This study investigated the insights of eight Master’s course students returning from an immersion experience to the Holy Land as part of their Scripture and Church course. The study used a pragmatic epistemology and a constructivist theoretical perspective to examine participant perceptions. The methodology used in the study was a Qualitative design. Data were collected using an online reflective survey related to the five themes raised in the literature review and one focus group involving all eight participants face to face. Results indicated all participants became more aware of their personal faith formation and ability to make more a positive impact on their students in Religious Education classes. Participating in both the course and immersion experience clearly contributed to each student’s new-found ability to apply scripture more confidently and with stronger conviction to their teaching of Religious Education. This research offers some guidelines for school leaders when implementing immersion experience as part of Religious Education.

This study aims to explore patients' and clinicians' understanding and experiences of refractory disease (RD) and persistent physical and emotional symptoms (PPES) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA), namely rheumatoid arthritis or polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis from their perspectives through interviews and/or focus groups. A qualitative study was conducted, following a pragmatic epistemology approach with framework analysis employed. Semi-structured interviews or focus groups with IA patients (n = 25) and multi-disciplinary rheumatology HCPs (n = 32) were conducted at one time point to obtain participants respective understanding and experiences of managing RD/PPES, and its impact on the patient-professional relationship. Three key themes were identified from both patients and professionals' experiences of RD/PPES: (1) relevant treatment experiences, (2) symptoms (with or without inflammation) and (3) impact: physical, psychological and social. These themes included 28 specific categories that would be considered as components characterizing RD/PPES, most common to both patients and HCPs with six being patient-specific and only one HCP-specific. The specific biopsychosocial symptoms and impacts of RD/PPES pertain to pain, fatigue, stiffness, joint involvement and physical, psychological and social functioning and quality of life, covering disease-related distress, mobility and independence. Wider influential factors such as comorbidities, non-adherence, health/medication beliefs and behaviours and social support were also identified. Common persistent symptoms that have both mental and physical impact characterize RD/PPES in IA and therefore a more integrated holistic approach to treatment is needed from multi-disciplinary HCPs, including health psychologists.

This study aims to explore patients' and clinicians' experiences in managing and living with refractory disease (RD) and persistent physical and emotional symptoms (PPES) in patients with RA or polyarticular JIA from their perspectives through interviews and/or focus groups. A qualitative exploration with 25 patients and 32 multidisciplinary rheumatology healthcare professionals (HCPs) was conducted to obtain participants respective understanding and experiences of managing RD/PPES and its impact on the patient-professional relationship. A pragmatic epistemology approach with framework analysis was employed. Four key themes were identified from both patients and professionals in the management of RD/PPES: risk/perpetuating factors/triggers; need for a patient-centred holistic approach to care, diagnosis and treatment; discordance and impact on the patient-practitioner relationship and current problems in managing RD/PPES. These themes covered 22 subthemes, with none being patient specific and seven being HCP specific. Suggestions for potential management strategies were highlighted throughout, such as involving other specialties or a multidisciplinary team, assessing/treating patient-reported outcome measures and psychosocial factors, patient (re)education, need for adjustments/aids or adaptations, checking the diagnosis and further investigations/imaging and optimizing medications. Management strategies need to be developed that enable appropriate treatment plans for those with RD/PPES that account for wider biopsychosocial factors beyond inflammation and reduce discordance in the patient-practitioner relationship.

This study examines the relationship between strategy formulation and the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kabwe District, Zambia. Grounded in Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), the research investigates the involvement of vision, mission, goals, and objectives in SMEs and how these influence performances. Using a pragmatic epistemology and a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 202 SME owners/managers through questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), while qualitative data were explored via Directed Content Analysis (DCA). Findings reveal that while SMEs acknowledge the importance of strategy formulation, practical implementation often falls short, with theoretical knowledge not always translating into practice. The study concludes that proper alignment between theory and practice in strategy formulation significantly enhances SME performance. Recommendations include training, collaboration, and access to financial resources to strengthen strategic management practices in SMEs in Kabwe District.

The diversity of responses from Al-Quran readers to the Al-Quran is increasing and varying. The description of social and religious events whose existence cannot be denied further strengthens the fact that Islamic society responds to the holy book Al-Qur'an with various practices. Likewise, the Kaffah Quran House brings the Koran to life through the Tahfizh Ummi-ummi program which teaches the Quran House. For the holy verses of the Al-Quran which are used as the basis for implementing this tahfizh program, in this article the author focuses on the response of the Ummi-ummis of the Koran Kaffah House in Understanding the Verses of the Al-Quran. The Koran is applied in the Koran memorization program in Tengah. Their daily activities are very busy. This is compared with the theory used by the author, namely reception theory with a phenomenological approach initiated by Edmund Husserl. The type of research carried out is mixed methods research, meaning it combines two research methods at once, namely quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative method is carried out systematically using numbers in percentage graphs to display the informative data results obtained. Then, the data obtained was analyzed and interpreted using qualitative methods. The results of this research conclude that the Al-Quran Kaffah House is reviewed functionally and exegetically. From this understanding, social interpretation emerged which was then applied in the practice of the weekly Tahfizh program. The informant's understanding of 84% of the contents of verse 17 of Surah Al-Qamar was an encouragement in the process of memorizing the Al-Quran. The truth about the miracles of the Qur'an as well as the guarantee for anyone who memorizes and takes irah from the Qur'an is based on the logic of pragmatic epistemology. The symbolism obtained from the external structure shows that the Ummi of the Al-Quran House in Kaffah belongs to the ustadz type. Meanwhile, the internal elements show the presence of a moral message, a means of friendship between fellow teachers, regardless of age, race and ethnicity. The symbolic meaning of this weekly tahfizh program activity can form a good personality, such as loving the Koran, increasing motivation to improve memorization, sharpening memorization skills, making use of free time, bringing happiness and soothing the heart and soul.

Abstract In the past three decades, Alister E. McGrath's popularity has been constantly on the rise in China. More than 20 of his books have been translated into Chinese. To the Chinese intellectual mind, the most fascinating among McGrath's works are his writings on theology and science. This is not surprising due to China's ambitions to achieve scientific and technological dominance by boosting creativity. However, such a daunting task faces insurmountable difficulties due to a prevailing lack of innovation, which might contribute to the rising interest in McGrath's work on science and theology. Due to the dominant political ideology in China, theology is by and large put aside, if not marginalized. This essay suggests that the wide‐scale reception of McGrath's works by Chinese academia and churches not only opens a door for the public square to change their attitude toward Christian theology, but also challenges Chinese theology to contextualize McGrath's scientific theology on Chinese soil and to engage Chinese worldview with its pragmatic epistemology. This paper seeks to adapt McGrath's scientific theology on the topic of transhumanism, which has received increasing scholarly attention from the perspective of traditional Chinese philosophies and religions, such as Confucianism and Daoism. Unfortunately, Chinese theology has largely failed to grasp the opportunity to offer any significant constructive proposal to this interdisciplinary discussion. This paper argues that a Chinese theology of science built on a sympathetic and critical engagement with McGrath's scientific theology has a rich potential to dialogue with modern sciences and traditional Chinese philosophies and religions on transhumanism. Such constructive theology not only serves as a conversation partner, but also provides a theological critique to the prevalent scientism and humanism in China.

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a move online of language teaching in Higher Education (HE). The CercleS survey on the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on language teaching in HE aimed to study teachers’ reflections on teaching during the pandemic and on the future of foreign language instruction. Data was collected between March and May 2021, and the answers reflect the voices of 725 teachers from CercleS member institutions of both national associations and associate members. The survey was written using a mixed method approach, based on a pragmatic epistemology. The findings indicate that the teachers moved flexibly into the online mode of teaching despite limitations in technological resources and the absence of training. Learning outcomes were met, and language skills were effectively taught, except for speaking skills. Generally, the respondents see the benefits of a blended/hybrid mode of instruction. Implications for teaching practices and stakeholders are as follows: develop guidelines and training for sustainable online and hybrid teaching; negotiate conditions needed to carry out efficient and sustainable language teaching with university management; and develop international collaboration between LCs in HE.

This appraisal evokes the much-debated dysfunctional relationship between organizational research and practice. While research on creativity in the work place has long evidenced that actors must feel confident to be “allowed” to experiment, err, play and take risks so as to exploit all spaces of the possible, in research imprecision or mistake-making is considered taboo. We conjecture that – especially in a fast-paced uncertain research context – hearing,, experimentation and happenstance are indispensable to research striving to generate relevant novel knowledge and theory, and that they are not sufficiently addressed through existing research methods. We sketch out an epistemology of experimenting, grounded in pragmatism, to remedy this gap.

BackgroundDespite numerous translations of diabetes prevention programs, implementation evaluations are rarely conducted. The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation process and multilevel contextual factors as an evidence-based diabetes prevention program was implemented into two local community organization sites to inform future scale-up. To build the science of implementation, context and strategies must be identified and explored to understand their impact.MethodsThe program was a brief-counseling diet and exercise modification program for individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. A 1-year collaborative planning process with a local not-for-profit community organization co-developed an implementation plan to translate the program. A pragmatic epistemology guided this research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff who delivered the program (n = 8), and a focus group was completed with implementation support staff (n = 5) at both community sites. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed using a template approach. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) is a well-researched multilevel implementation determinant framework and was used to guide the analysis of this study. Within the template approach, salient themes were first inductively identified, then identified themes were deductively linked to CFIR constructs.ResultsImplementation strategies used were appropriate, well-received, and promoted effective implementation. The implementation plan had an impact on multiple levels as several CFIR constructs were identified from all five domains of the framework: (a) process, (b) intervention characteristics, (c) outer setting, (d) inner setting, and (e) individual characteristics. Specifically, results revealed the collaborative 1-year planning process, program components and structure, level of support, and synergy between program and context were important factors in the implementation.ConclusionThis study offers insights into the process of implementing a community-based diabetes prevention program in two local sites. Successful implementation benefited from a fully engaged, partnered approach to planning, and subsequently executing, an implementation effort. The CFIR was a useful and thorough framework to evaluate and identify multilevel contextual factors impacting implementation. Results can be used to inform future implementation and scale-up efforts.

Questionnaires are a common method in healthcare and clinical research to collect self-reported data on patients' behaviour and outcomes rather than the clinician's perspective. As a consequence there is a plethora of questionnaires and rating forms developed to measure a range of concepts such as health-related quality of life and health status. Given that these measures have been developed within a nomothetic paradigm to enhance our understanding of peoples self-perceived health status by translating complex personal feelings and experiences into a simple numeric score, the patient's illness narrative is lost along the way. This commentary discusses the limitations of the nomothetic approach as completion of a questionnaire is a social and contextually orientated activity and that their development is best viewed within the philosophical tradition of pragmatism, based on sound qualitative methods and rigorous psychometric testing. The commentary discusses the philosophical orientation underpinning PROM development and argues the case for a pragmatic epistemology based on a mixed methods research paradigm which goes beyond the current practice of informing the content validity of a PROM in the early phase of its development but to work towards developing a more composite and holistic picture through mixed methods in the interpretation of a patient's PROM score. Therefore, it is argued that the quality of data obtained will be enhanced but, also importantly and rightly places the participant at the centre of the research.

ABSTRACT The concept of values has been extensively used as a proxy to investigate relationships between human-beings and their environment. Using a pragmatic epistemology, we investigated valuation processes at stake when farmers choose their management practices, focusing on soil biota valuations. We sought to determine to what extant values are situation-dependent and likely to evolve over time. We used five Focus Groups, in France, Germany, Romania, Spain and Sweden, where farmers described soil management situations and evaluated the outcomes of their practices. Soil management practices were reasoned according to local and current situations and not chosen ‘by principle’. Soils were mentioned in the assessment of practices outcomes rather than as a criterion for practices choices. Values appeared dynamic, influenced by social consensus on good practices and farming objectives. Implementing a new practice might develop knowledge that is further integrated in valuations, thereby reforming the references upon which farmers evaluate their practices. Overall, debating on what matters in agriculture in different regions before defining management measures or soil indicators might be necessary to design a sustainable European policy on soils.

This essay will engage in a critical dialogue with Massumi’s concept of speculative pragmatism by reconstructing and interrogating the epistemology and metaphysics it presupposes. First, we will narrate and explicate the metaphysics embedded in the philosophy of speculative pragmatism. Secondly, we will recapitulate Massumi’s conceptualization of speculative pragmatism in his book Semblance and Event (2011). Our reading of this book will lead us to argue that speculative pragmatism can be reformulated as a philosophy of panperceptionism. The essay will end with some remarks and questions that aim to challenge the epistemology and metaphysics of speculative pragmatism. We will focus on Massumi’s synthesizing of the subject-object distinction, his theory of judgement, and his deflationary notion of truth. Article received: April 16, 2020; Article accepted: July 1, 2020; Published online: April 15, 2021; Original scholarly paper

From 31st March, 2021, pursuant to the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR), British investment firms are required to have performed their first fitness and propriety assessments of persons overseeing the deployment of trading algorithms. Inherent in this requirement is an assumption that natural persons will continue to play the leading role in algorithmic design and calibration for the foreseeable future. Popular non-fiction works), however, are evocative of a future dominated by artificial intelligence with significant levels of autonomy. Building on his recent review of the extant literature concerning conduct risks and their mitigation in algorithmic trading (AT) firms (Culley, 2020), the author proposes a research agenda to assess if initiatives such as the SMCR are considerate of new conduct risks that could emerge in the machine age. Favouring a pragmatic epistemology that the author asserts is consistent with the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) own approach to regulation, the author suggests three possible research strategies (case studies, mixed methods and action research) that could be employed by researchers interested in this topic, before settling on what the author considers to be the most suitable strategy for his own study. In addition, the author provides details on the primary data (elite interviews, focus groups) and secondary data collection techniques that will be utilised, together with an insight into appropriate sampling and data analysis methods. While the author plans to use this research agenda in the context of AT in the fixed income, currencies and commodities markets because of the dearth of studies in this area, it is hoped that it will inspire other scholars to conduct examinations into the conduct risks posed by the automation so that both policymakers and firms can make informed decisions regarding their mitigation in the future.

This article is an opinion article that criticizes the usual practice in quantitative psychology. Our development seeks to link a (pragmatic) critique of measurement and statistical modeling, by considering that the critique must firstly focus on the current social framework of scientific production.\n

The Relevance of Pragmatic Epistemology to Nigerian Education System

Abstract Agriculture benefits from soil functions, whereof many depend on soil biota, but some management practices can threaten soil organisms. We inventoried values that European farmers associate to soils and soil biota into their soil management decisions. We used Dewey’s pragmatic epistemology, stating that values can be observed through active behaviours, attitudes and communication acts. We applied a plural values framework on a dataset composed of 35 scientific articles and five focus groups. Farmers saw the soil as a single object. They hardly distinguished soil biota from other elements in their soils. Soil biota remained poorly known and little valued. Besides instrumental values, many other values, such as soil ecosystem resilience, influence farmers’ management choices. We conclude that soils and soil biota values are plural and that they can evolve along with changes in farmers’ practices. Further studies investigating values dynamics in time and space could be beneficial for designing an effective European soil conservation policy.

The debate on objectivist versus relativist epistemologies in psychology and their relation to “othering” should consider a third stance that espouses epistemic pluralism. In order to understand the human experience, we must simultaneously explore the universal–humanistic, cultural, and idiographic aspects of the individual. Each of these aspects entails a different epistemic stance (objective, intersubjective, and subjective) and each assigns different meanings to “othering.” In addition, a pragmatic epistemology that posits “progressivism” as its sole agenda risks the epistemic violence of discounting other sets of values and moral foundations that matter to many (often othered) people. Additional steps are needed in order to truly diversify psychological study.

This paper discusses the typology of the reception of taḥfīẓ al-Qur’ān among IIQ Jakarta students. This paper departs from the diversity of one's motivation in memorizing the Qur’an. Especially, in recent years, many television programs have appeared on the program taḥfīẓ al-Qur’ān. The skills of children in memorizing the verses of the newspaper simultaneously enliven the universe of social media, thus encouraging parents’ enthusiasm to form their children as hāfiẓ/ah. Various motivations certainly become their own color. To find out the typology of their reception of the taḥfīẓ al-Qur’ān, the author uses a phenomenological analysis approach that was conceived by Edmund Husserl. The results of this study concluded that Jakarta IIQ female students were reception taḥfīẓ al-Qur’ān functionally, aesthetically, and exegetically. Various receptions conducted by Jakarta IIQ students when viewed from outside the structure shows that IIQ Jakarta students are very religious. They make taḥfīẓ the Qur’ān as the main routine in their daily activities. Meanwhile, when viewed from its structure, it contains the message of the truth of miracles kalām Allāh and the guarantee of the owner of His words for people who memorize the Qur’ān based on the logic of pragmatic epistemology.

This study sought to explore informetrics education in Library and Information Science (LIS) departments at universities in South Africa. We adopted the pragmatic epistemology and pluralistic ontology for our study. The mixed research methods we employed were survey and content analysis. The survey comprised a questionnaire by means of which we collected data from the LIS heads of department (HODs) and informetrics lecturers, and we employed content analysis to analyse the content of course outlines. The study’s population was the LIS departments at the surveyed tertiary education institutions in South Africa. Nine LIS departments were targeted, and eight of them responded. At the time of the study, five of the nine LIS departments were found to offer informetrics education, namely those at the University of Cape Town, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Limpopo, University of the Western Cape, and University of Zululand. We established that the LIS department at the University of Zululand was the only department that offered informetrics education as an autonomous module/course as part of the full LIS programme. Other LIS departments offered it as a chapter or a unit in a module, and the University of Limpopo offered it at an undergraduate level. We found that the institutions surveyed offered informetrics education at different study levels and notches and that there was no uniformity in the content of the informetrics courses across the institutions’ LIS departments. Our findings indicated that the blended learning method was widely used, comprising case studies, group discussions, and online teaching and learning methods. We found that the various LIS departments experienced challenges (e.g. teaching capacity, student preparedness, and ICT support), and we suggested solutions to meet these challenges. We noted that informetrics education in South Africa was limited and we recommended more awareness creation, curricula development, short courses and awareness of global trends.

This article takes a socio-anthropological approach to a range of essentially digital systems through which we currently experience music, concentrating on the listener and their use of listening devices (from the transistor radio and ghetto-blaster followed by the Walkman to mp3 players and telephones). In particular, it uses an ethnographic study on walking listeners, to combine an ecological approach to urban experiences and a pluralist listening model, based on a pragmatic epistemology of sound.