Research Dialogue Research Articles

The experience of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Sultan Moulay Slimane University in the field of knowledge integration: An analysis of the knowledge integration projects of the Center for Knowledge and Civilization Studies and the Maqasid and Dialogue Research Laboratory.

Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Beni Mellal, Morocco, is one of the leading academic institutions in implementing new pedagogical guidelines and visions aimed at achieving epistemic integration between the sciences of revelation, natural sciences, and humanities. The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has worked to embed this methodology through its academic supervision and foundational training programs offered to students at various levels, whether basic, advanced, or in-depth. Additionally, the faculty supports this approach through the activities of its research laboratories and centers, which organize national and international seminars and conferences. At the forefront of these efforts are the Maqasid and Dialogue Studies and Research Laboratory and the Center for Knowledge and Civilization Studies, both of which have prioritized the integration of sciences and knowledge as an essential component of their academic research and activities. Their aim is to build bridges between different disciplines, achieving a comprehensive and inclusive perspective, grounded in the belief that humanity's crises are multidimensional and that solutions must adopt diverse and integrated scientific and methodological approaches, whether religious, humanistic, or natural. This research paper seeks to evaluate this pioneering experience through a descriptive and analytical methodology to highlight the methodological and scientific advantages of the university's laboratories and centers. It also aims to showcase their scientific potential and tireless efforts in achieving epistemic integration between Shari’ah sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. The paper further examines the key educational strategies adopted to transcend the traditional system and provide innovative alternatives in teaching methodologies, contributing to intellectual productivity, scientific advancement, and civilizational contribution. This is rooted in the belief that academic institutions and research laboratories are the driving forces for the desired reform. Keywords: epistemic integration, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Maqasid Laboratory, Center for Knowledge and Civilization Studies.

A dialogue on trust in ethics processes for creative practice research education

Purpose Securing ethical approval can be a frustrating and opaque experience for some creative practice research students who may find the processes required of them not well suited to their specific inquiry. This can lead to an erosion of trust between students and their institutions. This paper aims to synthesize perspectives representing both creative practice research supervisors and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to develop recommendations for improving processes and supporting creative practice research training. Design/methodology/approach The authors used dialogical inquiry (Wells et al., 2021) to facilitate a dialogue between the authors, who represent different stakeholders in the ethical review process for creative arts research students. Focus topics for the dialogue were developed collaboratively based on existing literature. Findings Based on the dialogue, the authors make the following recommendations: frame ethics as part of project design alongside aims and methodology rather than as project logistics; structure ethics review processes to ensure ongoing engagement between research students and IRBs; and share exemplars and templates as part of research training. Additionally, the authors advocate for the need to create continuing opportunities for dialogue. Originality/value Previous work interrogating ethical review processes for creative practice research has adopted a clear position from either a creative practice researcher or an IRB member perspective. This dialogue facilitates a novel synthesis of these positions, ensuring the recommendations support the objectives of both IRBs and creative practice researchers.

ESTRATÉGIAS PARA A CRIAÇÃO DA ROTINA NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL

This work aims to debate the importance of routine in Early Childhood Education. It seeks to bring how authors in the area take a stand on the matter, to point out what contributions the routine brings to children and teachers in the school institution and to reflect its relevance to the teaching and learning process. The methodological approach adopted was qualitative through bibliographic review such as books, scientific articles and periodicals centered on the theme. The research dialogues with studies by theorists such as: Fazolo (2017), Fraboni (2019), Horn (2009), Kramer (2007), Kuhlmann Jr (2013), Oliveira (2012), Perroti (2010), Vygotsky (2014), Zabala (2019), among others. In this sense, we believe that the highlighted theme is of great relevance for the study of Early Childhood Education, since the routine in school life provides predictability for children, bringing greater security to the knowledge construction process. This work has great relevance when discussing the routine for children in Early Childhood Education, as it leads teachers to reflect on their teaching practice and consider routine as an essential part of the teaching and learning process.

Information design research in a global dialogue

Information design research in a global dialogue

A research conversation: Stephanie Arsoska and Andrew Morrish

This interview is a research dialogue between Stephanie Arsoska and Andrew Morrish, focusing on their exploration of Stephanie’s solo improvisation practice. Over the course of a year, they conducted ten, ten-minute solo improvisations via Zoom, analysing emerging patterns over time. Stephanie’s practice, which integrates movement and text, is deeply rooted in acting and physical theatre traditions. Rather than engaging in conceptual analysis, they adopted reflective and descriptive methods to gain insights through lived experience. Their goal was to better understand and articulate their creative processes. The conversation highlights the importance of cultivating a pedagogical awareness within artistic practice, fostering openness and mapping these practices to achieve a deeper understanding. Their methodology involved gathering data from multiple perspectives, promoting a reflective engagement with personal experiences and uncovering new insights through the process of improvisation.

Electrophysiological correlates of incidental L2 word learning from dialogue

We aimed to determine the electrophysiological correlates of incidental L2 word learning during dialogue, bridging memory and second language acquisition research in a realistic, but strictly controlled experimental paradigm. Native Dutch speakers of L2 English learned English words previously unknown to them (as confirmed in a ‘hidden’ pretest) through auditory input in a dialogue-like setting revolving around price comparisons, while we measured their EEG. Hearing an unknown as compared to a known word elicited an early and sustained negativity, as well as a later LPC that was actually predictive of subsequent learning success. Notably, in a second block, we found that ERPs to novel words that had just been learned in the previous block were already undistinguishable from those for known words, while not yet learned novel words still showed similar ERP signatures as in block 1. This lends support for a fast learning mechanism in adults incidentally ‘picking up’ new L2 words.

Live research dialogue on the benefits, costs and utility of synthetic data for researchers

Objectives To explore use cases and characteristics of synthetic data that make it useful for research. To discuss governance frameworks essential for the routine creation, dissemination, and use of synthetic data. Drawing on the experience of international participants, explore measures to mitigate risks to data privacy and public perception relating to synthetic data creation and use whilst maximising its utility. ApproachPresenters provided context and insights on definitions and interpretations of synthetic data, including debates about fidelity and disclosure risk; known benefits of synthetic data and use cases; and its costs and challenges from the perspective of data owners, data providers and the public. This informed discussions in breakout groups aligned to the objectives. Participants self-identified as data service providers/processors, academic researchers, data owners, and/or ‘other’. Results Characteristics identified as important across a variety of use cases included accessibility, structure and format to match the real data, and documentation. The most popular measure to mitigate risks was clear and detailed documentation (metadata, codebooks, user guides, limitations, creation methods etc). Training was identified as an important benefit and use case of synthetic data across the participant groups. The most popular challenge identified by data service providers/processors and ‘other’ was lack of governance and standards; whilst for researchers, this was the verification of the synthetic data and the potential for it to be incorrectly interpreted. ConclusionsThere is a demand across stakeholder groups for synthetic data for a range of uses. Synthetic datasets should be accompanied by clear and detailed documentation and provided within an agreed governance framework.

Doing social science with conservation: co-reflexivity on the project model in conservation

Abstract The conservation sector increasingly values reflexivity, in which professionals critically reflect on the social, institutional and political aspects of their work. Reflexivity offers diverse benefits, from enhancing individual performance to driving institutional transformation. However, integrating reflexivity into conservation practice remains challenging and is often confined to informal reflections with limited impact. To overcome this challenge, we introduce co-reflexivity, offering an alternative to the binary distinction between social science on or for conservation, which respectively produce critical outsider accounts of conservation or provide social science instruments for achieving conservation objectives. Instead, co-reflexivity is a form of social science with conservation, in which conservation professionals and social scientists jointly develop critical yet constructive perspectives on and approaches to conservation. We demonstrate the value of co-reflexivity by presenting a set of reflections on the project model, the dominant framework for conservation funding, which organizes conservation activity into distinct, target-oriented and temporally bounded units that can be funded, implemented and evaluated separately. Co-reflexivity helps reveal the diverse challenges that the project model creates for conservation practice, including for the adoption of reflexivity itself. Putting insights from social science research in dialogue with reflections from conservation professionals, we co-produce a critique of project-based conservation with both theoretical and practical implications. These cross-disciplinary conversations provide a case study of how co-reflexivity can enhance the conservation–social science relationship.

By word of mouth: the case for teacher-to-teacher research dialogue

Abstract The current study investigated factors that potentially influenced the pedagogic practices of 132 EFL teachers from 28 secondary schools in a large city in Poland. The teachers completed a questionnaire about the factors that impacted their teaching practices. The primary influences on teaching practices turned out to be the course textbook and the secondary school exit exam. The data were further analysed using cluster analysis to identify groups of teachers with similar profiles. The results indicated two main clusters. One cluster was favourable to research-related resources, such as publications, conferences, and workshops. A second cluster was less favourable towards research. We interpret this result as highlighting the importance of within-profession dialogue in which research awareness and useful evidence-based practices are shared among teachers.

The meaning of social work leadership. A local development process to enhance social services and reduce school dropout

ABSTRACT The study presents findings about social work leadership from a formative dialogue research project following an ongoing service development project in a Norwegian social services office. From observation of team meetings and individual interviews with the leader and middle managers the study contributes to research on the meaning of social work leadership when changes are made within an organization. Traditional leadership theories often focus on individual leadership qualities, grounded in binaries of leaders and followers, but this study’s findings support newer theoretical approaches that underscore the importance of approaching leadership within a social constructivist framework, highlighting the processual and relational aspects of leadership. The study adds to the call for more qualitative studies that capture the complexity of social work leadership. One particular finding in this regard is narrativity as a promising approach for the understanding of leadership as co-production between stakeholders. The study has implications for both practice and education, as it is relevant for understanding leadership issues in social work contexts, which should to a greater extent be a topic in social work education.

Air quality and mental illness: role of bioaerosols, causal mechanisms and research priorities.

Poor air quality can both trigger and aggravate lung and heart conditions, as well as affecting child development. It can even lead to neurological and mental health problems. However, the precise mechanisms by which air pollution affect human health are not well understood. To promote interdisciplinary dialogue and better research based on a critical summary of evidence on air quality and health, with an emphasis on mental health, and to do so with a special focus on bioaerosols as a common but neglected air constituent. A rapid narrative review and interdisciplinary expert consultation, as is recommended for a complex and rapidly changing field of research. The research methods used to assess exposures and outcomes vary across different fields of study, resulting in a disconnect in bioaerosol and health research. We make recommendations to enhance the evidence base by standardising measures of exposure to both particulate matter in general and bioaerosols specifically. We present methods for assessing mental health and ideal designs. There is less research on bioaerosols, and we provide specific ways of measuring exposure to these. We suggest research designs for investigating causal mechanisms as important intermediate steps before undertaking larger-scale and definitive studies. We propose methods for exposure and outcome measurement, as well as optimal research designs to inform the development of standards for undertaking and reporting research and for future policy.

Thematic Coherence in Classroom Discourse: A Question Centered Approach

This article discusses the place of thematic coherence in various approaches to educational dialogue and proposes a unifying approach to the analysis of thematic coherence of classroom conversations based on research in educational dialogue, philosophy of language and recent advances in linguistic research on discourse structure. Addressing the same main question is crucial to preserving thematic coherence in a conversation and is considered a key criterion of quality in classroom dialogues across the field of research in dialogic teaching, e.g., in Alexander’s Dialogic Teaching, Michaels and colleagues’ Accountable Talk, and Mercer’s Interthinking. Nonetheless, a shared definition of thematic coherence is missing in the field. In order to provide such a conception, we propose a question centered approach to evaluating the thematic coherence of educational discourse. On this proposal, the thematic coherence of a conversation depends on how a conversational contribution relates to a conversation’s overall question under discussion. We show how this approach may be used to examine thematic coherence and incoherence and argue that the proposal’s focus on utterance level features of discourse has an advantage in helping researchers track how specific linguistic features of dialogue shape classroom conversations.

Editorial: A case for honest and purposeful interdisciplinary dialogue in research: insights from social and natural scientists' experiences

Editorial: A case for honest and purposeful interdisciplinary dialogue in research: insights from social and natural scientists' experiences

Inclusive Practices in the Classroom and Workplace

We are very pleased to announce that our journal JEICOM has now reached a new and exciting milestone that will help us increase our impact factor in open access platforms and beyond. To this end we are now hosted by the Open Access Publishing Association (OAPA), a new and exciting platform, which aims to challenge the current model of publishing; an aim that we share dearly as editors-in-chief of JEICOM. Since the creation of our journal in 2019, we aim to provide a free and open platform to academics, researchers, professionals, to share knowledge, communicate and exchange via research dialogue and high-quality publications. It is now time for us to join forces with a new partner, join a larger academic community, which will help us grow from within and with others, together.

An Investigation Into English Learners’ Speech Acts Using a Semi-Automatic Annotation Tool

This paper explores the speech acts most frequently performed by learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) through the Dialogue Annotation and Research Tool (DART), a semi-automatic annotation tool. The study used learner corpus research and an English as the first language (L1) speaker corpus as a reference to compare the speech acts performed by the EFL learners. The study involved 90 EFL learners of four nationalities. A spoken learner corpus was built with the dyadic interlanguage English conversation register. The most frequently performed speech acts were generally different for the English L1 speakers and the EFL learners. The speech acts labeled as correctSelf, referProcess, expressNonAwareness, and stateReason were in the top 10 for EFL learners, whereas they were not in the top 10 for the English L1 speakers. This difference was caused by three factors: the English proficiency of the EFL learners, the frequently used formulaic phrases, and the task requirements. Moreover, the corpus annotation has a problem with unrecognized speech acts, primarily due to the redundancies and fragments in the learner discourses. The findings of this study reveal the complementary relationship between grammatical and pragmatic performances.

Grušovnik, Tomaž, Reingard Spannring, and Karen Lykke Syse, eds. Environmental and Animal Abuse Denial: Averting Our Gaze. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2021

Environmental and Animal Abuse Denial: Averting Our Gaze edited by Tomaž Grušovnik, Reingard Spannring, and Karen Lykke Syse, stands as a groundbreaking work that delves into the intricate phenomenon of denialism, a critical barrier in addressing ecological crises and advancing animal rights. Through its compelling interdisciplinary lens, the book dissects the psychological, sociocultural, and political underpinnings of denial, challenging entrenched anthropocentric views. This review provides a critical analysis of the book and highlights its pivotal role in bridging theoretical ethics with real-world environmental and animal welfare challenges. The editors’ adept selection of contributions guides readers through a thought-provoking journey in denialism, encompassing personal introspection, societal critique, and a scrutinizing look at economic, political, and legal frameworks. Despite its primarily Western-centric perspective, the book is essential in advocating for a broader, more inclusive global dialogue in future research. The book emerges not just as an academic text but as an urgent call to action, resonating with scholars, policymakers, and activists. In essence, this work emphasizes the necessity for a transformative shift in how we perceive and interact with the natural world and its non-human inhabitants.

The Use of Semi-automatic Annotation in Speech Acts Performed by Learners of English

Since rare research studied speech acts (SAs) from a macro perspective, this study used a semi-automatic annotation tool named Dialogue Annotation and Research Tool (DART) to examine the most frequently performed SAs by Chinese and Thai learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). It also attempted to reveal the reasons for the similarities and differences in the SA performances of EFL learners from discrete linguacultural backgrounds. This study involved 30 Chinese and 30 Thai EFL learners, totaling 60 participants. A total of 30 dyadic English interlanguage conversations were collected for this study. The learner corpus research with the contrastive interlanguage analysis was adopted for the analysis. The DART annotation revealed that both Chinese and Thai EFL learners most frequently performed the same six SAs. These SAs were labeled by DART as state, hesitate, reqInfo, answer, expressOpinion, and stateReason. Of the six listed SAs, both Chinese and Thai EFL learners most frequently performed the SA labeled state; both cohorts also presented the SA stateReason least often. Task requirements, the frequent use of certain types of formulaic language, and English proficiency levels were ascertained as factors causing the identical presentation of the six identified SAs. The English proficiency levels of Chinese EFL learners were determined as the principal reason for their discrete performance of SAs. Conversely, the influence of the Thai linguacultural background denoted the primary factor for discrepancies in the SA performance of Thai EFL learners.

Supporting the Teacher Identity of Pre-Service Science Teachers through Working at a Non-Formal STEM Learning Laboratory

This qualitative case study aims to examine the role of a non-formal STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning laboratory in supporting the development of teacher identity among pre-service science teachers. With teacher identity impacting the educational responsiveness and resilience of a teacher, it is important to support the professional identity of STEM educators if we are to enhance the quality of STEM education. Data collection occurred in three stages between 2017 and 2024. Qualitative content analysis through an inductive category formation was used for data analysis. The intercoder reliability was checked (Cohen’s kappa 0.802). Results suggest that non-formal STEM learning environments can enhance pre-service teachers’ professional learning and identity by allowing the autonomous practical application of theory in an authentic collaborative laboratory environment and by strengthening their self-efficacy through positive teaching experiences. Participants reported that such versatile experiences are generally not available during their formal university education. This study offers suggestions for STEM teacher education and insights into ongoing research dialogues about the role of non-formal learning in supporting the learning and identity of STEM teachers.

Dynamic capabilities for nimbleness and resilience in a continuous digital transformation: action design research in an Australian financial services organisation

PurposeThe research aims to understand the co-existence of nimbleness and resilience in a continuous digital transformation, along with the dynamic capabilities needed to balance the challenges of their co-existence.Design/methodology/approachThe current study draws on dialogical action design research (D-ADR) to investigate interactions among practitioners and executives. Data are collected from a major Australian financial services organisation (FSO) and many international experts.FindingsThe study presents a framework, the continuous transformation model (CTM), to describe digital transformation within an FSO context, emphasising nimbleness and resilience as its foundational pillars. This framework facilitates the identification of the critical role of organisational capabilities in managing continuous digital transformation, supported by dynamic IT capabilities. More importantly, the findings underscore how these capabilities enable managers to effectively balance the coexistence of nimbleness and resilience.Research limitations/implicationsThe CTM contributes to the enterprise information systems literature by offering a coherent understanding of balancing resilience and nimbleness to succeed in digital transformation. In particular, the research model elucidates the relationship between dynamic capabilities and continuous digital transformations.Practical implicationsDigital transformations are not a one-off exercise. Managers in the FSO context must cultivate their organisational capabilities to achieve nimbleness and resilience during their digital transformation journey.Originality/valueThe relationship between dynamic capabilities and continuous digital transformation sheds light on establishing successful management processes within FSOs.

A Comprehensive Review of Cogenerative Dialogue in Science Education

Abstract This study comprehensively explores cogenerative dialogue in science education from a sociocultural perspective. Analyzing 120 papers and theses from January 2001 to December 2022 in Korean and English journals, we examine their objectives, themes, methods, learners, educational levels, participants, researcher roles, coteaching connections, and program durations. Our data analysis reveals growing diversity in cogenerative dialogue research objectives and subjects across countries. Consistent patterns emerge regarding researcher roles, participant groups, and program durations. This research offers insights into the evolving cogenerative dialogue landscape in science education, informing future investigations and highlighting trends in this field. The findings presented not only shed light on the current state of research but also provide direction for future investigations, highlighting trends and distinctive features in various facets of cogenerative dialogue-related studies. Specifically, we offer suggestions for the need for research in Korean science education contexts and more broadly in the Asia-Pacific region.