Practical Reality Research Articles

Personal reflection on my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state

ABSTRACT This practice paper is a reflexive account of my fieldwork experience in a small island developing state (SIDS). I present some of my lived experiences during the fieldwork through recollected memories of observations, fieldnotes, and personal reflections, and their implications for ethnographic fieldwork. My study explored how aid functioned on the ground in the SIDS, focusing on the interactions between local actors, aid beneficiaries, and donor agencies, referred to here as Donor 1 and Donor 2. The reflections underscore the complexities of aid localisation efforts, particularly within the context of broader humanitarian and development architecture. They also reflect the growing appetite of local actors and beneficiaries to take the driver’s seat in the aid development process. By presenting these insights, the paper contributes to understanding the practical realities of aid delivery in SIDS and emphasises the importance of local engagement and leadership in development efforts.

Advancing Mathematical Optimization Methods: Applications, Challenges, and Future Directions

Mathematical optimization methods have seen substantial advancements and applications in diverse fields, including industry, agriculture, commerce, and scientific research, due to advances in computer science and artificial intelligence. These methods improve production efficiency, resource allocation, and structural optimization. This paper reviews key optimization techniques such as gradient descent, Newtons method, and heuristic algorithms, discussing their advantages, limitations, and applicability. Although optimization methods offer powerful tools for solving complex equations and optimizing solutions, real-world scenarios often introduce challenges such as computational errors and model idealizations. The future of mathematical optimization lies in improving algorithm speed, usability, and accuracy, allowing broader accessibility and aligning solutions with practical realities. This exploration highlights both the current utility and the evolving potential of optimization techniques in addressing global challenges

Redshirting for Remediation or Advantage? Which Australian Families Delay Children's School Entry and Why

ABSTRACT Redshirting, in which children are held back from entering school until their second year of eligibility, is increasingly common. Parents’ perceptions of school readiness may explain this trend but have not been investigated in relation to financial and other explanations. The aim of this study was to determine why parents choose to redshirt. Participants included 226 Australian parents whose preschool-age children were eligible to attend school in the year they turned five or six. Parents completed an online survey asking when they intended to send their child to school. They also rated a series of reasons for this decision, their expectations of school, and their perceptions of their child’s development. Principal component analyses were used to identify discrete clusters of responses. Research Findings: Approximately two-thirds of parents (65.9%) intended to redshirt their child, with four discrete predictors identified. These included child gender, child socioemotional and behavioral readiness, practical realities (e.g. children’s physical size, parent work intentions, and childcare costs), and concerns for child and family milestones (e.g. time together and relative age when learning to drive). Practice or Policy: To inform decision-making, parents consulted professionals, their community, and close family. Interestingly, academic skills were not a consideration. This finding can guide policymakers and educators in considering how best to support children’s school transitions.

Political thinking in action: realism as ideology in the discourses of Macron, Orbán, and Scholz about Ukraine

ABSTRACT Despite growing attention to realism in political theory, there remains a notable gap in understanding how politicians adopt, interpret, or contest the realist approach. This gap is particularly striking given that realist theory fundamentally hinges upon grounding theoretization in the realities of politics. This article turns to the political discourse surrounding the war in Ukraine to examine the role of realist argumentation in justifying and guiding political action. In contrast to the rejection or critique of ideologies in contemporary realist theory, our analysis, adopting a morphological approach of the discourses articulated by Emmanuel Macron, Viktor Orbán, and Olaf Scholz, revealed the substantive and ideological nature of realism. Our findings underscore the potential for starting realist theorizing by considering the realities of political practice, namely that realism must be situated between fidelity to reality and the uncertainties of dissimulation.

Blockchain technology disruptions: Exploring accounting and auditing academics and practitioners' perception

AbstractThis study explores the practical impact of blockchain technology (BCT), which contrasts strongly with literature that has predominantly hypothesised BCT's potential to disrupt accounting practice. We interviewed 44 practitioners and academics with knowledge of BCT across 13 countries and industries. We employed the technological context of the technological, organisation and environmental (TOE) theoretical framework within a constructivist‐interpretivist paradigm to understand any nuanced practical realities of BCT's impact. Our research ascertained an expectation gap regarding the expected BCT impacts on accounting and auditing practices versus the current reality. Our findings support the sceptics and oppose prior enthusiastic claims that BCT disrupts accounting and auditing functions.

Prediction of the Social Impact of Islamic Family Law on Women's Empowerment in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia: Analysis of Islamic Feminism, Structuralism, and Legal Socialization

This study focuses on the possible social impacts of Islamic family law on women's empowerment in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, with the aim of exploring the interaction between Islamic feminist theory, Pierre Bourdieu's structuralism, and Lawrence Friedman's legal socialization theory. The data collection method was carried out through documentation analysis and in-depth literature study, covering primary sources such as family law laws and regulations. The data collected were analyzed using a qualitative approach that allows for the identification of patterns, themes, and trends that are relevant in predicting the implementation of the law in both countries. The findings show a significant difference between the normativity that describes legal practice and social reality, where legal norms are often not in line with the conditions faced by women in everyday life. The conclusion of this study emphasizes the need for more inclusive legal reforms and public education on women's rights as a step towards achieving better gender equality. The contribution of this study promises a novel aspect, namely the integration of different theories to gain a more comprehensive understanding. Several limitations were also found in the data collection that indicate the need for further research, especially involving women's perspectives and other socio-economic, religious, political, and educational factors in the context of family law. Suggestions for future research include exploring cross-national collaboration to broaden understanding of Islamic law and its impact on women's empowerment globally.

Diffusion Of The Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) In Less Developed Countries (LDCS)

The diffusion of the Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) reflects the complexities and challenges inherent in global accounting reforms. The method from this research is Qualitative descriptive. As a result, the diffusion of the Cash Basis International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) represents a complex interplay of international standards and local realities. One of the central challenges is the discrepancy between the expectations set by international bodies and the practical realities faced by LDCs. The capacity constraints within LDCs further complicate the effective implementation of IPSAS. Resistance to change is another critical factor that impacts the diffusion of IPSAS. The role of international organizations and donor agencies is pivotal in supporting the adoption of IPSAS. The comparative experiences of countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka reveal both the potential benefits and the limitations of IPSAS adoption. The successful diffusion of IPSAS in LDCs requires a comprehensive strategy that addresses the technical, institutional, and cultural barriers to implementation.

Introducing Patchworked Peacemaking: Moving Beyond the Multitrack-Inclusion Nexus

ABSTRACT Peacemaking policy commonly advances the notion that peace processes unfold across multiple ‘tracks’ that are linked and that complement each other, and that this to fosters greater inclusivity. The policy discourse surrounding what we term the ‘multitrack-inclusion nexus’ thus transports a highly ideal-typical and ‘neat’ understanding of how peace processes should unfold despite the messier practical realities of societies in conflict. In contrast, this Special Issue invites researchers and practitioners to move beyond the metaphor of tracks towards one of ‘patchworked peacemaking,’ which emphasises the interplay between the human, semiotic and material in efforts to end violence and mediate peace.

Travelling meanings: accountability practices and standardised instruments at a child protection service in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT In social work across Europe, the formalisation of daily practices through online instruments, systems and protocols, when interlinked with performance targets, often causes friction with the complex reality of practice. A child protection service in the Netherlands aims to ease this friction by reworking their online instruments to prioritise the needs of families and professionals. Their revised instruments have multiple purposes: (a) helping families; (b) encouraging professional reflection; (c) creating outputs that allow for organisational evaluation practices. In this qualitative study, we seek to understand how professionals interact with these revised instruments, and how professionals anticipate the travelling meanings of the collected data as they are used beyond the family-professional interaction in accountability and evaluation structures. We found that professionals must account for various audiences, temporalities of paperwork and uphold their authority while working with the instruments. We argue that to ensure that the instruments become meaningful in practice, despite their travelling meanings, child protection service professionals engage in boundary work: navigating tensions between simultaneous calls for transparency, accountability, and efficiency on one hand, and reflecting and caring on the other.

The realities of modern practice and prospects for the implementation of standards of secondary care for patients with acute stroke in the Left Bank of Kyiv Region according to the data of the hospital register (literature review and own research)

Background. The purpose of our work is to study the main indicators of the quality of care for patients with an acute stroke in individual hospitals of the Left Bank of the Kyiv Region of Ukraine. Materials and methods. The research was carried out at the Department of Nervous Diseases of the Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, on the basis of CNCE “Brovary Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital”, angioneurological department with 85 beds (hereinafter — BMCH), and 4 secondary care centers with decentralized localization in the Kyiv Region (hereinafter — CDHKRLBU). The named departments are located 80–100 km, and BMCH is 15 km away from the regional center. They work according to an approved local protocol that meets industry standards for the management of patients with acute cerebral stroke and existing clinical guidelines. A total of 10,608 hospitalized patients with acute cerebral stroke were included in the prospective, cohort study (5,818 patients in BMCH and 4,790 patients in CDHKRLBU). For each case, the RES-Q (version 1.2) was filled out — a report form in an international program developed by the ESO-EAST initiative. Results. The study showed that the quality of care for stroke patients can be influenced by the material and technical base of the institution, as well as availability of diagnostic equipment, bed capacity and, of course, the logistical location, distance from the regional center. All quality indicators point to the leadership of BMCH compared to CDHKRLBU, and this has explanations. Conclusions. The study identified both positive and negative aspects of the therapeutic and diagnostic work in healthcare facilities, as well as factors influencing the success of treatment outcomes for patients with acute stroke. These findings have convincingly confirmed the relevance of studying quality care indicators and support the further implementation of the hospital registry method (based on RES-Q registry principles) in other areas of Kyiv Region and across Ukraine to evaluate and monitor the quality of medical care, including the analysis of the effectiveness of new technologies. During the study, BMCH purchased a new SCT, Philips Intera 1.5T MRI scanner (Netherlands), and Siemens angiograph in 2021, which improved the diagnosis of cerebral strokes and the use of treatment of thrombolytic therapy, thrombus extraction within the Left Bank of the Kyiv Region of Ukraine. Neighboring hospitals acquired SCT and expanded thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke. Of course, the research conducted is positive, because it becomes possible to identify certain shortcomings in the work and formulate recommendations for planning measures to improve medical care for stroke patients, as well as to compare the results of activities at the international and national levels.

Drug‐Use Safety Enhancement Model—Theory and Application

ABSTRACTHarm reduction strategies mitigate the adverse effects of problematic drug use through overdose prevention, disease transmission reduction, and improved access to treatment resources. However, educational resources for safe drug use remain sparse and are predominantly focused on abstinence‐based approaches. This manuscript introduces the Drug‐Use Safety Enhancement Model (DUSEM), a comprehensive framework designed to foster informed and healthy relationships with drugs. Grounded in interdisciplinary research, DUSEM encompasses eight domains: knowledge, motivation, set (mindset), setting, dose, administration, recovery, and evaluation. Each domain offers practical strategies for educators, professionals, and drug consumers to enhance drug‐use safety. For the purpose of this analysis, “drugs” include all psychoactive substances regardless of whether they are legal in the United States. Our approach is rooted in the ethical, legal, and cultural practices common in the United States, particularly those related to best practices for providing care to people who use substances. The American context shaped how we understand and talk about drug use, which reflects the American reality of clinical practice in the fields of mental health and addictions. From the perspective of evaluation of the traditional, American conceptualization of the issues around drug use, our model's development acknowledges the need for a shift from outdated abstinence‐focused paradigms toward empowering individuals with informed practices for safer drug use. While serving as an educational guidepost, the model underscores the necessity for further research to refine its application, efficacy, and curriculum development. Helping professionals, such as teachers, counselors, social workers, and psychologists, can use this model in various educational, clinical, or institutional settings to help their audiences explore their own relationships with drugs. Ultimately, DUSEM aims to destigmatize drug use, foster healthier relationships with drugs, and improve safety for consumers.

Development of Augmented Reality media in polyhedral space-building lessons to improve the mathematical reasoning ability

Technology plays a crucial role in education, particularly in supporting teachers with interactive media to enhance students' mathematical reasoning skills in flat-sided geometry material. This study aims to improve students' mathematical reasoning skills by developing and utilizing valid, practical, and effective augmented reality (AR) media for flat-sided geometry. The research follows the ADDIE development model. The validity test results of the developed media show a validity score of 81.79% for media and 78.33% for material, indicating high validity. The practicality analysis, based on student response questionnaires, yields a score of 79.08%, categorized as practical. The effectiveness analysis, derived from pretest and posttest data using the Paired Sample T-test, reveals a significance value of 0.000, indicating a significant improvement in students' mean scores. Additionally, the N-Gain score of 0.64 falls into the moderate category, confirming the media's effectiveness in enhancing mathematical reasoning skills. In conclusion, the augmented reality learning media for flat-sided geometry material is valid, practical, and effective in improving students' mathematical reasoning abilities. It is recommended that future researchers further develop innovative products to enhance the quality of learning experiences.

Depreciation in the Electric Vehicle Transition: Sustainability of the Second-Hand Electric Vehicle Market

Electric vehicles (EVs) are revolutionizing road transport. They represented the most reliable and realistic option to decarbonize road transport in the last 10 years and look to be holding a promising future. EVs are in competition with internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but they still have a lower performance, particularly in range, and they remain more expensive. To guarantee the EV development and make it a sustainable substitution to ICE vehicles, the EV industry and technology development had been mostly supported by governments’ subsidies. One of the main issues EVs are facing is that they depreciate much faster than ICE vehicles, principally due to rapid technological progress that drives the market on the one hand and, on the other, makes older EV models prematurely obsolete. The other variable that contributes to faster EV depreciation is subsidies. It is expected that the end of subsidies will bring the necessary leverage to slow down EVs fast depreciation due to the wider price gap between new and pre-owned EVs. Batteries, which make EVs a practical reality, play a major role in EV depreciation. Besides the possible degradation of EV batteries, the technology development and price drop give newer models better range at a lower cost. The second-hand EV market is a fair reflection of the fast depreciation of EVs; naturally, the two subjects should be studied correlatively. It may not be obvious to draw an obvious correlation, but it seems clear that the fast depreciation of EVs is one of the major reasons why the second-hand EV market is still minor. Depreciation is a major driver of the second-hand EV market. In this manuscript are presented the main aspects of EV depreciation, particularly those related to fast technological evolution, including batteries and subsidies, as well as the second-hand EV market.

Early Childhood Education in Wales: Policy, Promises and Practice Realities

Mae’r erthygl hon yn archwilio dwy agwedd allweddol ar y dirwedd polisi-ymarfer addysg ar gyfer darpariaeth addysg blynyddoedd cynnar (ABC) yng Nghymru yn 2024. Yn gyntaf, mae’n ymdrin â’r sylw symbolaidd a roddir i Gonfensiwn y Cenhedloedd Unedig ar Hawliau’r Plentyn (CCUHP) mewn polisi addysg a gofal mewn cyferbyniad â’r anghysonderau mewn ymarfer ABC. Yn ail, mae’n archwilio’r gwahaniaethau cynyddol ym mhrofiadau addysgol plant tair i bedair oed. Mae’r erthygl yn amlinellu’r fframwaith polisi cadarn sy’n adlewyrchu ymrwymiad Cymru i’r CCUHP, gan olrhain datblygiadau o Fframwaith Cwricwlwm ôl-ddatganoli arloesol y Cyfnod Sylfaen i blant rhwng tair a saith oed hyd at y ddarpariaeth addysgol amrywiol sydd ar gael i blant tair i bedair oed yn 2024. Mae’n rhoi archwiliad beirniadol o fwriad, pwrpas a chydlyniad y cynnig addysgol cyfunol i blant ifanc yng Nghymru, gan ystyried y goblygiadau posibl i blant, yn enwedig y rhai sy’n wynebu heriau strwythurol a phersonol ychwanegol. Mewn cyd-destun lle mae risgiau datgymhwyso’r cynnig cwricwlwm i blant ifanc yn dod i’r amlwg o hyd, er bod y Cwricwlwm i Gymru wedi’i fwriadu ar gyfer plant rhwng tair ac un ar bymtheg oed, mae’r erthygl yn cwestiynu i ba raddau y mae’r ymrwymiad polisi rhethregol i sicrhau bod pob plentyn yn gallu arfer ei hawliau ac yn cael dechrau addawol mewn bywyd yn sgil cynnig blynyddoedd cynnar cyson yn wirioneddol ystyrlon. Cefnogir y dadansoddiad gan ganfyddiadau dwy astudiaeth ddoethur sy’n canolbwyntio ar y materion hyn yng Nghymru (Stewart, 2024; MacDonald, ar y gweill).

Challenges of implementing AI marketing in e-commerce businesses in North Macedonia

This study delves into the complex landscape of e-commerce in North Macedonia, focusing on the challenges encountered by e-commerce businesses in the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) marketing strategies. Through a comprehensive survey involving 115 active participants in the e-commerce sector, the research identifies and navigates the obstacles that impede the smooth integration of AI marketing in the region. The primary goal is to meticulously investigate the distinctive challenges confronted by North Macedonian e-commerce enterprises when adopting AI marketing. The study sheds light on intricacies related to technological integration, resource limitations, and the dynamic interplay between consumer expectations and AI-driven marketing initiatives. Despite these challenges, there is a notable expression of satisfaction, indicating the resilience and adaptability of businesses. The examination of AI implementation stages, challenges faced, and subsequent measures taken provides valuable insights into the evolving relationship between AI technologies and e-commerce practices. This knowledge can guide e-commerce businesses in North Macedonia and similar regions in successfully integrating AI into their marketing strategies. This study not only illuminates the current state of AI marketing integration in North Macedonian e-commerce but also explores the readiness of organizations for AI marketing strategies. It highlights a prevalent inclination towards proactive engagement, offering original insights into the practical realities and future prospects of AI marketing in the e-commerce sector.

Predictors of beginning teachers’ teaching performance

IntroductionQuality education hinges on teacher quality. The multifaceted nature of teachers’ roles and their teaching performance necessitates a comprehensive exploration of factors influencing overall education quality.MethodsThis study employed a regression research design, utilizing an expert-validated survey questionnaire completed by 2,680 beginning teachers from the Department of Education across 16 regions in the Philippines. The study aimed to identify personal, educational, and professional characteristics that predict teaching performance as measured by the Results-based Performance Management System (RPMS).ResultsThe analysis revealed that among various characteristics, socioeconomic status (personal), grade point average (educational), and both the grade level taught and length of service (professional) were significant predictors of teaching performance.DiscussionThe findings underscore the need for teacher education institutions to adapt curricular delivery in a manner that reflects the practical realities of teaching and acknowledges situated learning. Recommendations include the development of quality assurance mechanisms, academic coaching and mentoring programs, and initiatives to strengthen financial literacy among pre-service teachers to enhance their future teaching performance.

Local Grammar Approach to Critical Discourse Analysis: A Case Study on the Discursive Representation of Climate Change in the UN News

ABSTRACTThis study explores the applicability of local grammar in critical discourse analysis, which is demonstrated by an investigation into the discursive representation of climate change. Using UN climate change news as the data, the study shows that climate change was typically construed as ‘Problem’, ‘Cause’, ‘Definiendum’ and ‘Effect’, and a close examination of the semantic roles of climate change reveals how the UN conceptualised the changing climate and urged the public to act on climate change. Overall, the study shows that local grammar can facilitate the identification of semantic roles of discourse phenomena, which in turn contributes to exploring the association between discourse practice and social reality. It is thus concluded that local grammar could be a viable approach to critical discourse studies.

Ukraine and the Academy — One War, Many Theories

Leading theorists of major schools of thought in international relations disagree over the root causes of the ongoing war in Ukraine. This paper examines the merits and bases of the theories or explanations provided by each major IR school. It explores the dominant arguments concerning the nature and trajectory of the ongoing war, the prospects for its resolution, and its strategic effects on the international system with a particular emphasis on China. We argue that scholars’ views on these topics are significantly influenced by their theoretical orientations within international relations. Furthermore, strategic thinkers and policymakers, identified as homines theoretici or feminae theoreticae, are themselves deeply influenced by their theoretical understandings of the world, which in turn shape their normative engagement with world affairs. However, the interplay between theoretical perspectives and practical realities hinges on the dynamics of power and objective material conditions on the ground.

In-Between Policy Vision and Practical Realities of Primary Healthcare: A Case Study in Rural Northern Sweden.

In the context of a broader vision for primary healthcare (PHC) informed health systems, Sweden is following international trends by introducing the national "Good Quality and Local Health Care" reform. This reform seeks to establish a health system with primary care (PC) at the centre by emphasising aspects such as interorganisational collaboration and e-Health innovation. Since translating policy into practice may be challenging in rural areas due to resource constrains and normatively urban perspectives in national policy-making, this study explores how rural PC actors navigate the PHC vision in the context of a sparsely populated area of the Swedish north. This was a single case study, focusing on a rural municipality in northern Sweden. Thematic analysis was applied to data collected through interviews and observations, resulting in the development of three themes. The results indicate that the policies were suboptimally aligned with the needs of the rural municipality. The results highlighted enduring collaborations that predated the reform. These local alliances led to a resource allocation challenge, rendering the existing networks and reform efforts concurrently understaffed. Moreover, the reform's efforts to digitise healthcare faced impediments due to challenges associated with scaling up e-Health technology. Although key reform concepts such as person-centeredness and integrated care had already been put into practice, they were insufficiently acknowledged as such by external stakeholders. Subjecting national health policy-making to scrutiny by different stakeholders through the use of rural proofing can lead to a more deliberate and impactful implementation of policies. Rural proofing facilitates the pre-emptive identification of potential shortcomings, thereby enabling the formulation of necessary adjustments that resonate with local needs. This study shows apparent misalignments between the national vision and the practical reality in rural areas, therefore calling for greater efforts to include rural perspectives in national policy-making.

MS brain health quality standards: a survey on the reality in clinical practice in Germany

BackgroundThe quality of treatment is especially critical in the context of complex and chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The Brain Health Initiative, an independent international consortium of neurologists, reached a consensus on time-based quality standards prioritizing brain health-focused care for people with MS.ObjectivesTo gain deeper insights into the transferability of these quality standards to a specific area, we conducted a survey among MS experts across various MS centers in Germany.MethodsParticipants were asked about time frames considered high standards and those currently being implemented in daily routine based on their experience.ResultsThe results reveal a large gap between ideal conceptions and their adaptation in the real world, mostly due to a lack of resources.ConclusionsNevertheless, these guidelines and recommendations can be aspired to as ideals. Consensual and inclusive clinical pathways complemented by measurable quality indicators are needed to improve care and approach these ideals. Neither exists in the current management of MS.