Participatory Framework Research Articles

An interactive framework for strategic participation of a price-maker energy hub in the local gas and power markets based on the MPEC method

Power-to-gas (P2G) technologies within smart energy hubs (SEH) offer unprecedented operational flexibility to distribution networks. This is achieved by integrating various energy carriers both regionally and locally, particularly in the presence of renewable energy sources (RES). According to this subject, the present work outlines an interactive risk-based model and meticulous mathematical solution to justifiably incorporate the P2G units into the SEH to participate in the local electricity and natural gas markets strategically. As a price-maker prosumer, the SEH utilizes cross-product arbitrage strategies to optimize its proposals for power and gas exchanges in the local markets. The participation model for SEH is developed as a bi-level framework. At the top level, the goal is to maximize SEH's profit while accounting for the risks posed by RES. At the bottom level, the aim is to increase social welfare under network constraints through local market settlements. Finally, a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) is offered as a solution to solve the bi-level model. Using integer disjunctions on the complementarity and slackness criteria and the strong duality theory on the bilinear product terms, a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) has been derived to approximate the suggested MPEC formulation. It can be concluded from the results that the integration of P2G technologies and the use of mutual product arbitrage in the local electricity and natural gas markets, not only increases the profit of the SEH, but also reduces operating costs and improves social welfare as well as cost-recovery of the entire network.

Stakeholder engagement and nonprofit organizations' (NPOs) accountability: a social media-based study of the Australian 2019/2020 bushfire crisis

Purpose This study aims to examine the impact of stakeholder engagement on accountability, within nonprofit organizations (NPOs). Given the pivotal role NPOs play in disaster management and community welfare, it is crucial to gain an understanding of the obligations of NPOs, in terms of their disaster responses and accountability. Design/methodology/approach Using a case-study approach, the investigation features a content analysis of social media comments regarding the Australian Red Cross’ (ARC) funds’ allocation during the 2019/2020 bushfires, followed by a similar analysis of ARC's reports. Inspired by Carnegie et al.'s (2021) definition of accounting as a social science, this study uses dialogic theory and a transformative participatory framework, to evaluate how interactive stakeholder engagement influenced accountability strategies used by the NPO, to ensure its sustainable development. Findings The findings reveal that there was a significant increase in stakeholder engagement on social media, following negative media coverage, with participants voicing concerns over ARC’s method of funds’ allocation, delays in funds distribution and seemingly excessive administrative costs. ARC addressed these concerns by issuing Bushfire Reports, and conducting online Q&A sessions, in a bid to establish transparency. This study emphasizes how dialogic accounting can challenge accounting's limited scope – one that often overlooks ecological concerns and social justice. Originality/value This study uses the perspective of dialogic accounting theory to explore the relationship between stakeholder engagement on social media, and NPO accountability. It demonstrates how robust stakeholder engagement can challenge NPOs to establish accountability, thereby bridging the information gap between themselves and the public. The use of dialogic accounting theory allows the study to shift from the traditional focus of accounting research, which is the financial objectives of powerful entities, to the voices of the marginalized, the stakeholders, who are impacted by NPO decisions, and, in doing so, it highlights the potential for NPOs to foster accountability, and so advance sustainable development initiatives.

Exploring the quality of participation and strategies to support meaningful engagement in an adapted paddleboard program among individuals with disabilities

Aim Adapted paddleboard provides an outdoor leisure-time physical activities (LTPA) opportunity with many health benefits (e.g., physical activity, reduced stress, social engagement). However, nearly 50% of individuals with disabilities do not participate in any LTPA. Quality of LTPA participation influences sustainable adherence, while optimizing participant experiences. An adapted paddleboard program is offered in Quebec City, for adults with physical disabilities, but little is known about how participants perceive their quality of participation. This study aimed to describe individuals with disabilities’ perceived quality of participation in the adapted paddleboard program, and to explore their suggestions of strategies to support meaningful engagement in the program. Methods An ethnographic mixed-methods design was conducted, consisting of participant observations during the 13-week program and semi-structured interviews based on the Quality Parasport Participation Framework (QPPF). Measure of Experiential Aspects of Participation (MeEAP) questionnaire were collected. A mixed approach of data analysis was used for qualitative data and descriptive statistics were conducted for quantitative data. Results Nine participants (8F) with various disabilities (42±15 years old) participated in the study. Emergent dimensions of quality of participation included belongingness and autonomy. Facilitators to participation were identified, such as autonomy support through volunteers and provision of adaptive equipment. Barriers to participation included water access and level of individual challenge. Suggested strategies to improve engagement included water access closer to parking and multiple groups for variable skill levels. Conclusions Participants expressed high-quality of participation in adapted paddleboarding. The study allows the development of knowledge about conditions that enhance the experience of participating in outdoor LTPA.

Responsible Ecological Behavior in Participation, Resource Saving, Recycling and Reuse in Peruvian University Students

This paper analyzes, within the framework of responsible ecological behavior (REB), participation and environmental concern, resources saving, recycling and reuse of products in students from a Peruvian private university. Data for this study was obtained by completing self-administered questionnaires from a sample of 523 undergraduate students attending a university based in Lima and Ica, Peru. REB was segmented into three dimensions: Participation and Environmental Concern (PEC), Resources Saving (RS) and Recycling and Reuse (RR). A medium positive correlation was found between REB and PEC, while REB showed a positive correlation between the RS and RR dimensions at a significance level of 99%. A weak negative correlation was identified between REB and student gender; no correlation was found with age and region of origin. More than half of the students frequently practice habits that contribute to the protection of the environment; especially actions related to RS. RR behaviors reported less frequency in their usual practice, specifically reuse activities of aluminum cans and plastic containers, while PEC was the least common factor in pro-environmental practices. The apathy for externalization of environmental interest and lack of commitment in ecological campaigns demonstrate the low level of internalization of environmental culture in Peruvian university students.

Optimization of Judicial Review System in Non-Prosecution for Corporate Compliance

As the reform of corporate compliance progresses, the system of non-prosecution for corporate compliance grants prosecutors significant discretionary power, making it inevitable for courts to participate in corporate compliance. Issues arising from corporate compliance reform, such as insufficient time for compliance rectification hearings, inadequate third-party supervision, judicial discretion abuse, and lack of unified standards for compliance effectiveness assessment, should be addressed. This can be achieved by establishing unified standards for compliance effectiveness, improving the transparency of public hearings, emphasizing the construction of a diversified institutional framework for multi-party participation in corporate compliance, enhancing coordination and constraints among public security organs, procuratorates, courts, administrative agencies, and third-party organizations, and improving the judicial review of corporate compliance to optimize the judicial scrutiny of the non-prosecution system for corporate compliance.

Negotiating parental agency in daily encounters with educators

In this paper, we reflect on the relationships between parents and professionals in early childhood education, as they unfold on a daily basis when parents drop off children in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. The paper seeks to understand how parents exert agency in such contexts, and how professionals respond to such agency by facilitating or negotiating active contributions from parents during these short encounters. We adopt a situated and interactional perspective on agency in professional practice informed by a multimodal approach to discourse and interaction, presenting an empirical research design consisting of tangible face-to-face encounters between parents and professionals through audiovisual recordings in the context of Switzerland. The paper explores a collection of four case studies extracted from a dataset comprising over a thousand video-recorded encounters between parents and professionals, and identifies various expressions of parental agency as they occur in interactions during the drop-offs and pick-ups. It also describes and elaborates how professionals respond to such expressions and contribute to a joint accomplishment of parental agency at work. The findings show that parents and educators play an active role in how these encounters unfold, in the sorts of actions, frames and participation frameworks collaboratively accomplished during drop-offs and pick-ups and in establishing rapport in interaction. The findings are discussed from the perspective of professional practice in the field of early childhood education, especially ‘transitional encounters’ related to educational practices in early childhood education.

The Closing of Illegal Interventions: A Conversation Analysis Study

The objective of this paper is to examine the termination of illegal interventions using conversation analysis (CA henceforth). The findings indicate that the closure of interactions occurs unilaterally without negotiation by the participants, leading to an absence of interaction termination. The chairperson of the parliament consistently initiates the closure by utilizing various elements within the closing implicative environment, such as announcing the closure, expressing appreciation, issuing demands to comply with internal regulations of the parliament, and warning of potential suspension of parliamentary sessions. The participation framework plays a significant role in the process of closing illegal interventions. The rights and roles of participants differ significantly from ordinary conversations. This discrepancy has a notable impact on the manner in which closings are conducted, particularly when the CP is involved. As a result, the closing of interactions in this study is characterized as unilateral and brief due to the influence of the participation framework.

Detection and Assessment of Seismic Response of High-Speed Railway Bridges Based on Smartphone Public Participation

The seismic response detection and operational safety assessment of high-speed railway (HSR) bridges play a crucial role in ensuring HSR systems’ operational safety and reliability. Smartphones have introduced intelligent inspection tools for structural health detection, becoming a new tool for intelligent structural inspection. Combining the public and smartphones is the key to public participation in structural health detection. This study utilizes smartphone-based structural seismic response inspection technology to investigate the framework of public participation in earthquake response inspection and assessment. This system comprises the Smart Bridge Brain (SBB), which integrates data from multiple sources and systems, an assigning mechanism for public participation inspection tasks, and smartphone-based HSR bridge structural seismic response inspection technology. At the same time, the Unreal Engine 5.0 software is used to create a mixed-reality virtual simulation experimental environment to validate the feasibility of this framework. The results indicate that the intelligent optimization of task allocation by the SBB successfully assigns detection tasks to each public participant. Public participants can promptly reach predefined damage structure detection targets and rapidly inspect bridge structural seismic response indicators using smartphones. In addition, this paper also conducts a comprehensive evaluation and analysis of the detection of the work efficiency index (WEI) within the system. Furthermore, optimization strategies for the efficient execution of detection tasks are proposed based on WEI variations influenced by different factors. The system framework is expected to enhance cluster-based HSR bridges’ intelligent disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.

Communicative Framework Development for Construction Risk Governance: An Analysis of Risk and Trust Perception for Organizational Sustainability

In the construction industry, risk governance stems from the standardization of safety policies and procedures. Safety governance is typically communicated and enforced through a top-down, command-and-control approach. Procedures and policies are created at the top level and cascaded down to the work. Individual discretion in the workplace permits a choice for worker adherence to safety procedures. Through a literature review, this study identified risk perception as a significant variable in regulatory compliance and fidelity. Individual hazard assessments and risk behaviors are often based on subjective cognitive risk perceptions rather than organizational governance policy. In the current governance system, there is a misalignment of risk perceptions and failure in trust between the workforce and the regulatory process. This study examines the impact of risk perceptions on safety compliance and promotes a more participative risk governance process for sustainable construction practices. A participative framework model is proposed to help align worker risk perceptions with organizational governance through policy creation, policy compliance and stakeholder participation and feedback. Utilizing proper discourse and cyclical communication, the proposed framework aims to increase safety fidelity, compliance, and trust in the construction industry through a more inclusive and collaborative governance strategy.

A Syntactic and Discoursal Analysis of halaʔ ‘Now’ in Jordanian Arabic

This study investigates the syntactic behavior and the discoursal roles of halaʔ in Jordanian Arabic, which corresponds to the English ‘now’ and is frequently used as a discourse marker. Specifically, the syntactic distribution of this discourse marker in everyday conversations, its function in establishing coherence between discourse units, and its communicative and discoursal meanings are scrutinized. The data necessary for the study was obtained from almost a 15-hour corpus of naturally-occurring conversations recorded by the researchers through 30 interviews with 80 (40 males and 40 females) Jordanian students from Al-Balqa Applied University. The data analysis revealed that halaʔ can be used as an adverb conveying temporal meaning and as a discourse marker conveying coherence-related meanings. Semantically, it is a temporal adverb that has a semantic meaning parallel to that of its English adverbial counterpart ‘now’. However, it was found that halaʔ can also serve six pragmatic functions: Changing a topic, introducing a contrast or comparison, marking disagreement, initiating reasons, explanations or clarifications, listing, and marking shifts in participation framework (Marking a change in the speaker’s orientation and marking a change of footing). The study concludes with a suggested grammaticalization path for the development of this discourse marker from a lexical source.

Agricultural watershed conservation and optimization using a participatory hydrological approach.

Maximizing the impact of agricultural wastewater conservation practices (CP) to achieve total maximum daily load (TMDL) scenarios in agricultural watersheds is a challenge for the practitioners. The complex modeling requirements of sophisticated hydrologic models make their use and interpretation difficult, preventing the inclusion of local watershed stakeholders' knowledge in the development of optimal TMDL scenarios. The present study develops a seamless modeling approach to transform the complex modeling outcomes of Hydrologic Simulation Program Fortran (HSPF) into a simplified participatory framework for developing optimized management scenarios. The study evaluates seven conservation practices in the Pomme de Terre watershed in Minnesota, USA, focusing on sediment and phosphorus pollutant load reductions incorporating farmers' opinions to guide practitioners toward implementing cost-effective CPs. Results show reduced tillage and filter strips are the most cost-effective practices for non-point source pollution reduction, followed by conservation cover perennials. The integration of SAM with HSPF is crucial for sustainable field-scale implementation of conservation practices through enhanced involvement of amateur-modeling stakeholders and farmers directly connected to fields.

British Conversation is Changing: Resonance and Engagement in the BNC1994 and the BNC2014

Abstract This applied study assesses the degree to which speakers re-use and acknowledge parts of one another’s utterances. This form of alignment is called resonance (DuBois 2014; Tantucci and Wang 2021), and is a decisive indicator of creativity and verbal engagement. Consistent absence of resonance indicates interactional detachment, which is distinctive of autistic speech (Tantucci and Wang 2023). We analysed resonance in naturalistic interaction among British speakers in the demographically sampled sections of the British National Corpora of English: the BNC1994 and the BNC2014. We controlled for creativity, age, class, gender, context, dialect, and intra-generational speech for 1,600 turns of informal speech. We discovered that upper-class people from the corporate world and neighbouring sectors mutually resonated much more in 2014 than they used to in 1994. This may be due to the dramatic change in corporate and institutional communication in the 2000s, involving a new turn towards corporate social responsibility, participatory frameworks in higher education, and the enactment of ideologies such as inclusivity, engagement, and equality in higher social grades of British society. This plausibly affected not only the system of values of those communities but also their interactional behaviour, now increasingly geared towards overt acknowledgement of other people’s talk.

Seeing mathematics together: A comparative case study of youths and facilitators collaborating to learn mathematics in informal settings

BackgroundThis comparative case study examined the use of math walks with middle grade youths and adult facilitators in an informal STEM learning space. Math walks are place-based walking tours where youths and facilitators critically examine and ask math-related questions about their environment. MethodDrawing on situated theories of learning and frameworks for understanding group participation, we examined how facilitators constrained or supported youths’ mathematical thinking as they participated in math walks at the local zoo. ResultsUsing interaction and stance analysis, we identified, analyzed, and compared three contrasting cases: In the first case, the facilitator may have overly constrained youths’ mathematical thinking by asking leading questions and not providing time for youths to discuss their personal interests. In the second case, the facilitator may have underly constrained youths’ mathematical thinking by allowing youths to ask too many new questions without refining or developing any one specific question. In the third case, the facilitator supported mathematical thinking by praising youths’ work, layering on mathematical terminology, and providing clear and actionable instructions for how youths could refine their mathematical questions. ConclusionsFindings support efforts to understand how adult facilitators can support youths in seeing mathematics within and asking mathematical questions about the world around them.

The Role of Government in Driving Sustainability: A Public Policy Perceptive

Sustainability is defined as socio-economic accomplishment without compromising the natural environment. The objective of the research is to assess the role of the government in driving sustainability as explained in the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). The research used content analysis and survey methods to understand the critical role of the government in achieving sustainable development and the perceptions of Saudi Arabian residents in this regard. The findings of the content analysis showed that the role of government at all levels is important to achieving sustainable development. The survey results also support the findings of the content analysis and show that the government's role in attaining sustainability is significant. All the variables of sustainability about government role proved to be very important. The research provided appropriate policy and practical implementation to facilitate the achievement of sustainability. The policy implications are that the government at all levels needs to ensure appropriate laws, regulations, codes, and the adoption of those rules to drive sustainable development. They also ensure that they have allocated resources to achieve sustainable development. In practical terms, the government should devise strategies for all levels of government to drive sustainable development. It should also set up participatory frameworks to ensure increased public involvement in urban planning and introduce education and public campaigns. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-03-023 Full Text: PDF

Identification and prioritization of context-specific climate smart agricultural (CSA) practices in Ethiopia: a framework approach

Ethiopia’s diverse agroecological zones showcase a variety of Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) Practices, yet the documentation and prioritization of best-bet practices have been lacking. To address this gap, this study utilized the Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS)-CSA Prioritization framework. This approach was deployed across nine key agro-ecologies in Ethiopia to identify and prioritize CSA practices based on the three pillars of CSA and gender-equity considerations. By employing this participatory framework, this study successfully identified and prioritized over 200 Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices within Ethiopia’s nine major agroecological zones. These practices were segmented into four main systems: crop management (40 practices), livestock management (41 practices), soil fertility management (40 practices), erosion control and water management (41 practices), and forest and agroforestry (40 practices). Notably, the results highlighted the significance of CSA practices linked to agroforestry/forestry management, rangeland/forage enhancement, exclosure strategies, and water management in addressing the goals associated with the three pillars (productivity, adaptation, mitigation) of CSA practices simultaneously. The findings also revealed that the majority of Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) practices focused on improving productivity and enhancing adaptation to climate change. Additionally, the results demonstrated that trade-offs exist among the three pillars of CSA, emphasizing the need for integration with other practices to enhance complementarity and achieve all pillars simultaneously. Overall, this study underscores the importance of combining CSA practices of various categories to maximize their effectiveness and impact in sustainable agriculture.

Unlocking in-depth forum discussion and perceived effectiveness: Teaching and social presence categories in online teacher communities

Online teacher communities constitute pivotal professional development contexts. Yet, there is no conclusive evidence on how best to conduct in-depth forum discussion for meaningful learning outcomes. This study combines qualitative comparative analysis of communities' forum transcripts to specify the teaching and social presence categories that promote in-depth forum discussion with teachers’ questionnaires for perceived effectiveness. Findings identify a successful online coordination and participation framework: teaching presence characterized by strong direct instruction combined with social presence exhibiting high levels of affective and cohesive discourse. This framework provides actionable insights for online professional learning communities with implications for educational research and practice.

Participatory Framework for Urban Pluvial Flood Modeling in the Digital Twin Era

The recent advancement in digital twin technology, which creates virtual replicas of real-world processes, offers an interactive testbed for understanding and predicting environmental changes. As pluvial flood damage escalates globally in urban areas, there remains a gap in understanding the most effective collaboration between governments and local residents for sustainable flood risk management. To address this gap, we develop a participatory framework for urban pluvial flood modeling, incorporating open source software, virtual reality, minimum viable product, and gamification components. This framework engages citizens in every phase of the participatory modeling process, from input data preparation, through hydrological model construction, to model verification, and experiments. We present a case study on the recurring pluvial flood damages in South Korea's Gangnam region, demonstrating the practical implications of an interactive, web-based crowdsourcing platform to leverage community engagement and local knowledge. The results underscore the evidence of a proactive role for citizens, not merely as recipients of disaster information but as key contributors collaborating with a range of stakeholders in stormwater management and modeling. Combining digital twin technology with citizen participation can empower informed decision-making and collective actions in the evolving digital era, leading to a disaster-resilient community.

From policy dumping to a participatory framework: re-envisioning the English medium instruction policy in Kazakhstan’s mainstream schools

ABSTRACT Situating EMI policy and planning within the mainstream school in Kazakhstan, this study probes how STEM (sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics) teachers manage the policy, what challenges they confront, and how they respond to the challenges. Employing ‘agency’ as a conceptual frame, the study analyzed 58 teachers’ interviews representing six regions of the country. Findings suggest that teachers’ lower-level English proficiency and lack of English teaching experience challenge them to cope with the policy. However, teachers do demonstrate signs of what we describe as ‘responsive agency’, referring to teachers’ employment of available resources to make up for their language deficiencies. The policy apparently suffers from ‘policy dumping’ and disjunction because the traditional policymakers/actors put the burden of policy implementation mainly on teachers without providing them the required support and resources they need. Policy dumping renders local teachers eliminated from decision-making processes. The way forward is a non-traditional and non-technocratic participation framework.

Schisming as an Interactional Resource for Learning at the Frontiers of Work and Vocational Training — A Secondary Publication

This paper examines the sorts of interactional competencies and institutional demands required from students as they engage in complex forms of participation combining work and training purposes. It focuses on a series of empirical cases, recorded through video data and analyzed from a conversation analytic perspective, in which mentors make the decision to intervene during work sessions moderated by students. Such interventions do not interrupt the student’s activity and lead to the emergence of two distinct but not impermeable interactional spaces. This complex participation framework, known as “schisming,” contributes to overcoming practical issues within multiparty settings. Our study shows how schisming constitutes a particular sequential phenomenon where participants reorganize the interaction and co-construct a social and cognitive interactional space, thus enabling a shared understanding of the specific training context. Empirical data from the practical training of medical radiographers are used to illustrate how schisming may contribute to learning in the conditions of guided practice.

What guides student learning in the clinical years: A mixed methods study exploring study behaviours prior to the UK Medical Licensing Assessment (UKMLA)

Purpose Student study behaviours that prioritise the UKMLA content map over the local curriculum are a significant risk for UK medical education. To mitigate this, we describe a student-centred faculty process to improve local curriculum guidance based on an evaluation of student study behaviours, concerns and needs. Responses informed the build of an online curriculum map. Methods A mixed methods approach was adopted, including an online anonymous survey exploring student study behaviours and preferences for curricular guidance. This was followed by student-led focus groups to explore emergent themes further. Qualitative data underwent reflexive thematic analysis. Results 121 students responded to the survey, of which 12 consented to participate in two student-led focus groups. Five key themes emerged, including motivation for learning, student use of the intended curriculum, student experience of the enacted curriculum, the hidden curriculum, and expectations of an online curriculum map. Conclusions A participatory framework enabled shared aims and responsive outcomes for curricular development in the run up to the UKMLA. Student responses led to clarification of guidance, reorganisation of learning resources and optimal design of an online curriculum map which linked all content in a visible, UKMLA aligned framework, accessible to all students and teachers.