Comparative Research Research Articles

Literary Analysis Writing Competence and Critical Thinking Skills of Grade 11 Students

Literary analysis is an indispensable skill in the 21st century and is crucial in developing the critical thinking. This study examined the literary analysis writing competence and critical thinking skills of Grade 11 students in Bacolod City during the Academic Year 2024–2025, aiming to provide insights crucial for enhanced curriculum design and instructional support. It employed a descriptive, comparative, and correlational research design and involved 266 respondents selected through stratified random sampling. Students’ literary analysis writing competence—evaluated in terms of textual analysis, argument development, and analytical skills—was assessed using the Bloom’s Taxonomy-Based Writing Rubric modified by Santos (2018), while their critical thinking skills—covering argument, assumption, conclusion, inference, and evaluation—were measured through Paul and Elder’s Critical Thinking Framework. Findings revealed that students demonstrated a needs improvement level in literary analysis writing competence and an emerging level in critical thinking skills. No significant differences were found in both variables when grouped according to school of origin and time spent reading, and no significant relationship between the literary analysis writing competence and critical thinking skills of grade 11 students. However, students from families in the lowest income group had significantly higher critical thinking scores. A weak and insignificant correlation was observed between literary analysis writing competence and critical thinking skills. These findings underscore the need for enhanced curriculum design and instructional support to develop students’ analytical and reasoning abilities.

Socio-Cognitive and Pragmatic Aspect of Speech Behavior of Bilingual Individual in Kazakh Society

The article considers fields of communicative and pragmatic studies of speech patterns and is devoted to comparative research of referring in Kazakh and Russian languages in communicative-pragmatic aspect. By being the specific tool of contact establishment, the addressing to a person is one the most used speech unit in Kazakh and Russian languages. The addressing to a person is part of speech ethics, that is used at different cases of conversation. In addition, it is used by people that have different social features and is directed to different conversation participants. The study of addressing system is specific tool of native language cultural analysis, since used by the representatives of different cultures, the set of addressing is reflection of speech patterns situations from the perspective of ethno-psychology and cultural traditions. Received: 30 January 2025 / Accepted: 16 June 2025 / Published: 05 July 2025

An Analysis of Best Practices in Multicultural Education: a Comparison Between Lithuanian and Swedish Pre-Schools / Daugiakultūrio ugdymo patirčių analizė: Lietuvos ir Švedijos ikimokyklinio ugdymo įstaigų palyginimas

The article analyzes the experiences of Lithuanian and Swedish preschool teachers in multicultural education in educating preschool children. The content, methods and tools of multicultural education of preschool children are revealed. Used research methods: analysis of scientific literature and documents, comparative analysis, qualitative research, semi-structured interviews, and qualitative content analysis. The following aspects of multicultural education emerged: preschool teachers in both countries believe that multicultural education enriches children, fosters tolerance, respect and understanding of other cultures, contributes to identity development, and should begin in early childhood. Swedish respondents emphasise that a multicultural education prepares children for life in a multicultural society. Respondents from both countries stress the role of the preschool teacher’s example in developing children’s multicultural competence. Both countries use similar tools for multicultural education, including interactive tools and programmes, smart technologies and traditional visual aids.

Legal personhood and the rights of nature: Bridging relational Buddhist worldviews and Sri Lankan law

Abstract The concept of relationality embraces the interconnectedness between what are seen as separate categories (e.g. human and non-human), and emplaces the human being within a wider network of related beings. Consequently, it encourages the protection of nature for the more-than-instrumental values that they hold. The relationship between the Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka and the natural environment serves as a compelling illustration of how relationality is embraced and practiced in interactions with nature. However, the current environmental legal framework in Sri Lanka, shaped by Western colonial influence, ignores these relational values and regards nature merely as an object, property, or instrument for human exploitation. The emerging notion of recognising legal personhood and the rights of nature offers an alternative to anthropocentric environmental protection laws. Examples of acknowledging legal personhood and the rights of nature globally often reflect the influence of pluralistic relational worldviews, such as Indigenous perspectives and religious understandings. Within this context, this research addresses the overarching question: How can recognising legal personhood and the rights of nature bridge the gap between the relational realities observed by Sinhalese Buddhists and the prevailing anthropocentric environmental legal regime in Sri Lanka? The research was carried out using three methodologies: black letter approach, international and comparative research, and socio-legal research. By delving into a topic that has received scant attention within Sri Lanka, it aims to make a novel contribution to the existing body of literature while furnishing guidance to law and policy makers to revise environmental protection legislation to better reflect the country’s relational realities.

“He shall rule over thee”? Toward the theorization of gendered religious domestic violence

PurposeThis study aims to develop and broaden the understanding of religious domestic violence (RDV) as an entrenched phenomenon, especially in religious communities that affect women and men. Centered on a case study of the Jewish Haredi community – an insular enclave society with internal mechanisms of religious–social control and minimal state intervention – the study focuses on the role of formal and informal religious institutions in interpreting theological texts and enforcing these interpretations in their communities. We delineate a comprehensive array of RDV practices, distinguish between those targeting women and men and elucidate the social conditions enabling such violence despite broader social and legal condemnations.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilizes a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with 34 Haredi men and women whose divorces were attributed to incidents of RDV.Findings(1) The containment of RDV hinges on the interplay between theology and hierarchical social dynamics rooted in perceived theological expertise and the social standing of extended family networks in the community. (2) Key RDV practices include the exploitation of husbands’ purported superior theological knowledge, religious rhetoric and gender norms to enforce behaviors and administer various forms of punishment. (3) Religious institutions not only legitimize RDV practices but sometimes also perpetrate them.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on a single community and is based on qualitative interviews. Future research should examine the issue of religious violence in additional communities.Practical implicationsIntervention strategies should engage religious authorities and reinterpret religious texts and prevailing norms to promote nonviolent familial relations.Social implicationsSuggestions regarding potential measures that can be applied to reduce RDV are provided.Originality/valueThe study offers a broader, more nuanced definition of RDV, affording more comparative and in-depth future research in this field. We systematically examine the relationship among the objectification of gender relations, characteristics of major religions and patterns of RDV in specific religious contexts. A deeper understanding of how RDV is embedded in specific features of religious institutions and theology may inform public policies aimed at reducing such violence.

Personality traits and investment intention: the moderating effect of financial literacy

Purpose: The study aims to investigate that personality traits have a significant effect on investment intentions with the moderating role of financial literacy of MBA and MBS students of TU-affiliated colleges in Butwal. Methodology: A stratified sampling technique was used, targeting 247 MBA and MBS students of TU-affiliated colleges situated in Butwal out of a total population of 625. An adopted questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale is used with a descriptive and causal comparative research design, complemented by a comprehensive array of statistical measures, descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression. These are chosen for robust data analysis with Smart PLS student version and IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Key Findings: The findings of the study are that there is a significant effect of personality traits (conscientiousness & openness to experience) on investment intention, but neuroticism, extraversion and agreeableness do not have a significant effect. Additionally, financial literacy has a moderating role between the personality traits and investment intentions. Moreover, the financial literacy shows the negative correlation with investment intention. Implications: The implications of the study help in financial advising and decision-making, financial literacy programs, policy makers and individual investment decisions to make the fruitful investment.

Interconnections between anti-immigration and pronatalist family policy discourse in Hungary

Abstract The aim of this study is to analyse the interrelationship between anti-immigration and pronatalist family policy discourses in Hungary. This case is particularly interesting as the government has implemented a range of measures to encourage families to have more children, emphasising national identity and cultural preservation. Meanwhile, immigration – despite its potential to mitigate population decline – is portrayed not as a solution but a threat. While Western European populists invoke gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights to defend a “progressive” European identity under threat from Islam, their Central and Eastern European counterparts depict migration as a major threat to traditional family structures and heteronormative values rooted in Christian-nationalist ideals. To examine how these two policy domains intersect, we analysed 221 government speeches and articles published between 2014 and 2022. Using thematic analysis, we identified seven major topics. The predominant theme was that immigration cannot resolve demographic issues, instead advocating for policies that encourage Hungarian births. This central theme was supported by topics directly linked to it, such as the cultural threat of immigration and the will of the people, and by four subthemes less directly related, including sovereignty, labour market issues, deservingness, and security concerns. Our findings have broader implications for comparative research, shedding light on the dynamics of populist political systems and their influence on migration and family policy discourses. They also highlight arguments that may inhibit the acceptance of immigration as a source of population maintenance, offering insights into how such discourses could evolve in future populist contexts.

Leveraging data and metadata for understanding interpersonal communication in adolescents: A study of Indonesian’s junior high schools students

Interpersonal communication is a crucial aspect of development during adolescence, particularly among junior high school students. Well-developed interpersonal communication can positively impact adolescents' lives. This study aims to explore the patterns of interpersonal communication among adolescents in Indonesia using data and metadata collected during the research. The exploration was conducted by comparing differences in interpersonal communication based on gender, age, and socio-economic status. This study employed a comparative research design. Data were collected using the interpersonal communication scale. The respondents in this study were 1,359 junior high school students in Indonesia, selected through simple random sampling. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA. The results of ANOVA indicate significant differences in adolescents' interpersonal communication based on gender, age, and socio-economic status. The findings of this study are expected to serve as a foundation for developing educational programs in schools, particularly in guidance and counseling services, to foster a generation of adolescents in the digital era who can build high-quality interpersonal relationships.

What drives dictators? Investigating the prevalence of policy-seeking autocrats

ABSTRACT While predominant theoretical and comparative research on autocracies assumes autocrats to be self-interested power and wealth maximizers, qualitative research often assigns more nuanced motives to dictators. However, the motivations of autocrats are rarely studied systematically. This article provides the first systematic and representative study of dictators’ motivations and shows that dictators are often driven by policy-seeking motivation, that is, broader beliefs and ideology, and are not merely office-seekers interested in personal power and wealth. By identifying a battery of unique, observable implications of policy-seeking motivation related to sacrificing power and wealth for policy goals, the motivations of twenty randomly selected dictators are meticulously investigated in case studies. The results show that dictators have very diverse motivations, and as much as 60% of the dictators investigated are found to be strongly motivated by policy. By bringing motivation, including ideological beliefs, into our models of policymaking in autocracies we can significantly enhance our understanding of and ability to explain authoritarian politics and outcomes.

Design, Development, Funding, and Implementation of the CSRS Registry: A Prospective Multicenter Clinical Cervical Spine Registry.

A national prospective cervical spine surgery registry was developed to archive radiographic studies, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and surgical implant data to assess long-term safety. To describe the design, development, funding, and implementation of a cervical spine data registry for 1000 patients with myelopathy and radiculopathy. While surgery for cervical radiculopathy and myelopathy is safe and effective, there is significant practice variation among spine surgeons. While randomized clinical trials (RCTs) can provide high-quality comparative effectiveness data, RCTs lack the ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of various surgical procedures and implants among heterogenous real-world patient populations. The CSRS Registry was designed to collect patient demographics, outcomes, radiographic imaging, surgical approach, and implant data for the purpose of conducting high-quality research. Patients with cervical myelopathy or radiculopathy were enrolled in the CSRS National Registry. De-identified patient data, validated PROMs, radiographic data, and implant data were collected from multiple clinical sites across the United States. One thousand patients [mean age, 58y; 456 (46%) women] were enrolled, with 31% follow-up at 1 year. Five hundred ninety-two patients were diagnosed with radiculopathy, 252 with myelopathy, and 156 with radiculopathy and myelopathy. Patients had significant improvements in their PROMs after surgery. At 1 year, the mean NDI score improved from 37.2 to 20.9 (P<0.001). The mean self-reported P-mJOA score at baseline was 14.2 and improved to 15.2 by 1 year (P<0.001). Baseline CSDI score was 23.6 and improved with a 1-year decrease to an average score of 13.6 (P<0.001). There was significant improvement in PROMIS-10 Physical Health score from 41.0 to 45.9 (n=311; P<0.001) at 1-year follow-up. The CSRS Registry has successfully collected clinical outcomes data that is being leveraged for comparative effectiveness research and evaluations of the long-term safety and effectiveness of spinal implants.

From rote to reflective: Integrating ChatGPT to transform learning outcomes in Cambodian education

Cambodia’s education system has long been shaped by rote memorization, hierarchical classroom structures, and examination-focused curricula, practices that often inhibit the development of critical and reflective thinking. This review explores how ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by OpenAI, can serve as a catalyst for shifting Cambodian learning paradigms from repetition-based instruction to more reflective, student-centred engagement. Drawing on a narrative and thematic integrative review of literature published between 2022 and 2025, the study synthesizes empirical and conceptual findings from global and regional sources, aligned with Cambodian policy frameworks. Key themes include ChatGPT’s impact on conceptual understanding, learner motivation, and metacognitive development. The findings suggest that while ChatGPT can enhance student learning when used for dialogue, clarification, and feedback, its success depends heavily on pedagogical design, teacher facilitation, and ethical integration. Major challenges include infrastructure gaps, digital literacy limitations, linguistic constraints, and cultural norms around teacher authority. The paper concludes with actionable recommendations for policymakers, educators, and researchers, including the development of Khmer-language AI tools, integration of AI literacy into national curricula, and the need for pilot studies and ASEAN-level comparative research. Ultimately, the review affirms that with inclusive planning and sustained investment, ChatGPT can support Cambodia’s transition toward a more reflective, equitable, and future-oriented education system.

Innovative shot nails fastening for bonded steel plates strengthening concrete structures: A comparative research with conventional chemical anchor

Innovative shot nails fastening for bonded steel plates strengthening concrete structures: A comparative research with conventional chemical anchor

HSD100 Enhanced Outcomes and Reduced Healthcare Utilization with Specialized Home Healthcare Service Providers for Ostomy and Urological Patients: Comparative Research with Pharmacy-Based Care

HSD100 Enhanced Outcomes and Reduced Healthcare Utilization with Specialized Home Healthcare Service Providers for Ostomy and Urological Patients: Comparative Research with Pharmacy-Based Care

Governing Personal Assistance in Three East Asian Countries: Policy Choices and the Experiences of Disabled People

ABSTRACTPersonal assistance (PA) is central to the independent living movement, yet comparative research on its governance in East Asia remains limited. This study brings a disability rights perspective on autonomy into dialogue with Gilbert &amp; Terrell's (2012) four policy dimensions—allocation, provision, delivery, and finance—to analyse PA systems in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Drawing on documentary research and 30 interviews with PA users, the study finds that although access is available across impairment types, eligibility remains conditional, shaped by functional assessments, means‐testing, and bureaucratic filters. All three countries deliver PA through non‐cash, provider‐managed models without direct payments, limiting autonomy and user control. Income‐based co‐payments and fragmented financing reinforce inequalities. While participants valued PA for supporting independence, they reported insufficient hours, administrative restrictions, and gaps in support for employment and community life. Taiwan's underfunded and fragmented system particularly undermines autonomy, while Japan and Korea illustrate contrasting tensions between decentralisation, centralisation, and fiscal constraint. The findings show how East Asian PA systems institutionalise constrained autonomy, contributing to global debates on the governance of independent living rights.

A comprehensive review of security vulnerabilities in heavy-duty vehicles: Comparative insights and current research gaps

A comprehensive review of security vulnerabilities in heavy-duty vehicles: Comparative insights and current research gaps

Advancing Hospital Service Quality and Operational Effectiveness through Evidence-Based Analgesic Protocols

The study is aimed at comparing the clinical and institutional outcomes of using two postoperative analgesics regimens, Epidural Levobupivacaine and Syringe Pump Fentanyl, and how these drugs interfere with analgesia control and resource consumptions, patient satisfactory, and system performance. A comparative observational research design was used which covered 60 patients of Total Knee Replacement (TKR) who were in a tertiary orthopedic center. The participants were at random allocated to an Epidural Levobupivacaine or Fentanyl protocol. The collected data included pain scores, adverse events, the readiness of the patient to leave, and satisfaction questionnaires and efficiencies of hospitals in terms of data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative approaches. The Epidural group of patients recorded less pain scores, fewer adverse effects, earlier mobilization and shorter length of stay. The scores of the satisfaction on pain control, comfort and responsiveness were significantly more in the Epidural group. The mode of operation also demonstrated better nursing efficiency and discharge planning, and risk indicators were reduced, e.g. escalation to high-dependency care, with the use of the epidural protocol. Epidural Levobupivacaine represents an effective operational and clinical performance that demonstrates that it can be used as a strategical standar in elective orthopedis care based on systemic opioids. In addition to the analgesic effectiveness, the protocol improves institutional efficiency, minimizes the clinical risk, intensifies patient experience and fits the contemporary performance-based healthcare provision. Pain management must therefore be redefined as an impact component that has a cross-functional component of hospital service design.

Effect of augmentation with aripiprazole or augmentation with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus switching to the antidepressant venlafaxine extended release/duloxetine on cognition: A comparative effectiveness research trial for antidepressant incomplete and non-responders with treatment-resistant depression (ASCERTAIN-TRD).

Effect of augmentation with aripiprazole or augmentation with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation versus switching to the antidepressant venlafaxine extended release/duloxetine on cognition: A comparative effectiveness research trial for antidepressant incomplete and non-responders with treatment-resistant depression (ASCERTAIN-TRD).

Penetrating Brain Injury: Bridging Global Disparities in Care and Advancing Management Strategies.

Penetrating Brain Injury: Bridging Global Disparities in Care and Advancing Management Strategies.

Salivary/Serum Progesterone Ratio Differs Between Menstrual Cycle Phases but Not Between Populations: Implications for Health, Reproductive, and Behavioral Research.

Many investigations of human health, behaviors, and adaptations require an indicator of ovarian cycle functioning as a causal, outcome, or confounding variable in the study design and analyses. Because the dynamic fluctuations in cycle hormones can rarely be adequately characterized by a single measurement, but repeated blood sampling can be onerous, salivary free progesterone (PFree-SAL) concentration is widely used in both clinical and research contexts as an alternative to total progesterone concentration in venous blood samples (PTotal-VEN). However, some doubts have been raised about the use of PFree-SAL because of suggestions that Bolivian and other populations and/or individuals might differ markedly in the ratio of PFree-SAL to PTotal-VEN (the apparent uptake fraction, UF). If there are such differences, several decades of comparative population research based on PFree-SAL would require reconsideration, and a seemingly useful tool in both clinical and research contexts would be lost or require additional extensive pre-use evaluations. Such impacts would fall disproportionally on clinical monitoring and research studies of menstruating persons, a segment of the population that has long been underrepresented in research and clinical trials, especially in low resource conditions. Therefore, we tested three hypotheses: (H1) UF differs by ovarian cycle phase; (H2) UF differs in Bolivian women from that of non-Bolivian women; and (H3) within a population, UF is consistently higher or lower in some individuals than in most others. We collected mid-follicular and mid-luteal near-concurrent samples of venous blood and saliva from 36 healthy premenopausal Bolivian women. PTotal-VEN and PFree-SAL were measured using commercial enzyme immunoassays. To test the study hypotheses, we used graphical and statistical methods to analyze these new data and to analyze data from several previously published studies. In our study sample of Bolivian women, PFree-SAL and PTotal-VEN concentrations (n = 66 pairs) were significantly and highly correlated (Spearman's rho = 0.858; mixed model: intercept = 77.4 pmol/L [(p < 0.001), β = 0.0191 (p < 0.001)]). An individual's follicular-phase UF and luteal-phase UF were not significantly correlated (rho = -0.19, p = 0.462). Median UF equaled 8.1% for follicular and 2.3% for luteal phase pairs and were comparable to published values for other populations. Hypothesis 1 was supported. Consistent with prior reports for other populations, in these Bolivian women UF was higher and more variable in the follicular than in the luteal phase. The source(s) of phase-associated variation in UF deserves additional study, particularly the dynamic relationship to different conformers of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). Hypothesis 2 was not supported. Paired PFree-SAL and PTotal-VEN were highly correlated, and UF in these Bolivians was comparable to published values for other populations. Hypothesis 3 was not supported. There was no evidence that some individuals have consistently higher (or lower) UF than most other persons. In sum, these findings do not support the suggestions that the physiology underlying the relationship between PFree-SAL and PTotal-VEN differs substantially and inexplicitly between populations and individuals. These results also reinforce the critical roles of fastidious attention to sample collection and handling, judicious assessment of assay results, and appropriate statistical methods when using ovarian steroid data in any project. We suggest some guidelines for meeting these requirements. Used with due consideration for its advantages and limitations, PFree-SAL reliably tracks PTotal-VEN during the menstrual cycle and is a useful option in the biomarker toolkit. Just as it is costly to continue our work with tools not up to the task, so is it costly to discard useful tools without good reason. The development (and improvement through replication) of a robust toolkit for assessing changes in and the impacts of menstrual cycle hormones is foundational to reducing gender-based health disparities. (The linked file listed below under "Supporting Information" presents these findings in Spanish).

Oasis in the desert or icing on the cake? The impact of entrepreneurship accelerators across ecosystems

Abstract The effectiveness of accelerators in fostering new venture development has traditionally been attributed to variations in their internal operations and design, with limited consideration of contextual factors. This study broadens the understanding of accelerators by situating their roles in relation to entrepreneurial ecosystems and introducing a multi-level framework on how macro-level institutions and meso-level accelerator programs interact to shape venture growth. By linking organizational theories on accelerators with institutional economics, this research juxtaposes and tests two perspectives: institutional voids and institutional support. On the one hand, accelerators address institutional voids by acting as intermediaries in entrepreneurial resource markets through knowledge and resource curation, network brokerage, and signaling. On the other hand, the effectiveness of these intermediation roles is constrained by the quality of institutions. Contrary to the prevailing belief that accelerators deliver greater value in underdeveloped institutional environments with inefficient entrepreneurial resource markets, the findings reveal that ventures in such contexts derive less growth benefit from accelerators. This study contributes to the growing body of comparative and international accelerator research and offers broader implications for meso-level intervention programs, suggesting these programs require working in concert with robust ecosystems rather than operating in isolation in order to achieve their intended objectives.