Search Results (506)

This study examines Lean 4.0, defined as the integration of Lean soft practices (LSPs) and Industry 4.0 technologies (I4Ts), from a socio-technical systems perspective. While prior research has mainly linked Lean and I4Ts to operational and cost-based performance indicators, far less is known about how their human and technological elements interact as one socio-technical system during digital transformation. We investigate how LSPs and I4Ts combine to form social and technical subsystems, how their interaction reshapes work systems, and how these configurations relate to organisational performance. An inductive qualitative design was used. Fifteen managers and professionals with direct experience in continuous improvement and digital transformation completed an open-ended online questionnaire. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke thematic analysis, guided by socio-technical systems theory and complemented by a cross-case synthesis. The findings identify four interrelated subsystems, social, technical, work, and outcomes, that co-evolve in Lean 4.0 initiatives. LSPs such as training, empowerment, and stakeholder involvement constitute a social system that enables the adoption and effective use of I4Ts in the technical system. When both subsystems are strong, their combined operation drives more extensive digital transformation of operational processes and customer facing activities, and in some cases business models, and is associated with broader improvements in efficiency, quality, customer satisfaction, employee engagement, and financial performance than medium or unbalanced configurations. The analysis also highlights recurrent integration challenges, including skill gaps, legacy system constraints, resistance to change, and data security concerns. Overall, the study conceptualises Lean 4.0 as an integrated socio-technical configuration and extends socio-technical systems theory by showing how LSPs mediate and amplify the value created by I4Ts, providing an empirically grounded framework and configuration-based insights for future testing. Full article

Forests play a central role in biodiversity conservation, climate mitigation, and sustainable development, requiring highly skilled professionals trained through effective graduate education. Grounded in Comparative Education Theory, this study conducts a comparative analysis of ten flagship forestry graduate programs across developed and developing countries, examining how institutional characteristics influence curriculum design, professional preparation, and student outcomes. Using a structured document review of program handbooks, curriculum guides, faculty profiles, and sectoral reports from 2015 to 2025, the study analyzes six dimensions of program design: curriculum structure, faculty and research capacity, industry engagement, infrastructure resources, funding models, and international partnerships. Findings reveal substantial variation across institutions. Programs in developed countries often benefit from stronger research environments, diversified funding, and well-established collaborations with industry and government agencies. Several developing-country programs face constraints related to funding, infrastructure, and technological capacity, yet demonstrate strengths in traditional ecological knowledge and community-based training. Across cases, graduate employment outcomes are shaped by sectoral dynamics, program specialization, and opportunities for experiential learning. The study highlights institutional and not national patterns and emphasizes that broader generalizations require larger, more representative datasets. Insights may inform program enhancement, capacity development, and future research on global forestry education. Full article

Research in “cybertherapy” has explored innovative ways to integrate new technologies as innovative tools in psychological treatment, such as virtual reality. Avatars, as digital representations of users within virtual environments, represent an interesting tool for psychotherapists: they could be used to assess aspects of patients’ self-representations (assessment), to promote behavioral change based on an alternative self-image (treatment), or to exercise therapists’ skills in diagnosis and assessment (formation). Yet, the use of avatars in psychotherapy is still not widespread. In the present study, 77 certified psychotherapists evaluated the three possible uses of avatars described above in terms of technology acceptance model (TAM) factors: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and intention-to-use. Partially confirming the TAM, the results show that perceived usefulness in particular is an effective predictor of intention to use avatars in psychotherapy for all three possible uses. Attitudes towards avatars as a psychotherapeutic tool were slightly influenced by mental health professionals’ methodological approach, with cognitive-behavioral psychotherapists showing more positive attitudes towards avatars as a training tool. On the other hand, previous experiences with other technologies (e.g., conducting therapy online or not) affected the perception of avatars’ ease of use as a treatment tool. The present study contributes to identifying factors that influence mental health professionals’ attitudes towards technological innovations in the psychotherapy profession, giving directions for future research in cybertherapy adoption. Full article

Metacognition and self-regulated learning (SRL) are widely recognized as key mechanisms for academic achievement and skill development, yet in music education they have rarely been examined through explicit instructional interventions to enable causal testing and effect evaluation. To address this gap, this study followed PRISMA guidelines and conducted a systematic review of 31 studies (including seven for meta-analysis) to identify intervention types and mechanisms, and to quantify their overall effects and moderating factors. Results indicate the following: (1) the intervention ecology is grounded in structured learning support (SLS), frequently combined with strategy teaching (ST) or technology-enhanced interventions (TEI), with full integration concentrated at the university level. (2) The mechanisms operate primarily along four pathways: structure facilitates a “plan–practice–reflection” loop, strategy instruction makes tacit experience explicit, technological feedback provides a third-person perspective, and teacher support stabilizes motivation. (3) The meta-analysis revealed a significant positive medium effect overall. (4) Intervention structure moderated outcomes, though not as a single or stable determinant. (5) Effects followed a U-shaped pattern across educational stages, strongest in secondary school, followed by university, and weaker in preschool and primary. Future research should employ proximal, task-aligned measures, conduct parallel multi-indicator assessments within the same stage, and expand evidence for multi-mechanism integration in primary and secondary school contexts. Experimental designs manipulating levels of SLS are needed to test whether ST + TEI remain effective under low-structure conditions, thereby identifying the minimum structural threshold. Extending samples to informal and professional music learners would further enhance robustness and generalizability. Full article

The transition to electric mobility requires salespeople to go beyond technical expertise and develop advanced social–cognitive skills that shape consumer decision-making. This study examines how empathy, perspective-taking, and trust influence interactions between salespeople and potential buyers of electric vehicles (EVs). Through a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, we identify the key cognitive and emotional competencies that enable sales professionals to interpret customer intentions, manage uncertainty, and guide rational yet emotionally influenced purchase decisions. Findings suggest that successful EV sales rely on understanding consumer beliefs about sustainability, risk, and technology, as well as on the salesperson’s ability to align messages with these cognitive frames. Based on this analysis, we propose a competency development framework that emphasizes empathy-driven communication, adaptive reasoning, and the integration of social cognition into training strategies. This perspective contributes to the broader understanding of how social–cognitive processes affect human judgment and decision-making in the emerging electric vehicle market. Full article

Distance simultaneous interpreting is a typical example of technology-mediated interpreting, bridging participants (i.e., interpreters, audience, and speakers) in various events and conferences. This study explores how presentation mode affects cognitive load in DSI, utilizing eye-tracking sensor technology. A controlled experiment was conducted involving 36 participants, comprising 19 professional interpreters and 17 student interpreters, to assess the effects of presentation mode on their cognitive load during English-to-Chinese DSI. A Tobii Pro X3-120 screen-based eye tracker was used to collect eye-tracking data as the participants sequentially performed a DSI task involving four distinct presentation modes: the Speaker, Slides, Split, and Corner modes. The findings, derived from the integration of eye-tracking data and interpreting performance scores, indicate that both presentation mode and experience level significantly influence interpreters’ cognitive load. Notably, student interpreters demonstrated longer fixation durations in the Slides mode, indicating a reliance on visual aids for DSI. These results have implications for language learning, suggesting that the integration of visual supports can aid in the acquisition and performance of interpreting skills, particularly for less experienced interpreters. This study contributes to our understanding of the interplay between technology, cognitive load, and language learning in the context of DSI. Full article

In this article, the development of in-service teachers’ digital competence is examined within an AI-supported learning environment designed to enhance professional modeling skills and the creation of interactive AR-based instructional content. The study investigates how such an environment supports teachers in developing contextual digital skills that enable not only the use of emerging technologies but also their meaningful adaptation to pedagogical goals and instructional needs. A training program involving 916 in-service teachers from Kazakhstani secondary schools was implemented, and survey data were collected to assess changes in digital competence and readiness to integrate AI and AR tools into teaching practices. The findings demonstrate high levels of interest and engagement: 96% of participants expressed readiness for further learning, 86% reported satisfaction with the course content, and 84% showed contextual maturity in applying newly acquired technologies in their instructional processes. These results highlight the potential of AI-supported professional development to strengthen teachers’ capacity to design interactive learning environments, promote equity and quality in digital education, and enhance student engagement. Full article

Introduction: Orthodontic practice, though often considered low-risk compared with other dental specialties, is increasingly exposed to medico-legal challenges shaped by the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment of modern healthcare. The aim of this review was to identify the underlying causes and typologies of malpractice claims in orthodontics. Methods: This narrative review synthesizes evidence from 2010–2024 on malpractice allegations and risk management strategies in orthodontics, with attention to the clinical, ethical, and legal dimensions. Results: The analysis of the included articles identified the most common types of malpractice allegations and the share of malpractice allegations of orthodontists in relation to other specialties; the main risks of orthodontic practice were identified, as well as risk management strategies in orthodontics. The findings highlight that most malpractice allegations are not related to medical/clinical errors, but to ethical–legislative, behavioral/relational, and perceptual/aesthetic vulnerabilities. Conclusions: This review highlights the need for physicians to focus on the acquisition of transversal skills, to have the ability to understand, adapt and respond to the rational and emotional needs of patients. This is essential in an ever-changing world, supporting healthcare professionals in maintaining professional safety. This review opens a relevant research direction on the role and impact of digital technology in the orthodontist–patient relationship, having the ability to influence the dynamics of this therapeutic relationship and the perception of the treatment outcome. Full article

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a vital skill for healthcare professionals, crucial in life-saving situations. More than 80% of cardiac arrest cases occur out of hospital. As the demand for competent CPR practitioners grows, the effectiveness of training methods becomes increasingly important, especially for undergraduate students preparing to enter the healthcare field. The primary objective of our study is to investigate the effectiveness of simulation-based teaching methods and by integrating innovative technologies, such as the OMNI2 simulator, to enhance practitioners’ performance and to improve the precision and objectivity of CPR instruction. A cohort of 144 undergraduate students from the Nursing School Department of the National Kapodistrian University of Athens participated in an 8 h Basic Life Support Seminar. It consisted of a 5 h theoretical instruction followed by 3 h of practical training using the OMNI2 simulator. Each student was tasked to identify cardiac arrest and to perform two cycles of CPR according to the 2021 guidelines. Metrics, including total session time, cycles performed, compression-to-ventilation ratio, compression depth, compressions and ventilations per minute, full recoil, peak inspiratory pressure, and ventilation duration, were measured and compared against the simulator’s preset targets. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed for all outcomes. In conclusion, while simulation-based teaching has conventionally been proven effective for CPR proficiency, real-time data collected in this study reveal a disparity between anticipated and actual performance. Our research underscores the necessity of refining instructional methods to enhance skill acquisition, potentially leading to improved patient outcomes in the future. Full article

Despite much interest in the flow experienced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers, there is less research on flow re-engagement and pre-service teachers at the crucial phase of career development. This study aims to examine flow dynamics among pre-service and in-service EFL teachers in China during teaching. Six Chinese EFL teachers (three pre-service and three in-service) engaged in two rounds of interviews over the course of one year, which were analyzed using a thematic narrative approach. The findings indicate that immediate feedback, clear goals, and a challenge-skill balance were key antecedents of flow. In-service teachers highlighted principal’s teaching-focused philosophy, technology support, teaching experience and curiosity. All participants reported a sense of control, deep absorption, and time distortion. Two experienced teachers further claimed a loss of self-consciousness. The flow of participants was impeded by student-related factors, strong self-consciousness, and technological breakdowns. In-service teachers noted more complicated causes. To re-enter a state of flow, pre-service teachers favored avoidance strategies, whereas in-service teachers employed more flexible approaches. Flow enhanced instructors’ teaching confidence, shifted pre-service teachers’ career motivation and fostered in-service educators’ professional well-being, post-class reflection, and self-improvement. Administrators and teacher educators should provide a teaching-oriented working environment for in-service teachers and offer flow-focused training to pre-service teachers, thus promoting their flow experiences and fostering sustainable professional development. Full article

This study examines how accounting information systems might strengthen food supply chains after recent worldwide disasters. The study uses literature studies and interviews with Jordanian agricultural professionals to demonstrate how sustainability-based accounting systems create better judgments. These technologies make real-time sustainability indicator monitoring and risk reduction easier, improving the supply chain. The findings suggest new accounting methods that emphasize how government support for sustainability might assist agricultural enterprises in improving their knowledge, skills, and collaboration. Standardized sustainability reporting can strengthen the food system over time. Full article

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare has reshaped medical education and clinical practice. While technological innovation is vital, soft skills are essential for preserving trust, ethical accountability, and humanistic care. This study explores the evolving role of soft skills in medical education in the AI era by examining definitional challenges, pedagogical strategies, and the integration of AI-related literacy. A narrative review methodology synthesized evidence across seven thematic domains, focusing on curricular integration, pedagogical strategies, and assessment approaches in medical education within AI-enabled learning environments. The findings demonstrated that soft skills improve patient adherence, satisfaction, safety, and trust; strengthen physicians’ professional identity, collaboration, and resilience; and enhance system-level outcomes, such as resilience, safety, and public trust. Experiential, reflective, and competency-based pedagogies remain the most effective instructional strategies, while AI-supported tools, including virtual patients, adaptive simulations, large language models (LLMs), and Retrieval-Augmented Generation systems (RAG), offer complementary benefits by enhancing doctor-patient communication, providing real-time personalized feedback, and strengthening clinical reasoning. Soft skills function as an interconnected and synergistic ecosystem that is reinforced by cognitive, affective, humanistic, and ethical mechanisms. Integrating these competencies with AI literacy promotes theoretical clarity, supports programmatic assessment, and fosters responsible innovation, ensuring that technological advancement enhances rather than diminishes the humanistic foundations of medicine. Full article

As the transformative influence of novel technologies sweeps across industries, organisations are called upon to position their staff in the equally dynamic operational environment, which includes embedding technical and legal communication skills in their training programs. For many organisations, internal and external communication of data modelling and related concepts, reporting, and monitoring still pose major challenges. The aim of this research is to develop an effective data training framework for learners with or without mathematical or computational maturity. It also addresses subtle aspects such as the legal and ethical implications of dealing with organisational data. Data was collected from a training course in Python, delivered to government employees in different departments in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A structured questionnaire was designed to measure the effectiveness of the training program using Python, from the employees’ perspective, based on three key attributes: their personal characteristics, professional characteristics, and technical knowledge. A descriptive analysis of aggregations, deviations, and proportions was used to describe the data attributes gathered for the study. The main findings revealed a huge knowledge gap across disciplines regarding the core skills of big data analytics. In addition, the findings highlighted that previous knowledge about statistical methods of data analysis along with prior programming knowledge made it easier for employees to gain skills in data analytics. While the results of this study showed that their training program was beneficial for the vast majority of participants, responses from the survey indicate that providing a solid knowledge of technical communication, legal and ethical aspects would offer significant insights into the big data analytics field. Based on the findings, we make recommendations for adapting conventional data analytics approaches to align with the complexity or the attainment of the non-orthogonal United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Associations of selected responses from the survey with some of the key data attributes indicate that the research highlights vital roles that technology and data-driven skills will play in ensuring a more prosperous and sustainable future for all. Full article

Advancing toward sustainable higher education requires simultaneously addressing United Nations Sustainability Goals 4 (quality education) and 5 (gender equality). This mixed-methods case study analyzes how cultural stereotypes and gender expectations influence career choices in the field of computer science, which is highly masculinized in Chile. As a contextual and comparative contrast, the feminization of disciplines such as nursing is considered, illustrating the gender polarization across areas of knowledge. This comparison is not random, since in Chile the health sector stands at the opposite end of the spectrum from technology, as demonstrated by the study’s figures. As a theoretical basis, a simple systematic review of the literature published between 2013 and 2024 (in English and Spanish) was carried out, drawing on Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and ERIC databases, following some steps of the PRISMA protocol. Thematic analysis allowed mapping research by region, discipline, and type of intervention. The results confirm the persistence of stereotyped beliefs about skills and professional roles, even in contexts with formal equity policies. Strategies that foster empathy, belonging, and intercultural communication, implemented through mentoring, outreach activities, or curriculum redesign, emerge as key catalysts for more inclusive environments. The study presents a practical case applied to first-year computer engineering students at the Universidad de La Frontera (Chile), in which gendered perceptions embedded in vocational choice processes were identified. By situating this study in Chile’s context, we identify how local structures—school sector, regional labor markets, and gender norms—shape women’s participation in computing. Based on this experience, practical recommendations are proposed for integrating a gender perspective into technology education, including pedagogical strategies, gender-sensitive vocational guidance, and the visibility of role models. Full article

The role of technology in translator training has become increasingly significant as machine translation (MT) evolves at a rapid pace. Beyond practical tool usage, training must now prepare students to engage critically with MT outputs and understand the socio-technical dimensions of translation. Traditional sentence-level MT evaluation, often conducted on isolated segments, can overlook discourse-level errors or produce misleadingly high scores for sentences that appear correct in isolation but are inaccurate within the broader discourse. Document-level MT evaluation has emerged as an approach that offers a more accurate perspective by accounting for context. This article presents the integration of context-aware MT evaluation into an MA-level translation module, in which students conducted a structured exercise comparing sentence-level and document-level methodologies, supported by reflective reporting. The aim was to familiarise students with context-aware evaluation techniques, expose the limitations of single-sentence evaluation, and foster a more nuanced understanding of translation quality. This study provides methodological insights for incorporating MT evaluation training into translator education and highlights how such exercises can develop critical awareness of MT’s contextual limitations. It also offers a framework for supporting students in building the analytical skills needed to evaluate MT output in professional and research settings. Full article