversion of virtues into vices. External injustices and transgressions concern the public discrediting of philosophy, violence against philosophers, the problematic relation between philosophy and politics, and the impact of extra-academic vices on philosophy. Bringing these issues to light, thereby underscoring the importance of moral metaphilosophy, can help protect philosophers from various forms of harm inflicted by themselves, colleagues, institutions, and other actors across academic and non-academic contexts, thereby rendering philosophical practice fairer and more worthwhile. Full article

In today’s tourism industry, service quality is essential for differentiation and achieving sustainable competitive advantage. While much research on service quality exists for the private sector, a notable gap remains regarding service dynamics in non-profit public recreational spaces in emerging economies. This study fills that gap by examining service quality (SQ) at National Botanical Gardens (NBGs) in South Africa, focusing on visitor perceptions of SQ importance and performance. Using an adapted Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) framework, the research explores how visitor expectations compare with actual experiences. A quantitative approach was adopted, with structured questionnaires given to a convenience sample of visitors at key gardens like Pretoria and Walter Sisulu NBGs. Data analysis centred on correlation coefficients to assess the relationship between perceived importance and actual performance. The findings reveal a generally strong, statistically significant positive correlation; however, some attributes show a ‘weak correlation,’ indicating critical service gaps often overlooked by traditional management models. These insights demonstrate that, in natural attraction settings, visitor-perceived importance primarily drives satisfaction with performance. In addition to offering the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) a strategic plan to boost visitor retention, this study advances the academic discussion by challenging existing SQ models within non-profit recreational sectors. It lays a vital empirical groundwork for future research on public-sector service excellence in the Global South. Full article

The fundamental purpose of education—preparing new generations to be contributing members of society—remains constant, yet achieving this has become increasingly complex amid multifaceted technological, cultural, economic, and social transformations. Educational leaders worldwide continuously seek innovative pedagogical models addressing diverse learner needs and rapid societal changes. However, this article challenges the assumption that educational quality requires constant novelty, arguing that solutions lie in the innovative integration of established pedagogical theories developed over the past 150 years by scholars such as Dewey, Vygotsky, Piaget, Feuerstein, Gardner, Freire, and others. The article’s primary objective is to encourage education leaders and teacher educators to reconceptualize innovation by prioritizing pedagogical integration over continuous adaptation to rapidly expanding domain-specific knowledge and emerging technologies. Accordingly, this article employs a conceptual synthesis of major pedagogical approaches to equip educators with theoretical foundations and practical tools to foster learner independence, critical thinking, and holistic development across cognitive, emotional, and social domains. It will also promote inclusion through a practical framework integrating pedagogical theories, addressing diversity from a dual perspective, recognizing that both teachers and learners bring unique characteristics, strengths, and needs. Moreover, developing independent learners requires empowering teachers to cultivate unique professional methodologies grounded in integrated pedagogical understanding, so that a shift from innovation-centered to integration-centered teacher education may serve as a sustainable path toward educational quality and academic excellence. Full article

Introduction: Climate change is increasingly affecting the health of older people. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of nurses and undergraduate nursing students regarding the effects of climate change on older people’s health. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between January and April 2024 with 708 participants (210 nurses and 498 undergraduate nursing students). The Nursing Competencies Questionnaire on Environmental Health of Older People (NCQ-OPEH) was used to assess environmental competencies. Descriptive values were calculated and interrelationships between knowledge, attitudes, and skills were analysed. Results: A total of 115 nurses (54.75%) and 185 students (37.15%) demonstrated good-excellent knowledge. Similarly, a higher percentage of nurses (50.77%) reported better perceived skills than students (42.52%). However, the majority of both samples (98.97% and 87.85%, respectively) had good to excellent attitudes. These differences were significant for knowledge (p < 0.001) and attitudes (p = 0.013) but not for skills (p = 0.054). Furthermore, a significant relationship was found between prior education on climate change and health and greater knowledge (p = 0.019) and skills (p = 0.027) among nurses and better skills and attitudes (p < 0.001 in both) among nursing students. Conclusions: Nurses have better environmental competencies than undergraduate nursing students. Therefore, it is important to include education on climate change and older people’s health to be included in the academic curriculum of university nursing degrees. Nurses also need to reinforce these competencies through specific educational programmes, ensuring that clinical practice effectively adopts an environmental health approach to the care of older people. Full article

The International Conference on Plant Biodiversity and Sustainability is a global forum dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and collaborative action in plant diversity, conservation, and sustainable development. Bringing together established and early-career researchers as well as students from diverse fields, the conference underscores the urgent need to protect plant resources and foster sustainable solutions. By promoting an open, interdisciplinary environment, the event encourages dialogue among botanists, ecologists, agronomists, biotechnologists, chemists, and related experts, integrating multiple perspectives to address biodiversity challenges comprehensively, especially in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants. Aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the conference covers a wide range of topics, including habitat conservation, ecological restoration, ethnobotany, climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, technological and biotechnological innovation, and science-based policy approaches. The scientific program features keynote lectures by internationally recognized experts, thematic oral sessions, hands-on workshops, and collaborative roundtables designed to stimulate discussion and knowledge exchange. Participants present cutting-edge research, innovative methodologies, and case studies highlighting both theoretical advances and practical applications. Panel discussions and networking opportunities further support new partnerships, joint research efforts, and capacity-building initiatives, strengthening the global community committed to biodiversity protection. Beyond sharing scientific results, the conference emphasizes the importance of connecting research with policy and real-world practice. Contributions therefore address decision-making frameworks, community engagement, nature-based solutions, and the use of emerging technologies for monitoring and managing plant ecosystems. This multidimensional approach ensures that the event not only showcases academic excellence but also contributes to concrete strategies that inform governance, education, and sustainable land-use planning, with a particular focus on plant resources. Full article

Equity in gifted education remains a persistent international challenge, particularly regarding the “excellence gap” in advanced achievement and long-term attainment. This study investigates the supports and barriers shaping the talent development of socio-economically disadvantaged gifted students in Taiwan. Using a retrospective narrative inquiry, we analyzed the life stories of 25 alumni from the “Bright Minds Award Program,” a long-term initiative providing financial aid, mentorship, and enrichment opportunities for high-ability learners from low-income households. Findings indicate that participants often displayed early academic promise, yet their developmental trajectories were continuously negotiated under structural constraints (limited material and cultural resources, restricted access to domain-specific cultivation, and opportunity gaps across educational transitions) and the psychosocial burden of poverty (shame, stigma management, and identity strain). Drawing on the Actiotope Model of Giftedness, we identify how exogenous educational capital (e.g., scholarships, information brokerage, mentoring networks) and endogenous learning capital (e.g., resilience, self-regulation, goal persistence) interact to stabilize—or destabilize—developmental pathways. A novel contribution is the emergence of “Acting Middle Class” as a coping mechanism through which participants navigated social stigma and the hidden curriculum of elite educational settings. We argue that effective intervention requires not only resource provision but sustained “educational scaffolding” that is psychologically safe and institutionally stigma-sensitive. Implications are discussed for talent development research, school practice, and equity-oriented policy designs aimed at preventing talent attrition and promoting developmental justice. Full article

This study investigates the internal structure and functional consistency of a brief scale designed to assess the social regulation of learning in collaborative higher education environments. Social regulation is essential to understanding how students coordinate cognitive and socio-emotional processes during group work, but brief and valid instruments remain limited. A total of 973 undergraduate students responded to seven items on a seven-point Likert scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to evaluate the dimensionality of the instrument. The results supported a two-factor structure comprising coordination regulation and collective engagement regulation. Standardized loadings ranged from 0.772 to 0.935 and the factors showed a high latent correlation (r = 0.792), indicating that they are distinct yet strongly interdependent. The model demonstrated excellent fit according to incremental indices (CFI = 0.992, TLI = 0.988) and acceptable residual fit (SRMR = 0.064). Although the RMSEA value exceeded conventional thresholds (RMSEA = 0.137, this result should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of items and degrees of freedom, as documented in prior methodological research), these findings highlight how shared planning, monitoring, and socio-emotional alignment function as interconnected processes that support effective collaboration in academic teams. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence that a parsimonious two-dimensional model can capture key regulatory dynamics relevant to fostering sustainable collaborative practices in higher education. Future research should examine measurement invariance across contexts and explore associations with student performance, engagement, and well-being. Full article

This paper presents a holistic development model for South African schools that aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as defined by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, by 2030. It addresses critical gaps in private secondary schools, including unclear performance objectives, inadequate monitoring, and limited data-driven decision-making. To meet these needs, the study proposes a new performance management model based on Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard framework, combining four perspectives: Students, Academic excellence, Learning and growth, and Resources. Using a positivist approach, the model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis of 244 respondents across 12 private schools in Durban. The Comparative Fit Index, Normed Fit Index, and Tucker–Lewis Index confirmed its structural validity, while the Root Mean Square of Error Approximation indicated excellent absolute fit. Several intercorrelations emerged within the Learning and growth perspective, particularly regarding staff respect for students and their value to students. Implementation revealed an overall satisfactory performance rating of 3.85 on a 5-point scale. The Student perspective scored lowest (3.39), highlighting inadequate student preparation as a key issue, with learners’ pre-class reading of material scoring just 2.81. These findings underscore the model’s utility in identifying areas for improvement, particularly in student engagement, academic excellence, and organisational culture within the Learning and Growth dimension. Full article

In responding to the special issue’s call to examine the shifting space of materiality, this article uses creative writing, hand-drawn comics, and speculative fiction/design as a form of research by practice to critique changes in UK Higher Arts Education in relation to art materials. It shows how embedded neoliberal structures that have been documented to negatively impact HE staff and the arts in general, also now extend to prioritising and excluding some art materials over others. A speculative vision is offered as an alternative in which a nomadic higher arts education is put forward, one that encourages the use of hybrid art materials. The means chosen to make the arguments presented are analogue methods of drawing, cutting, printing, sewing and writing to strengthen the point that digital materials are currently prioritised in UK arts education due to HE’s entanglement with agendas entwinned with Big Tech and most recently the military. The format is also deliberately experimental to move away from common ways of presenting research and theory that have become formulaic as academics are pushed to meet the ideals of the Research Excellence Framework, another neoliberal rubric. Full article

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer is an aggressive subtype associated with a poor prognosis when not optimally treated. Over the past year, major advances—including results from DESTINY-Breast05, DESTINY-Breast09, DESTINY-Breast11, PATINA, and long-term APHINITY follow-up—have changed the treatment landscape regarding the place in therapy of antibody–drug conjugates and the optimal sequencing of systemic therapies. These developments prompted the need for updated evidence-informed consensus recommendations to support consistent, high-quality care across Canada. Research Excellence, Active Leadership Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance (REAL Alliance), comprising clinical-academic oncologists from across Canada and Breast Cancer Canada, updated its 2024 HER2+ recommendations through a modified Delphi process with up to three rounds of anonymous voting. Consensus was defined a priori as ≥75% agreement. This 2025 update incorporates new data in early-stage, metastatic, and central nervous system-involved disease, including revisions to neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatment pathways and expanded guidance on the clinical use of antibody–drug conjugates. Full article

The establishment of AI ethics bylaws in academia is needed for teaching, learning, and assessment. The adaptive parameters of these bylaws define the ethical, pedagogical, and operational standards for the use of artificial intelligence tools within academia. The main aim is to ensure that AI tools are used to enhance educational practices while preserving human judgment, safeguarding academic integrity, and promoting critical thinking. Specifically, these are intended to mentor all domains of academia to uphold the core values of fairness and transparency while adapting to the advent of modern technologies. While many are enthused by the support provided by large language models, it is also important to prevent over-reliance or misuse of AI technologies. This establishes clear responsibility for faculty, students, and administration. These significant bylaws pay more attention to these issues to provide a foundation for good governance, evaluation, and amendment of AI-related practices. To provide normative insight into the anticipated reception of these bylaws, we conducted a small exploratory pilot study with STEM faculty. The resulting observations offer preliminary indications of the feasibility of the proposed method for future research and policy development. Full article

Educational sustainability necessitates a holistic development paradigm where academic resilience and physical literacy are mutually reinforcing. Within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 4: Quality Education), this study investigates the predictive capacity of kinesthetic profiles—encompassing both intelligence and learning styles—on sports attitudes and academic achievement among adolescents. Employing a quantitative cross-sectional design, data were collected from a substantial sample of 695 adolescents. The regression analyses revealed a critical pedagogical distinction: unlike kinesthetic intelligence, the kinesthetic learning style (β = 0.612), emerged as the paramount predictor of sports attitudes explaining a substantial 42.3% of the total variance. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was identified between kinesthetic traits and academic performance, challenging the traditional dichotomy between physical and cognitive development. These findings advocate for a strategic paradigm shift from “one-size-fits-all” instruction to kinesthetic-based pedagogies that align with students’ sensory preferences. Consequently, integrating movement-oriented strategies into curricula is proposed not merely as an instructional choice, but as a vital sustainable education strategy to foster both academic excellence and the lifelong physical and mental well-being of the next generation. Full article

Background: Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and timely use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are critical determinants of survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). University students enrolled in healthcare degree programs represent a strategic target population for the dissemination of basic life support and defibrillation (BLS-D) skills. However, evidence on their level of knowledge, attitudes, and perceived preparedness remains limited in Southern Italy. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between mid-December 2025 and 15 January 2026 among undergraduate healthcare students at the Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro (Italy). Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, CPR/AED knowledge, attitudes, and perceived confidence. Composite knowledge scores were calculated and categorized as poor, sufficient, good, or excellent. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, Cramér’s V, and Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: A total of 604 students were included (mean age 24.4 ± 6.7 years; 69.9% female), of whom 46.4% reported prior BLS-D training. Knowledge levels were heterogeneous: myocardial infarction was widely recognized as a cause of cardiac arrest (81.1%), whereas recognition of non-shockable rhythms, including asystole and pulseless electrical activity, remained low (<25%). Procedural knowledge, particularly regarding the chain of survival and chest compression rate, improved with academic year and prior BLS-D training. Conversely, ventilation skills and correct AED pad placement were consistently inadequate. Attitudes toward CPR were largely positive; however, perceived confidence in performing resuscitation was moderate to low, especially in complex scenarios. More than 80% of students expressed strong interest in further training and supported mandatory BLS-D education. Conclusions: Healthcare students demonstrated favorable attitudes toward CPR but insufficient and uneven knowledge, particularly in rhythm recognition, ventilation, and AED use. Academic progression and structured BLS-D training were associated with improved competencies, although critical gaps persisted. Integrating mandatory, hands-on BLS-D training with regular refresher sessions into healthcare curricula should enhance preparedness and potentially reduce OHCA-related mortality, especially in high-risk regions such as Calabria. Full article

In the evolving cybersecurity landscape, detecting Thai-English code-mixed malicious scripts within high-trust domains such as governmental and academic portals presents a significant defensive challenge. While Transformer-based architectures excel in semantic parsing, they often exhibit ‘Structural Bias,’ misinterpreting the high-entropy syntax of benign legacy HyperText Markup Language (HTML) as malicious obfuscation due to inherent ‘Attention Deficit’ in token-limited models. To address this, we propose an Explainable AI (XAI)-Driven Hybrid Architecture grounded in a ‘Selective Integration’ strategy. Unlike traditional hybrid models, our framework mathematically formalizes the fusion process by synergizing context-aware WangChanBERTa embeddings with orthogonal structural statistics through Dempster-Shafer Theory and Conditional Mutual Information (CMI). The proposed model was validated on a high-fidelity corpus, achieving a state-of-the-art F1-score of 0.9908, significantly outperforming standalone Transformers, Random Forest, and unsupervised baselines. XAI diagnostics revealed a ‘Dual-Validation’ mechanism where structural features act as an epistemic anchor. This mechanism effectively triggers a ‘Semantic Veto’ to filter hallucinations caused by benign complexity, achieving a remarkably low False Positive Rate (FPR) of 0.0116. Our findings demonstrate that hybridization is most effective when engineered features provide mathematical orthogonality to semantic embeddings. This work offers a robust, theoretically grounded framework for securing critical digital infrastructures in low-resource linguistic environments. Full article

Epistemology underpins the scientific method by clarifying what counts as knowledge, which forms of evidence are admissible, and how procedures can legitimately support conclusions. Under accelerated publishing conditions, these assumptions are often left implicit, which can weaken the inferential coherence of peer-reviewed manuscripts. This study aimed to model reviewers’ perceived epistemological deficiencies as a multidimensional construct with an overarching global component. A 14-item instrument covering four latent domains was administered to 183 peer reviewers from a Latin American academic network. A second-order structural equation model was estimated using SEM with DWLS (lavaan). The model showed excellent fit (CFI ≈ 1.00; RMSEA = 0.000; SRMR = 0.033) and strong factor loadings, indicating a coherent global factor alongside distinct domain-specific components. Reviewers’ accumulated experience was positively associated with the global factor (β = 0.047; p = 0.013), whereas the recent volume of reviews was not statistically significant (p = 0.254). These results suggest that epistemological scrutiny may reflect more stable evaluative competencies than short-term reviewing activity. The instrument can inform editorial rubrics and reviewer training aimed at strengthening problem–theory–method coherence and reflexive methodological justification. Because the measure captures perceptions within a single regional network, further validation across disciplines and cultural contexts is recommended. Full article