Practical Thinking Research Articles

Narrative Thinking of Healthcare Providers in Medical Cases of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Its Implications for Modern Medical Education

Abstract: In the context of Chinese narrative medicine, narrative thinking is as crucial as evidence-based thinking in clinical practice, contributing significantly to patient safety and medical quality. Ancient Chinese medical theories advocate for establishing a narrative connection with patients, prompting healthcare providers to employ Dao Shu Jie He (道术结合integration of Dao and techniques) and Yi Dao Yu Shu (以道驭术guiding techniques with Dao) in diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. In this context, Dao (道) in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) parallels “narrative thinking” (叙事思维) while Shu (术) aligns with “scientific thinking” (科学思维) in evidence-based medicine. This study takes “narrative Chinese medicine” in the “discourse system of Chinese narrative medicine” as its framework, focusing on medical stories that illustrate the application of narrative thinking in ancient Chinese diagnosis and treatment. It explores the narrative thinking contained in Chinese medicine, such as Guan Wu Qu Xiang (观物取象observing things and extracting information), Can He Er Xing (参合而行final examination and decision by integrating the four diagnoses), Xing Shen Bing Zhi (形神并治body-spirit treatment), Xin Shen Jian Li (心身兼理mind-body balance) and Bian Zheng Lun Zhi (辨证论治treatment based on pattern differentiation). The study aims to inspire contemporary medical educators and clinicians to recognize the value of narrative thinking in TCM and fully integrate it into daily medical practice.

Contributions of Lesson Study to the reconstruction of teachers' practical knowledge within a virtual setting context. Case study at Universidad Nacional de Educación (Ecuador)

PurposeThis article examines the training of nine practising teachers and the development of their practical thinking through Lesson Study (LS) at Universidad Nacional de Educación (UNAE). The study therefore aims to describe and understand how this group of teachers might reconstruct their practical knowledge while engaging in the LS experience in a virtual setting.Design/methodology/approachA case study was conducted with (virtual) field immersion, qualitatively collecting and analysing data through observations, interviews, a focus group and written outputs.FindingsReconstructions and reinforcements were evident in each of the five dimensions of practical thinking (Soto et al., 2019; Pérez-Gómez, 2022) and in certain knowledge and values, in addition to various skills, attitudes and emotions. The main findings of the study relate to the importance of planning to avoid improvisation, viewing the teaching methodology as a flexible process, developing student autonomy, understanding and managing technological and digital tools and being prepared for uncertain situations.Originality/valueIt is understood that Lesson Study is a strategy that strengthens and enhances understanding of teachers’ knowledge, even in the virtual context and should therefore be considered for the ongoing professional development of teachers in Ecuador.

Systems Thinking Principles for Making Change

Traditionally, systems thinking support has relied on an ever-increasing plethora of systems tools, methods, and approaches. Arguably though, such support requires something different from, and more accessible than, detailed instruction on somewhat abstract laws and detailed principles and/or constitutive rules associated with conventional systems approaches or systems ‘tools of the trade’. For busy managers and decision makers working in often-stressful conditions, what is perhaps more valued are simple principles for enabling systems thinking in practice. Such principles should acknowledge and build on existing (multi)disciplinary skill sets and expertise, allowing for more meaningful interdisciplinary support amongst professions, as part of a nested transdisciplinary support for addressing wider social challenges. This monograph offers three principles of systems thinking in practice (STiP): relational STiP, perspective STiP, and adaptive STiP. They each have two sets of operational principles applicable to first-order and second-order practice, respectively. The three general principles are nested in an overriding principle of STiP as praxis (theory-informed action or thinking in practice) manifest in the need for being both systemic and systematic. The three principles represent a distilled expression of a systematic literacy of systems thinking, a literacy that speaks to the systemic sensibilities of Inter-relationships, Perspectives, and Boundaries (sometimes referred collectively as IPB), associated with any area of intervention. Drawing on metaphors of bricolage, conversation, and performance, and building on philosophical foundations of boundary critique, the three principles provide for a requisite systems literacy (as an emergent property of systemic sensibilities and systems thinking literacy) for enabling appropriate STiP capabilities to flourish when making a meaningful change.

Evaluation of pre-service teachers' views on STEM education

This study aimed to evaluate pre-service science teachers' views on STEM education. Data were collected at the end of each activity and the end of the training with evaluation sheets. The collected data were analyzed with the content analysis method and interpreted with percentage and frequency values. The research method is a case study. Participants received four weeks of practical training, including STEM activities. Based on the data collected, it was determined that teacher candidates did not have a negative perception of STEM activities, that they had difficulty in activities that required handcraft, and that it contributed positively to their interdisciplinary perspectives. They also stated that the training was enjoyable and creative; developed imagination and handicraft skills; increased productivity, self-confidence, design skills, problem-solving skills, and group work; provided practical thinking; ensured permanent learning and field cooperation; and contributed to analytical thinking. Most of the participants stated that they did not find STEM education at their universities sufficient, would apply STEM activities to their students when they became teachers, and wanted to improve themselves in STEM education. Participants stated that they most needed development in the subject of academic knowledge, utilization of technology, handcraft and creativity. In addition, it was determined that positive perceptions and opinions about STEM education were observed.

Unraveling Logical Fallacies in the debate over Homeopathic Formulations and Severe Liver Injury"

This article explores the logical fallacies intertwined within the discourse surrounding the safety of homeopathic remedies, particularly in light of severe drug-induced liver injury (DILI). It delves into the complexities of the debate, highlighting common fallacies such as ad hominem, straw man, and slippery slope, which often obscure rational discourse. By analyzing arguments and proposing rational solutions, the article aims to promote informed decision-making and critical thinking in homeopathic practice. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing fallacies to foster transparent discussions and ensure patient safety. Proposed solutions include standardized causality assessment, enhanced pharmacovigilance, quality assurance measures, education, awareness, collaboration, and research. Through these measures, stakeholders can contribute to a nuanced understanding of homeopathy's safety profile and empower individuals to make well-informed healthcare choices grounded in evidence-based medicine. Ultimately, the goal is to uphold patient safety and well-being by navigating the discourse with integrity and a commitment to evidence-based practice.

Thinking Together: Advising as Collaborative Deliberation

We spend a good deal of time thinking about how and when to advise others, and how to respond to others advising us. But philosophical discussions of the nature and norms of advising have been scattered and somewhat disconnected. The most focused discussion has come from philosophers of language interested in whether advising is an assertive or directive kind of speech act. This paper argues that the ordinary category of advising is much more heterogenous than has been appreciated: it is possible to advise by asserting relevant facts, by issuing directives, by asking questions, and by other kinds of adviceless advising. The heterogeneity of advising makes speech act-theoretic accounts of advising look like accounts of special cases, which motivates us to look elsewhere for an account of what advising is. I suggest that we think about advising as a distinctive species of joint practical thinking, which I shall call collaborative deliberation, and show how our need for a concept to pick out this kind of joint activity emerges from our practical needs as deliberators. This view helps to illuminate a number of puzzling features of advising, and offers some guidance to be better at advising and at being advised.

Research on the Application of Innovative Thinking in Secretarial Writing Practice

Research on the Application of Innovative Thinking in Secretarial Writing Practice

“I ask different questions to my students now”: An inquiry into the role of textbooks for the teaching of historical thinking in Basque secondary schools

Starting from an analysis of the Basque competence-based secondary school history textbook EKI and the perceptions of teachers using it, these pages aim at investigating how history teachers relate to the textbooks they use in the classroom and the role these teaching materials play in the promotion of deeper historical understanding of their students. The Baque case offers a good opportunity to see how competence-based teaching materials are used to teach historical competences and how they may have affected the teaching of history in Basque secondary schools. Two main research questions are addressed: how this competence-based textbook integrates historical thinking skills and how it affects teachers´ understanding of history and teaching practice. The results suggest that theoretical reflections on historical thinking and epistemic questions have not permeated school teaching practices yet; however, the textbook does introduce students into historical thinking concepts and has produced changes in teachers’ practices. Besides, this research has detected the interest of further investigating how we deal with historical thinking in the everyday practice of increasingly diverse classrooms.

Systems Thinking in Practice in a Circular Economy

The Circular Economy (CE) is frequently touted as important for building sustainability. Despite growing interest in CE, few theories have provided effective on the-ground tools for building circularity. This case study of an agricultural organization in Western Canada illustrates how the logic of complexity helps frame and sustain a CE. Interviewees embraced complexity to manage the messy, unpredictable work of CE. Although preliminary, this suggests the possibility that circular economy-like behaviour may be more complex than currently understood. Interviewees represented complex systems thinkers in the wild and could help others seeking to build their own CE initiatives.

A Review of the Efficacy and Mechanisms of Blood Flow Restriction Training in Enhancing Somatic Function and Preventing Falls in Older Adults.

Falls have become an important public health problem that seriously affects the quality of survival of older adultsand are a major cause of fractures, death, and reduced quality of life. With the advent of an aging society, the social, economic, and medical burdens of falls in older adults are increasing. Currently, there is a lack of effective means to prevent falls in older adults, and traditional health education and clinical interventions are not effective. It is urgent to find a safe and effective training method that can improve balance function and is suitable for the elderly. Low-intensity blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is an emerging training modality that, by restricting blood flow to the limbs and combining it with low-intensity exercise, can effectively improve muscle mass, aerobic capacity, and bone density, and has been shown to enhance somatic function in older adults. However, the effectiveness and specific mechanisms of BFRT in preventing falls in older adults are unclear. Based on recent research progress, this paper explores the possibility of BFRT in preventing falls in older adults by analyzing its positive effects on muscle mass, balance function, and cognitive function, the risk factors of falling in the elderly are summarized, as well as its potential role in reducing fall risk factors. It aims to provide new thinking for academia and clinical practice and to provide a scientific basis for reducing the risk of falls in the elderly.

From Body Narratives to Cultural Identity: A Study of Ritualised Representations in Modern Sound Media

For modern people who have been under the hegemony of visual picture for a long time, the sensory balance in the Internet era is the key to releasing body appeals and getting rid of individual heterogeneity. The unique sense of imagination, immersion and companionship created by modern sound media to the audience can directly arouse emotional resonance, so as to achieve the group identity of sound field culture. Based on the perspective of ritual view of media, this paper analyzes the ritualized representation mode of modern sound media from two dimensions: the morphological evolution of body narrative of sound media and the deep aggregation of auditory culture, and thus corresponds to the dual aspects of ritualized representation: the embodied presentation and landscape modeling of sound media. By clarifying the subject’s holistic and differentiated identity cognitive thinking in media practice and the social auditory cultural aggregation phenomenon, the ritualized signs of modern sound media are deeply investigated in order to provide a theoretical perspective for the cultural research of modern sound media.

고등학교 교과 간 통합수업의 설계와 실행방안

This study proposes a way to add depth and interest in learning classical novels. It is an integrated class between subjects through combination with the contents of the 'ethics and thought' subject. In order to pursue an in-depth understanding of classical novels using the socio-cultural and ideological context of literary works, an integrated class of 'literature' and 'ethics and thought' subjects, which are optional courses for high school, was designed. To this end, the analysis, design, and development stages were discussed by referring to the ADDIE model widely used in teaching and learning design. In the analysis and design stage, the achievement criteria of the curriculum that can realize the goals of this study were selected, and the learning goals and learning contents were sequenced. In the development stage, based on the contents of the previous stage, a plan for producing teaching and learning materials that can be practically used and a course plan that will be the basis for class implementation was presented. In the future era, integration will be more important than the segmentation of knowledge. In order to improve learners' practical thinking skills, develop solutions to various complex problems in the real world, and promote critical creative thinking, integration between subjects should be discussed much more actively than now. The integrated class of the two subjects proposed in this study is expected to develop various core competencies and thinking skills of learners. The significance of this study is that it proposed specific implementation plans in high school education, where discussions on inter-subject integration are not active.

The common thread of ibn Khaldun’s educational thought with the learning of the Qur’an

This study aims to analyze the relationship between Ibn Khaldun's educational thought and the learning of the Qur'an at the Bin Baz Islamic Centre Islamic Boarding School. This study uses a qualitative case study method with observation, interview, and documentation approaches. The results of the study show the alignment of learning methods and educational goals between the concept of Ibn Khaldun and those applied in the pesantren. The main findings show the relevance of Ibn Khaldun's educational principles in the modern context at the Bin Baz Islamic Centre Islamic Boarding School. This research contributes to the understanding of the application of classical educational thinking in contemporary educational practice.

Art, Politics, and the Complexity of homo faber in Hannah Arendt’s Philosophy

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to articulate and analyse the complexity of the concept of work in Hannah Arendt’s philosophy. Work is usually interpreted as antithetical to political action. This claim merits specification: only the instrumental, utilitarian strand of homo faber poses real danger to authentic politics. By contrast, the artistic or cultural mode of homo faber is not only compatible with Arendt’s understanding of politics, but in fact indispensable for any form of political longevity. Enduring political existence is impossible without the constant support of artists, poets, historiographers and monument-builders who reify and memorialize the key meanings of political communities. This claim is substantiated by applying the phenomenological concept of sedimentation and drawing the political implications of this application. However, similarly to Edmund Husserl, Arendt identified a dual, problematic nature of sedimentation that underscores the importance of natality and thinking in artistic practice.

Developing professional capital through technology-enabled university-school-enterprise collaboration: an innovative model for C-STEAM preservice teacher education in the Greater Bay area

Purpose Preservice teacher (PST) professional development programs are crucial for cultivating high-quality STEAM teachers of the future, significantly impacting the quality of regional STEAM education. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as a region of cross-border cooperation, integrates the resources and advantages of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, possessing rich cultural heritage and innovative capabilities. Transdisciplinary Education for Cultural Inheritance (C-STEAM) is an effective approach to promoting educational collaboration within the Greater Bay Area, facilitating the integration of both technological and humanities education. This study aims to develop a Technology-Enabled University-School-Enterprise (T-USE) collaborative education model and implement it in the Greater Bay Area, to explore its role as a support mechanism in professional development and its impact on C-STEAM PSTs' professional capital. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a qualitative methodology, the study interviewed PSTs who participated in a C-STEAM teacher education course under the T-USE model. Thematic coding is used to analyze their knowledge acquisition, interaction benefits with community members, and autonomous thinking and decision-making in theoretical learning and teaching practice. Findings The findings show that the T-USE model significantly enhanced the PSTs' human capital, including teaching beliefs, knowledge, and skills. In terms of social capital, PSTs benefited from collaboration with PST groups, university teaching teams, in-service teachers, and enterprises, though challenges such as varying levels of expertise among in-service teachers and occasional technical instability emerged. For decisional capital, the T-USE model provided opportunities for autonomous thinking and promoted teaching judgment skills through real teaching challenges and scenarios. Reflective practice activities also supported PSTs' professional growth. Originality/value This study reveals the effectiveness and internal mechanism of the T-USE model in C-STEAM PST training, offering significant theoretical and practical references for future PST education.

Effective virtual laboratory to build constructivist thinking in electrical measurement practicum

Constructivism serves as a basic theory in education, and plays an important role, because this perspective views learning as a dynamic process in which students actively participate in constructing their knowledge. So, this research aims to produce a virtual laboratory that is valid and effective in developing constructivist thinking. This research and development use the Ploom approach which consists of initial investigation, design, construction/realization, testing, evaluation, revision, and implementation. Thirty-two electrical engineering students from Padang State University participated in this research. The instruments used are validity instruments and constructivism assessment tools. The research results show that the Proteus-based virtual laboratory developed is valid and effective in fostering constructivist thinking in electrical measurement practice. This study contributes to the advancement of virtual laboratories in educational settings, emphasizing the importance of constructivist pedagogy for meaningful and engaging learning experiences in the field of electrical engineering. The results of this research open opportunities for further research regarding the exploration of artificial intelligence to improve constructivism through virtual laboratories.

Brief Analysis of the Short Video Communication Strategy of "Xiaogang Story"

"Xiaogang Story" is the story of Xiaogang Village and a portrayal of China's rural reform process over the past 44 years. Starting from the perspective of the red countryside, this article innovatively constructs the content of the short video "Xiaogang Story" based on historical records and "Xiaogang Spirit", and studies the content narrative of the short video communication of "Xiaogang Story" with the mass media interaction model as the main axis. With production, communication channels, recipients, communication effects and optimization mechanisms, explore the path and situation of the short video communication of "Xiaogang Story", with a view to making constructive strategies for the media communication of "Xiaogang Story" in the new era of socialism nature, forward-looking, practical thinking and guidance, and give full play to the high-energy motivation and mission of the "Xiaogang Spirit".

Analysis of The Impact of Interactive Design on Digital Museum Exhibitions

The development of times in the context of digital technology has been applied in many fields, increasing thepossibility of the development of digital-based museum exhibition activities. This development enables relevant personnel to interact with the design, production, and manufacture of digital museum products, thereby providing users with an enhanced experience. Combined with practical thinking, this paper briefly analyses the interaction design in the development of digitalbased museum exhibition activities. Secondly, it explains the influence of interaction design on digital-based museum exhibitions and puts forward the interactive design measures catered towards digital museum exhibitions.

Studi Literatur: Peran Pembelajaran Matematika Dalam Pembentukan Karakter Siswa

Mathematics learning has a significant role in student character building, with the main objective of developing logical, rational, critical, creative, systematic, and practical thinking patterns. However, there are still challenges in achieving this goal, such as lack of student interest, learning difficulties, and the availability of adequate resources. This article discusses the role of mathematics learning in students' character building and the importance of integrating mathematics learning with character building. Through a qualitative method with a literature study approach, data were taken from various sources such as journals, books, news, and other scientific research using the Google Scholar database with the keywords mathematics and student character from 2019 to 2024. The results showed that mathematics learning can shape students' character through the development of values such as discipline, honesty, hard work, creativity, curiosity, responsibility, communicative, and independence. Therefore, continuous efforts are needed to improve the quality of mathematics learning, taking into account the needs and interests of students and utilizing available learning technologies and resources. Collaboration between teachers, students, parents and other related parties is also important to create a conducive learning environment that supports students' development in mathematics.

Strengthening critical thinking through debriefing - experiential learning theory: A case study.

There is a dire need to strengthen students' critical thinking in clinical training since it is an essential skill in clinical practice to optimize patient care. Debriefing is a formal or informal post-activity discussion that aims to improve learning outcomes, including critical thinking in clinical practice. There is a lack of research that focuses on students' experiences of debriefing to promote critical thinking in the South African context using experiential learning theory as a theoretical lens. This study aimed to explore South African students' lived experiences of debriefing to improve critical thinking. The author employed a qualitative single-case study design within an interpretivist paradigm. A purposive sampling technique was adopted. Six participants were recruited for this study. The author invited the participants to participate in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed through the six-step data analysis framework proposed by Creswell. To ensure the trustworthiness, the author employed multiple techniques to improve the credibility, conformability, dependability, and transferability of this study. These techniques included a well-planned research design and methods, thick descriptions of data, and an audit trail that was audited by a second coder. The findings revealed that participants shared positive experiences toward debriefing and furthermore debriefing through optimized student engagement and improved learning outcomes. This study also revealed that students experienced less stress in group debriefings. However, this study also identified some challenges in conducting debriefing. The challenges were primarily related to incompetent facilitators, inappropriate duration of debriefing sessions, and limited space in the clinic. Moreover, small group debriefing is recommended. Debriefing is an effective pedagogical approach to optimize critical thinking in clinical practice. It is recommended that debriefing should be implemented as a norm in clinical training at higher education institutions. Further studies are recommended to be conducted at national and international levels.