Exploratory Case Study Research Articles

The Potential Role of Bio Extra Virgin Olive Oil (BEVOO) in Recovery from HPV 16-Induced Tonsil Cancer: An Exploratory Case Study

The human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV 16) is a high-risk human papillomavirus strain commonly associated with oropharyngeal cancers, including lymph node involvement. The treatment for HPV 16-related tonsil cancer, commonly involving surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, presents significant challenges. Complications such as oral mucositis, xerostomia, dysphagia, dysgeusia, hypogeusia, impaired gustatory function, and significant weight loss frequently arise, leading to reduced nutritional intake, impaired healing, and recovery progression. These challenges underscore the need for supportive interventions to enhance rehabilitation and the post-recovery period, improve treatment tolerance, and maintain quality of life. Objective: This single-subject study examines a 67-year-old male patient diagnosed with a T1N3b (small primary tumor with advanced lump node involvement) associated with HPV 16 positivity, indicating a virus-associated oncogenesis. Methods: The patient underwent radiation therapy and chemotherapy, leading to treatment-associated side effects. After having dietary drinks for daily nourishment, the patient routinely incorporated oral bio extra virgin olive oil (BEVOO) to cope with indicated challenges. Results: Body composition and metabolic parameters showed treatment-induced declines, followed by substantial but not complete recovery during follow-up examination. Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores reflected gradual improvements in dysphagia, xerostomia, mucositis, and subtle but ongoing enhancement of the dysgeusia, gustatory perception, and oral palatability. The BEVOO supplementation and mindfulness were associated with positive recovery trends. Additional variables could have impacted the outcomes, preceding and throughout treatment, including the patient’s cognitive and somatic health, environmental conditions, dietary habits, individual attitudes toward recovery, physical activity, and patient way of life. Conclusions: These results emphasize the need for additional research employing a comprehensive, multi-factorial framework that accounts for the complex interplay of physiological, psycho-social, and environmental contributors. More extensive, more diverse studies are essential to confirm these observations and substantiate the role of BEVOO as a supportive intervention in cancer recovery.

Experiences of Moral Distress in Canadian Intensive Care Unit Professionals During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploratory Multiple Case Study in Ontario and Alberta, Canada.

Background: Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, moral distress among healthcare workers in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) has garnered both media and academic attention. Moral distress has been theorized as occurring when individuals are constrained from doing what they perceive as morally right. This study sought to empirically examine the lived experiences of moral distress among clinical and administrative healthcare professionals in a sample of Canadian ICUs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Qualitative case study methodology was used as the overarching approach, collecting and comparing data from two distinct cases: one ICU in Ontario and one in Alberta. Data collection involved two primary sources: semi-structured interviews with staff and document review of institutional and government directives to provide contextual data. Data analysis commenced concurrently with data collection, and generated within- and across-case themes, as well as allowed descriptive accounts of moral distress. Results: Thirty-six healthcare workers across two sites were interviewed. Participants described three primary categories of constraints leading to moral distress. These were: 1) The rapidity and opaqueness of policy development, specifically pertaining to 2) the implementation of family visitation and treatment triage decisions, and 3) resource shortages, which reduced patient interactions, shifted professional responsibilities. Each of these constraints yielded circumstances and forced decisions that were perceived as morally wrong because they compromised care quality and outcomes. Conclusions: While sharing similarities with the growing literature on moral distress in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study reveals new insights on how provincial and institutional policy has direct bearing on experiences of moral distress. Policies and circumstances forced ICU staff to choose between actions they considered the most right and the least wrong. Understanding these specific policy-driven constraints highlights the need for healthcare systems and processes that mitigate moral distress and sustain our health workforce.

The Impacts of Quality Management on Green Material Utilization: A Small- and Medium-Sized Chinese Enterprises’ Perspective

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in China’s sustainable development. With the increasing green awareness among SMEs, they have become more environmentally conscious, and many of them are considering the utilization of green materials as an effective method to reduce environmental impact. At the same time, Chinese SMEs must also ensure product quality when deciding to utilize green materials. Based on quality management theory, we developed a model to empirically explore the impact of quality training and quality standards on the utilization of green materials by SMEs. Firstly, we conducted an exploratory case study with four Chinese SMEs to identify important and common attributes and levels associated with SMEs’ utilization of green materials. Secondly, building on these case studies, we designed a discrete choice experiment (DCE). We conducted a survey involving 313 Chinese SMEs to collect data, which we analyzed using a random parameter logit model. The results show that quality training promotes SMEs’ green material utilization, while quality standards hinder it. In addition, both quality training and quality standards enhance the positive effects of heavy metal toxicity reduction and recycling rates on utilization, while weakening the positive effect of sewage reduction on utilization.

Decoding the constructive forces behind China’s disruptive innovation ecosystems

ABSTRACT With the intensification of technological competition, the development of disruptive innovation by enterprises is determined by the innovation ecosystem around their growth. This study adopts an exploratory multiple case study approach, selecting typical disruptive innovation ecosystems within the context of China to explore the motivating mechanisms triggering their construction. The study finds that: (1) The motivating factors for the construction of disruptive innovation ecosystems mainly stem from external dimensions such as technological contexts, market contexts, and institutional contexts, as well as internal dimensions including manager attention allocation, manager cognition, and manager spirit. (2) Furthermore, through a combined analysis of typical events, it is revealed that the motivating factors exhibit characteristics such as technological complexity and volatility, diversification of market demand, systematisation of competition and market dynamism, guided opportunities from formal institutions and intrinsic incentives from informal institutions, managers’ internal and external resource scanning, economic and non-economic cognition, innovation consciousness, and challenge awareness. (3) Finally, a conceptual path model is formulated to represent the motivating factors for the construction of disruptive innovation ecosystems. This research not only enriches the theoretical framework of disruptive innovation ecosystems but also serves as scientific management inspiration.

Exploring how preservice science and mathematics teachers use systems dynamics tools to explain sustainable development goals

Purpose Creating sustainable societies is the first step in contributing to a sustainable world. Individuals need to be equipped with systems thinking (ST) skills to understand a complex issue such as sustainability. Preservice teachers need to develop strategic plans in their classrooms to create sustainability awareness in their students. This study aims to investigate how preservice science and mathematics teachers, enrolled in a sustainable development goal (SDG)-focused ST in education course, used systems dynamics tools to articulate the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory case study explored how preservice science and mathematics teachers use systems dynamics tools such as behavior over time graphs, stock-flow diagrams and causal loop diagrams to explain the SDGs. Findings The results of the study showed that preservice science and mathematics teachers were able to deconstruct and use system dynamics tools to analyze an SDG, but generally performed at a moderate level. The findings reveal the various challenges faced by the participants and their promising progress in analyzing the SDGs using systems dynamics tools. Originality/value This pioneering study provides empirical evidence on how systems dynamics tools can be integrated into sustainability education and offers an educational endeavor toward a more sustainable society. The authors recommend that future studies should be carried out in an interdisciplinary manner in all preservice teaching areas to increase the authors’ cumulative knowledge to make societies more sustainable.

Language Technology Initiative: digital competence enhancement case study

The advancement of artificial intelligence and other related automation technologies has put forward new challenges at the tertiary education level, namely, the development of digital competence alongside the development of core knowledge, skills and competence of the study programme. These preconditions create favourable environments and justify the need to elaborate on digital competences in the humanities. To address these needs, the course Introduction to Applied Linguistics and Language Technologies has been designed as a part of the EU Recovery and Resiliency Facility project Language Technology Initiative and included in the BA study programme. The course comprises activities specifically targeted at the skills for language technology application for automated text analysis and synthesis and audiovisual material processing in students’ professional activity and research. The goal of the present study was to uncover which digital competence areas are enhanced, what competence levels are reached by these activities according to the definitions in the DigComp 2.2 framework and pilot them. To reach the goal, the present exploratory case study focused on an in-depth investigation of the mentioned course, i.e., eight activities that aim at language technology skills were mapped according to DigComp 2.2 and piloted. This process revealed that the activities cover two competence areas at level 6 and level 7. The piloting results were summarised through the course performance metrics and the corpus analysis of students’ questionnaires.

Task shifting from general practitioners to nurses in out-of-hours primary care: an explorative case study of team-based practices

Background Out-of-hours primary care (OOH-PC) is essential for treating urgent health problems. However, the high demand for these services has increased the workload. Objective To investigate the interprofessional collaboration in OOH-PC and task shifting from general practitioners (GPs) to nurses, specifically the professional practices and the perceived experiences of GPs and nurses. Methods This explorative case study was based on observations and interviews, using normalisation process theory as the theoretical framework. Observations were conducted in two OOH-PC clinics in the Central Denmark Region, followed by individual semi-structured interviews with five GPs and six nurses working in these clinics. Data were collected from March to October 2022. Results GPs and nurses worked together in a team-based workflow based on different roles and skills but joint tasks. The nurses handled patients with injuries and performed diagnostic tests. A team-based workflow with task shifting was supported by familiarity within the team, with nurses performing informal coordination tasks and having formal support like protocols, training, and GP supervision. GPs and nurses appreciated the team-based workflow, as it facilitated efficient resource use and high job satisfaction. However, both groups expressed concerns about the sustainability of OOH-PC clinics. Conclusion Task shifting from GPs to nurses in OOH-PC is feasible in a team-based workflow, resulting in efficient use of available resources and high job satisfaction. However, task shifting should not aim to replace GPs with nurses. Instead, their roles and skills should be seen as complementary, which calls for task sharing.

Local journalists and the construction of social identities. A phenomenological approach

Research broadly agrees that geographical and social proximity to local inhabitants determines the embeddedness of local journalists in the communities they cover. Yet, the role of such proximity in local journalists’ understanding of local inhabitants–both as potential sources and audience members–has been less investigated. Understanding how journalists form their ideas of local inhabitants is essential, as it greatly influences their work. To address this gap, this paper reports the findings of an exploratory case study of a local Italian newsroom, studied through the lens of phenomenological sociology. The paper argues that Sartre’s concept of the look is a useful conceptual category to understand journalists’ perspectives of their work. The results show that, even in the digital era, local journalists still consider it crucial to physically look at local inhabitants to grasp them. Further, being physically looked at in the towns they cover is a strategic way for local journalists to be perceived favorably. However, the possibilities for locals and journalists to physically look at each other are complicated by the Italian journalistic culture, which can hinder proximity between journalists and audiences, particularly for outlets covering large and heterogeneous territories.

Performing agriculture education: reflections from women who teach agriculture in Australian secondary schools

ABSTRACT This paper explores how women who teach agriculture in Australian secondary schools encourage girls to pursue a career in agriculture and bolster the pipeline of future agriculture professionals into this critical sector. The research aimed to better understand the potential influence of women who teach agriculture and how role models in schools can show girls the way into a male dominated industry. Data were drawn from teachers’ reflections during a professional development programme which included a peer focus group, semi-structured interviews with teachers about industry engagement and teacher journals. An exploratory case study methodology was selected for this study and Butler’s (2020) concept of gender performativity utlised to explore how female agriculture teachers construct their identities in the context of their work. Our analysis found that these teachers intended to ‘break the cycle’ of misinformation that informed stereotypes that excluded women from agriculture, both in the classroom and in the field. They (circum)navigated systems to ensure equitable access for girls to the worlds of agricultural work. This study showed how women who teach agriculture grapple with professional identity and how subtle acts of resistance built their confidence and competency to guide girls to aspire to careers in agriculture.

The subjective well-being experiences of mine employees in a South African mining organisation

Orientation: The focus on the subjective well-being of employees has been identified as a general motivator and driver of productivity in the workplace.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore, using a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective, the subjective well-being experiences of mine employees in a South African mining organisation.Motivation for the study: The motivation of the study was to offer valuable insights to industrial and organisational psychologists, human resource practitioners and well-being practitioners regarding the subjective well-being experiences and dynamics affecting mining employees. Specifically, plant operators have faced challenges because of economic turbulence, increased market pressures, globalisation and rapid technological advancements in the mining industry.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative exploratory case study approach was used in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the subjective well-being experiences of the participants. A purposive sample of nine plant operators (mining employees) who met the inclusion criteria was selected. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Main findings: Five themes were predetermined and identified from the data analysed, as directed by the PERMA model: display of emotions, level of engagement, texture of relationships, meaning and value of work and accomplishment dynamics.Practical/managerial implications: The study holds significant importance for well-being professionals, including industrial and organisational psychologists and human resource practitioners.Contribution/value-add: It contributes to new knowledge that can be used to create a positive work environment where individuals, teams and organisations thrive.

Pedagogical professionalism and its implication in educational accountability

This study intended to explore pedagogical professionalism and its implications for educational accountability. This was a qualitative study employing an exploratory case study design, and it involved two (2) educational officials, 10 headteachers, six (6) school committee members, and 90 classroom teachers, with 108 participants in total. Data was collected through interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), open-ended questionnaires, and documentary review and was analysed through tables, frequencies, percentages, and semantic analysis. The findings indicate that teachers stood against being accountable to the school committees, as its members constituted people outside the teaching profession. The findings also indicate that teachers preferred to be supervised by headteachers, School Quality (SQ) assurers, and Ward Education Officers (WEOs) as they belong to the same profession. However, it was found that these professionals concentrated on checking the schemes of work, lesson plans, subject logbooks, and pupils' exercise books without helping the teacher in the classroom, which could have been the added value from professional expertise. It is argued that if teachers are to be accountable and improve pupils' learning, headteachers, SQ assurers, and WEOs have to help them in the classroom, and outsiders from the profession may be consulted if they are to facilitate the environment from which teachers as professionals can be accountable for pupils' learning.

Integrating coding education into early STEM programme: the changing roles of children and integrative learning context

ABSTRACT Coding is a crucial foundation for young children's cognitive development that enhances their logical and computational thinking skills for long-term learning. This study examines how young children in Hong Kong acquire coding skills through integrated STEM activities. In an innovative educational program enacted in a technology-rich 'Creative Lab' with augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and a 3D printer, the study focuses on three children aged 6–8. An explanatory case study approach was employed to collect data from classroom observations and teacher interviews. Observations targeted children's learning progress in coding activities, while the interview unpacked the applied teaching repository. The findings reveal that young children developed early coding skills using various technologies to create and apply symbols. Three strategies scaffold children’s skills enhancement stemmed from situated learning theory: 1) integrating learning content in an authentic context, 2) leveraging learners' intuitive knowledge through inquisitive practice, and 3) providing immersive learning resources.

Exploring experienced language teachers’ relay teaching experience in a continuing professional development programme: a case study from China

ABSTRACT Relay teaching is a variation of lesson study that involves teachers working together to plan, teach, observe, discuss, and reflect on their practice. Unlike traditional lesson study, which centres on a single research lesson, relay teaching has a team of educators conducting a series of lessons to form a unified teaching module. In the present study, relay teaching was implemented in a professional development programme for experienced high school English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) teachers in China. Employing an exploratory case study approach, this study examined the relay teaching experiences of six teachers from different schools who pursue continuing professional development at a reputable high school in Guangzhou, China. Drawing on data from semi-structured interviews, observations, lesson plans, personal reflections, and informal communication, the study reveals that the participants improved their teaching skills and honed their collaborative and reflective thinking. They also gained opportunities to envision and develop their practices as language teacher educators in their work contexts. However, the teachers reported some challenges, such as a hesitancy to raise difficult questions during collaboration. The paper provides practical implications for applying and improving relay teaching in teacher education programmes.

Evaluating the accuracy of ChatGPT in delivering patient instructions for medications: an exploratory case study.

The use of ChatGPT in healthcare is still in its early stages; however, it has the potential to become a cornerstone in modern healthcare systems. This study aims to assess the accuracy of output of ChatGPT compared with those of CareNotes® in providing patient instructions for three medications: tirzepatide, citalopram, and apixaban. An exploratory case study was conducted using a published questionnaire to evaluate ChatGPT-generated reports against patient instructions from CareNotes®. The evaluation focused on the completeness and correctness of the reports, as well as their potential to cause harm or lead to poor medication adherence. The evaluation was conducted by four pharmacy experts and 33 PharmD interns. The evaluators indicated that the ChatGPT reports of tirzepatide, citalopram, and apixaban were correct but lacked completeness. Additionally, ChatGPT reports have the potential to cause harm and may negatively affect medication adherence. Although ChatGPT demonstrated promising results, particularly in terms of correctness, it cannot yet be considered a reliable standalone source of patient drug information.

Manifestation of Cross-Cultural Values in the Oral Presentations of Japanese EFL Students

This study examines the manifestation of cross-cultural values in oral presentations delivered in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes, with a focus on Japanese students enrolled at a private university in Bali, Indonesia. It investigates how these students, influenced by their unique cultural backgrounds, express various aspects of life and culture in EFL classes facilitated by an Indonesian lecturer. The research involved six Japanese university students who participated in a short summer course in Bali. During the course, the students studied English alongside Indonesian culture, particularly Balinese traditions, while their interactions and activities were observed. At the end of the program, they were assigned to compare Balinese and Japanese cultures and to present their observations on the cultural differences they identified. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study utilized the exploratory case study method to examine the students’ experiences. Data were triangulated through direct observation, content analysis, and in-depth interviews. Findings reveal that the Japanese students effectively identified and articulated cross-cultural values during their English oral presentations, aligning with the parameters of the assigned task. The use of visual aids, such as photographs, emerged as a notable strategy to enhance their confidence and clarity in describing cross-cultural elements. These results suggest that cross-cultural communication, as demonstrated in EFL oral presentations, not only fosters improved speaking skills among Japanese students but also enhances their confidence in communication.

Testing "the science": A comparative analysis of COVID-19 testing policy across four Canadian provinces.

Testing "the science": A comparative analysis of COVID-19 testing policy across four Canadian provinces.

Innovative solutions for warehouse logistics: improving efficiency with RFID and IoT integration

This research summarises the results of the scientific discussion on the possibilities of improving logistics flow in industrial practice. The objective of the paper is to introduce an exploratory case study aiming at streamlining production logistics flow through the implementation of automatic identification technology (RFID) and new storage solutions in warehouses in industrial enterprises. The main aim of the paper is to introduce an innovative solution regarding implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the warehouse operations to eliminate waste of time and material guided by Plan –Do-Check- Act ( PDCA) cycle verified both by observation and statistical methods. The results of this research propose and realise new innovative solutions to reduce waste in logistics processes in warehousing. The key improvements include the elimination of waste and innovative solutions to increase the efficiency of tracking kitting trucks, improving the clarity of the sequencing of kitting carts, and creating standards for the unification of boxes that result in time savings, optimisation of the workplace and scrap minimisation, and increased quality of the logistics processes. The article concludes future recommendations to streamline logistics flow and implement an innovative lean solutions in industrial enterprises.

Using Technologies to Spatialize STEM Learning by Co-Creating Symbols with Young Children

There has been an increasing number of calls to apply new technologies to learning contexts for STEM education. However, limited studies have explored the role of technology in bridging teachers and children to create STEM knowledge collaboratively. Therefore, early childhood teachers encounter challenges integrating digital technologies to support children’s STEM learning. The challenges include developing effective and innovative scaffolding strategies to incorporate digital technology and visualize the processes of using technologies in children’s STEM knowledge building. This study reports on an in-depth exploratory case study from a kindergarten classroom in Hong Kong, exemplifying a new approach to integrating digital technologies within spatialized STEM learning. The case selected continuity learning episodes from a spatially directed STEM learning unit on making a safe traffic city. Under digital technology-integrated scaffolding, the teacher and children co-created a traffic symbolic system by designing symbols of landmarks, developing and applying spatial language, making maps and traffic games with rules. The thematic analysis was adopted to analyze the teachers’ STEM activity plans and reflective reports. The finding indicated that the process through which the teacher and children collaboratively created STEM knowledge via technology-integrated scaffolding involved recalling spontaneous understanding about everyday concepts, exploring ideas in authentic contexts, sorting and organizing their collected information, and identifying and correlating abstract concepts with corresponding everyday practices. The children required two levels of technology-integrated scaffolding strategies to engage in STEM knowledge collaborative creation: scaffolding for technology using and scaffolding through use of technology. Three novel roles of technology emerged that transform learning from knowledge delivery to collaborative creation in inquiries STEM tasks for young children: application, mediator, and catalyst. The study also highlights teachers and children transforming into new roles in knowledge collaborative creation processes in spatialized STEM learning under the technology-integrated scaffolding strategies. Moreover, it spotlights the reconceptualization of the STEM learning culture in the technology-integrated knowledge co-create classroom from teacher-centered to more open child-centered learning.

Student perspectives on optimising AI tools to enhance personalised learning in higher education

This explanatory qualitative paper discusses students' recommendations on how AI tools can be optimised to enhance personalised learning in higher education. The effective adoption and implementation of AI technologies face several challenges, particularly in user acceptance and the balance between AI-assisted and traditional learning methods. The paper adopts the Technology Acceptance Model as a theoretical framework for understanding users' technology acceptance and usage. It posits that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are primary factors influencing users' technology adoption, which can guide the development of strategies to improve the implementation and effectiveness of AI technologies in personalised learning. The method used is a qualitative explanatory case study where open-ended questionnaires were administered to 40 students from various faculties at the University of the Free State. The findings reveal that students and lecturers need to be trained in using AI tools and that there should be a balance between using AI tools and traditional teaching methods to enhance personalised learning in higher education. Considering the findings, the study suggests that institutions and lecturers need to address the challenges posed by AI tools immediately, and leverage AI to its full potential in creating an effective and personalised learning environment.

Competência Informacional do Graduado em Biblioteconomia e Documentação Face às Mudanças Climáticas

This research aims to analyze the information competence of graduates in Library Science and Documentation from the Escola Superior de Jornalismo in Mozambique, from 2020 to 2024, in the face of climate change, based on the 2016 course curriculum. This research sought to answer the following question: “What information competence does the graduate in Library Science and Documentation have to deal with climate change?”. This is an exploratory and descriptive case study, with a qualitative approach, and documentary research. Thus, the research data indicate that the graduate in Library Science and Documentation has the basis of information competence to deal with climate change from its dimensions, although with a greater incidence on the technical dimension, since most of the subjects taught at the Escola Superior de Jornalismo aim at the acquisition of technical skills for evaluating and using information in different contexts. Thus, it is concluded that the informational competence of this graduate is based on the technical, aesthetic, ethical and political dimensions that are exposed to them through the disciplines, nuclear and complementary, accommodated in the different thematic axes throughout their training, and, therefore, relevant to deal with climate change in the digital or traditional environment, together with other professionals.