Analytical Reflection Research Articles

Instrumentation of students’ experience through the active content of science: from epistemic contact to idealizations and back again in school classrooms

ABSTRACT The paper presents an in-depth exploration of the process of the instrumentation of experience within the context of teaching and learning in schools. We focus on the role of cultural instruments, such as scientific tools and practices, in mediating human cognition and transforming students´ experience into active scientific content. The study draws on the concepts of dual mediation and the interplay between denotative and expressive aspects of cognition. We aim to (1) characterise the process of instrumentalizing students’ experience into active scientific content within the classroom and (2) propose a theoretically consistent model of instrumentation of experience for micro-level analysis of teaching and learning based on the construct of content transformation. We propose a micro-level model for analyzing the instrumentation of experience in educational settings, highlighting the interaction between the subjective, intersubjective, and objective content modalities, Kvasz's typology of cultural genesis in science and its operationalisation through five epistemic categories (e.g. cognitive penetrability of imagination). The operational grounding of these categories is illustrated through case study examples. This model serves for micro-analysis of content transformations during teaching and learning and thus to contribute to the enhancement of teaching and learning quality through classroom observations and analytical reflection.

The pain, the pedagogy, and the politics of IELTS: a critical autobiographical inquiry

ABSTRACT Language tests, including international high-stakes English proficiency tests widely used around the world, are to be viewed as ideological constructs connected with power relations and center–periphery demarcations at different social levels. In this paper, we examine the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as an instance of such tests to uncover some of its underlying sociocultural functions. Adopting a critical autobiographical approach that revisits three personal trajectories in relation to each other and in connection with wider contextual dynamics, we reflect on our own lived experiences of engagements with IELTS in various social and institutional settings and in different roles. Each one of us first shared narrative accounts of turning points in our learning, taking, teaching, and using IELTS within the past two decades. Then, we explored these narratives through multiple rounds of reflections and discussions of their common underlying ideas related to the sociocultural functioning of IELTS. Although the narratives presented unique trajectories, three common themes of Pain, Pedagogy, and Politics emerged from our collective analytic reflections. We discuss these themes and how they can problematize different aspects of IELTS from a critical point of view.

Measurement of turbid media by total internal reflection with Goos-Hänchen angle displacement

Based on the Goos-Hänchen effect and the intensity attenuation of the evanescent wave penetrating and traveling, a new theoretical model of total internal reflection from the interface of turbid media is proposed and an analytical reflectance expression in a wide incident angle range is developed. The Goos-Hänchen angle displacement between the critical reflectance and the saturated reflectance is discovered. A sensor, for measuring the complex refractive index of turbid media in real-time, with divergent light source is designed. The captured images show that the light distribution reflected from the transparent medium has a sharp boundary, but for turbid media, the reflected light intensity attenuates during the transition from total to non-total internal reflection regions. It is successful and accurate that the new model fits the experimental data of the reflectance and the complex refractive index of turbid media is measured by our sensor. The results show that measuring has advantages in real-time, in situ, and with high accuracy.

Whiteness at the abyss: reflections on a scene of attack

AbstractThis paper focusses on a series of online attacks that the author was subjected to after comments he had made in a closed lecture on the topic of ‘white anxiety’ were cut from the zoom recording and distributed widely online with the clear intent of causing outrage. The analysis of the material, which combines thematic, discourse analytic and personal reflections, yielded a series of core themes: 1) the role of the messages in consolidating an identity, 2) performative offensiveness, 3) perverse intimidations, 4) accusations/denials/expressions of racism, 5) the race-traitor as ideological dilemma, 6) antisemitism and 7) aggressive cordiality. The paper closes with a few reflections on the author’s enunciative position in respect of the attacks.

Migration narratives on social media: Digital racism and subversive migrant subjectivities

This special issue contributes to an emerging literature on the role of social media in shaping narratives on migrants and refugees. The issue is organised into two parts. The first part offers analytical and empirical reflections on the dynamics of digital racism, xenophobia and polarisation on discourses by non-migrants, on migrants and refugees. The second part turns to the narratives promoted by migrants themselves through digital platforms as ways of both counteracting dominant narratives but also performing their own migrant subjectivity and creating a public digital identity for themselves. This introductory paper starts by offering a set of analytical considerations on the role of narratives in the communicative sphere in general and on the role of social media in particular with a view to framing the six paper contributions that follow.

The Interplay of Organizations in the Creative Economy: Analytical Reflections and Typologies

The Interplay of Organizations in the Creative Economy: Analytical Reflections and Typologies

Empirical BRDF model for goniochromatic materials and soft proofing with reflective inks.

The commonly used analytic bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) do not model goniochromatism, that is, angle-dependent material color. The material color is usually defined by a diffuse reflectance spectrum or RGB vector and a specular part based on a spectral complex index of refraction. Extension of the commonly used BRDFs based on wave theory can help model goniochromatism, but this comes at the cost of significant added model complexity. We measured the goniochromatism of structual color pigments used for additive color printing and found that we can fit the observed spectral angular dependence of the bidirectional reflectance using a simple modification of the standard microfacet BRDF model. All we need to describe the goniochromatism is an empirically-based spectral parameter, which we use in our model together with a specular reflectance spectrum instead of the spectral complex index of refraction. We demonstrate the ability of our model to fit the measured reflectance of red, green, and blue commercial structural color pigments. Our BRDF model enables straightforward implementation of a shader for interactive preview of 3D objects with printed spatially and angularly varying texture.

A comparative study of analytical models of diffuse reflectance in homogeneous biological tissues: Gelatin-based phantoms and Monte Carlo experiments.

Information about tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) and other related important physiological parameters can be extracted from diffuse reflectance spectra measured through non-contact imaging. Three analytical optical reflectance models for homogeneous, semi-infinite, tissue have been proposed (Modified Beer-Lambert, Jacques 1999, Yudovsky 2009) but these have not been directly compared for tissue parameter extraction purposes. We compare these analytical models using Monte Carlo (MC) simulated diffuse reflectance spectra and controlled gelatin-based phantoms with measured diffuse reflectance spectra and known ground truth composition parameters. The Yudovsky model performed best against MC simulations and measured spectra of tissue phantoms in terms of goodness of fit and parameter extraction accuracy followed closely by Jacques' model. In this study, Yudovsky's model appeared most robust; however, our results demonstrated that both Yudovsky and Jacques models are suitable for modeling tissue that can be approximated as a single, homogeneous, semi-infinite slab.

“Second generation”: a theoretical reflection on an ever-changing concept

ABSTRACT In recent decades, the issue of migrants’ children has received increasing attention within scientific research. This is due to the ongoing nature of the most current global migration phenomena. “Second generation” is the category often used in studies to define the field of reference, namely that of youth with foreign origin. However, this definition is sometimes generic or rather crossed by different interpretations depending on the application context, references considered or even used approaches. This contribution of theoretical nature aims to examine this concept by highlighting its empirical complexity. Based on a critical revision of classical and contemporary definitions, the analytical reflection focuses on a particular context, specifically the Italian one, about which the most recent conceptualisations proposed from below, for instance by the youth associationism’s world, are also considered. In conclusion, a broad conceptual reflection emerges that seeks to problematise the use of this ever-changing category.

Body, scar, memory and identity: theological reflections from the other side

This text is set out from the autobiographical narratives of the author that from the view of the cultural studies and the meeting with the Bible, invites us to read our body from the unconventional categories, challenging us to make theology from the other side. The interpretation of the Bible from women and blackness, on the other hand, is related to the way the author understands her life story, that is why methodologically she start with a biblical text that has to do with the proposed categories, immediately she goes from the story to life and then to an analytical reflection of the chosen category to finally present a theological illumination of that situation. It is not an exegesis in the strict sense of the word, the text is just a pretext to allow us to read life from the other side, that is, from the margins of officially.

Masks and Faces in the Setting at the Time of Coronavirus.

The "health emergency" forced analysts to seek new ways of continuing with analysis. The article focuses, in particular, on the changes brought about in the setting by the presence of the sanitary mask, following a line that begins with the theme of the "mask" in the collective uses of human cultures, and develops through the Jungian concept of persona, as opposed to the "face" that may convey an authentic image of oneself. A clinical vignette illustrates the issues that the mask raises in the setting by obstructing the communication of emotions. When there is no transformative processing of concrete data, "unmasking" can also lead to an uncanny encounter and to moments of darkness and confusion in analysis, when the analyst experiences the kind of "unconscious identity" between therapist and patient that Jung defined as nigredo. The article is intended as a contribution to the analytic community's current reflections on the new and unforeseen challenges encountered in analysis at the time of the Coronavirus. It is possible to learn from these experiences with a view to integrating new elements and thus modify one's own internal setting, the compass with which each analyst orientates himself.

UMA ANÁLISE MULTINÍVEL SOBRE O IMPACTO DAS NORMAS E PRESSÕES INTERNACIONAIS DE DIREITOS HUMANOS: EXPLORANDO EFEITOS INTERATIVOS PARA ALÉM DO MODELO ESPIRAL

Abstract: This study conducts a multi-level analysis on the impact of international human rights norms and pressures, criticizing the spiral model from the field of International Relations. Using an analytical framework beyond state-centric perspectives, we explored three critical dimensions: the social origins of human rights violations, the political-legal intermediation within civil society, and the internal bureaucratic features of international human rights organizations. While influential, the spiral model falls short in comprehensively addressing these dimensions. Thus, in this article, we introduced theoretical and analytical reflections partly drawn from Global South studies to address these limitations.

ТВОРЧА ОСОБИСТІСТЬ ДЖОНА МІЛТОНА У ПОТРАКТУВАННІ ГАРОЛЬДА БЛУМА: PRO ET CONTRA

Background. The decline of the humanities, caused, among other things, by the pragmatism of reading texts, prompted Harold Bloom to write a thorough work The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. The author discusses the notion of the Canon and provides a number of factors that determine the inclusion of a particular writer in the list of canonical ones. Bloom develops the concept of the Western Canon around William Shakespeare, whom he considers to be inextricably linked to a broad paradigm of texts and authors who followed him. Actuality of the article lies in the need to form a critical attitude to established authorities, the dominant opinion in society, and to develop one's own position, in particular, when clarifying the criteria that ambivalently mark Good and Evil in the context of political, ideological struggle or war. Milton himself mentioned that: "The mind is its own place, and in itself/ Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven". The article aims to study Harold Bloom's interpretation of John Milton's Paradise Lost in "The Western Canon" and sets the following tasks: to study Milton's connection with Shakespeare, to highlight Bloom's main thoughts on the central figure of Milton's poem – Satan, to highlight analytical reflections on Bloom's concept, as well as to classify semantic losses or gains in the Ukrainian translation of the poem by O. Zhomnir. Methods. The study was carried out using cultural-historical, biographical, mythopoetic, comparative-historical and receptive methods. Results. It has been established that Harold Bloom, providing convincing arguments in favor of the canonicity of John Milton in English literature, outlines the historical context that connects Milton and Shakespeare and determines the significant influence of the latter on the former. "The Western Canon" allows us to reveal the image of Satan, to trace the Shakespearean evolution of the character in his style, to establish a clear hierarchy of the importance of characters in the poem, and to determine the attitude of John Milton, a Puritan poet, to this character. Conclusions. Harold Bloom overemphasises the antecedents of the "poet" and, accordingly, the "fear of influence". The dialectic of generations, according to Bloom, is permanent, as is the process of interpretation. Therefore, for Bloom, the originality of the poet, in our opinion, lies in what he lost in comparison with his "father" or gained by overcoming him. That is why Bloom's contextual comparison of Milton with his predecessor, Shakespeare, is so important.

MODELS OF COST BEHAVIOUR: A MANAGERIAL PERSPECTIVE

The paper considers the peculiarities of cost behaviour in the production of metallurgical products and their modelling. The industry specifics and their impact on cost formation and production of metallurgical products are assessed. The article develops step-by-step approaches to cost behaviour analysis. It is proved that one of the key aspects of the study of cost behaviour is the choice of an effective method of their accounting and calculation The main factors of external and internal direction of cost behaviour are formed. Peculiarities of application of the preliminary method of production are evaluated. The scheme of formation of accounting and analytical reflection of production of metallurgical products by the preliminary method at PJSC "Kamet-Stal" is developed. The accounting and analytical reflection of formation of the production cost of metallurgical products on the accounts is presented. The emphasis is placed on the peculiarities of accounting for the formation of the production cost of metallurgical products according to national accounting standards (regulations). A set of interrelated factors that shape and influence the behaviour of costs has been formed. It has been concluded that the most objective method for assessing cost behaviour is statistical correlation models. A regression equation as a linear model of cost behaviour has been formed. A linear model of cost behaviour has been calculated. The equation parameters, actual and tabulated coefficient of determination are determined. The relationship between the volume of pig iron production and changes in total fixed costs is substantiated. The closeness and significance of the relationship are estimated. Analytical conclusions are formed and the main directions of the cost management strategy are developed. It is proposed to forecast costs using the tested model. It has been concluded that the developed model of cost behaviour of metallurgical products (liquid cast iron) can be useful in the practical activities of an enterprise for making effective management decisions in both the short and long term.

“How Many Cooks in This Kitchen?”: Reflecting on Autoethnography

In this article we combine an autoethnographic narrative by the first author and analytical reflections by the second, exploring the complexities of autoethnographic reflection on fields of cultural practice. The autoethnographer describes Indian Delights, a cookbook that is iconic among South African Indian Muslim women, as a shifting cultural collage and social repository, which also has a particular status in her life. The second author’s reflections apply the ideas of Michel de Certeau and Luce Giard regarding writing, practice, and meaning. The two strands of writing complicate the relation between practice and commentary, addressing the value and limits of the compositional process and its outcomes.

Community-Engaged Field Trips: An Accessible Technique for Community-Based Learning in an Era of Education Austerity

ABSTRACT Community-based learning (CBL) is an innovative pedagogical approach that allows students to learn through direct engagement with community partners and participate in social change initiatives. Scholars have documented many transformative benefits of CBL: for students, it promotes critical thinking, self-reflection, and community action, while at the institutional level, it advances epistemic justice. Despite these advantages, many instructors balk at the idea of implementing CBL, especially given the current era of austerity in higher education. Within this context, I propose community-engaged field trips as a tool for instructors to achieve the core benefits of CBL by means of a concrete course activity. In the model I propose, students take part in a preexisting event or opportunity made available by a community-based organization. They then write an analytical reflection paper prompting them to think deeply about systemic inequities, examine their preexisting biases, and develop action ideas. To demonstrate how to implement this model of community-engaged field trips, I provide an exemplar from a course on the sociology of race and ethnicity. I describe the field trip logistics, learning objectives, reflection prompts, and assessment criteria and then conclude with suggestions for ways this model can be applied across a variety of course contexts.

Supporting an organizational change process with appreciative inquiry

AbstractThe author describes and analyzes the application of an Appreciative Inquiry initiative in a student success unit called University College, an academic unit with approximately 60 staff members. The article addresses the decision to adopt Appreciative Inquiry as part of the change process; the introduction of AI to the staff; the enactment of the process; and analytic reflections that could assist adoption of the AI process in other contexts.

On Affect, Violence, Vulnerability, and Community: Jenisjoplin

Jenisjoplin (2017) by Uxue Alberdi is an unsettling and formally innovative novel, as it recalls—through the account by its protagonist Nagore Vargas, nicknamed Jenisjoplin—the convulsive socio-historical reality of the last four decades in the Basque Country. This article offers a contextualization of Alberdi’s novel in the landscape of contemporary Basque authors and bases its analysis on theories connected with the affective turn. It is within that theoretical framework that such notions as violence experienced at the social level in ETA and post-ETA times, illness and vulnerability, and the possibility of individual and social reconstruction are explored. The narrative discourse in Jenisjoplin intertwines the social and political scenario of violence with the subjective experiences of the protagonist, which focus on family, friends, lovers, and illness, but also with frequent analytical and critical reflections on the nature of the Basque community and on the fight for national independence, the medical diagnosis and treatment for AIDS, and the struggle for a society where social justice will eventually prevail. Contributions by Mari Jose Olaziregi, Sara Ahmed, Laurent Berlant, Judith Butler, Susan Sontag, and Roberto Esposito, among others, form the theoretical backdrop for the analysis of the novel.

Characteristic bands extraction method and prediction of soil nutrient contents based on an analytic hierarchy process

The selection of characteristic bands of soil nutrients is crucial for the prediction of soil nutrient contents. In this paper, a measurement method based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and reflectance spectrum is proposed to realize the extraction of characteristic bands and the prediction of soil nutrients. Firstly, a series of alternative bands are obtained by mathematical transformations and correlation analysis from the reflectance spectral curves of 30 soil samples. Then, to objectively reflect different dependencies of spectral bands on the soil nutrients, AHP is adopted for weight analysis, and the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) algorithm is used to correct the expert scoring matrix. Via the weight allocation, weight normalization and weight threshold, the alternative bands meeting the sum threshold of weights > 0.5 are finally selected as the characteristic bands of soil nutrients, which are at 484 nm, 512 nm, and 760 nm for total nitrogen (TN), and at 384 nm, 736 nm, and 748 nm for available phosphorus (AP). Finally, three inversion models established by the characteristic bands are used to predict soil nutrient contents, which demonstrated the feasibility of the analytic hierarchy process for the extraction of characteristic bands and the prediction of soil nutrients.

Reflection dispersion of seismic waves at the ocean bottom due to mesoscopic-flow loss

Seismic reflections at the interface of heterogeneous porous media are significantly affected by the multi-scale fluid-flow losses. In this work, we study the seismic reflection dispersion from the ocean bottom separating seawater and heterogeneous porous seabed, described by the effective Biot theory where the mesoscopic loss is present. The analytical reflection coefficient is obtained based on the displacement potentials and suitable boundary conditions. Two reflection scenarios, including the water/water-bearing medium contact and water/gas-saturated medium interface, are considered. The shear-wave attenuation is also considered by using a Cole-Cole complex shear modulus. Numerical results showing the variation in reflection magnitude versus frequency and incidence angle are presented, revealing that the P-wave mesoscopic attenuation, complex shear modulus, boundary conditions and permeability can significantly affect the frequency and angle dependence of the reflection coefficients. Reflections at the water/gas-saturated medium interface exhibit quite different behaviors from those at the water/water-bearing medium contact. The open-pore interface gives frequency-dependent reflections, whereas in sealed-pore case, the reflection magnitudes remain unchanged for all frequencies, due to the fact that the interface degrades into a water/elastic solid one. The study can be relevant for reservoir prediction and fluid identification based on the reflected marine data.