Theoretical Construction Research Articles

A validated questionnaire for measuring digitalization as sociocultural change in educational contexts

PurposeIn the so-called digital age, there is a basic assumption that digitalization entails rapid and dramatic change in schools, education and society. However, a challenge for educational research is to clarify what digitalization precisely means. This paper aims to develop, test, and validate a digital transformation scale (DTS). More specifically, the aim is to validate digitization, digitalization and digital transformation as hierarchical levels of sociocultural learning in school and education by using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) as a framework.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory factor analysis (EFA), with principal-axis factoring as an extraction method, was used to examine the number of factors underlying the data.FindingsResults show that the three dimensions in the DTS questionnaire explain 68% of the variance and that all dimensions show high internal consistency (a >0.87). This means that the internal structure of the DTS corresponded to the internal structure of the theory.Research limitations/implicationsThe results show that the internal structure of the DTS corresponded to the internal structure of the theory and may be used quantitatively to analyze digital transformation in school organizations. However, further research is needed in other contexts and larger samples with the use of confirmatory factor analysis to develop knowledge in this area and the use of DTS.Practical implicationsThis tool and theoretical construction could be used to discuss digital transformation in school and education, both local and in general. Seeing digitalization from a sociocultural perspective makes possible to conceptualize and discuss this as a process ranging from small technology investments on an individual level to digitalization as strategic and organizational development.Originality/valueThis DTS can be used quantitatively to study and analyze digital transformation in educational contexts and provides educational researchers with additional tools to articulate what they mean by digitalization.

Costs over benefits: mind wandering in sporting performance.

Athletes' mind wandering during competition has positive and negative effects. The purpose of this study was to explore the reason for these bidirectional effects. We recruited 51 athletes from China to take part in semi-structured interviews in which we explored their experiences of mind wandering in competition. We used grounded theory combined with systems thinking to complete the data analysis and theoretical construction. Results showed that the influence of mind wandering on sporting performance was dynamically influenced by "mind wandering source," "competition anxiety," "content of mind wandering," "attentional resources" and "attentional control," resulting in our development of the theory of "mind wandering in sporting performance (MWSP)." The above factors determine how mind wandering occurs and how it affects the competition. Although the occurrence of mind wandering during competition has positive effects, its negative effects cannot be ignored, which may lead to athletes losing the race (costs over benefits). Potential strategies focusing on the mitigation of negative effects and promotion of positive effects of mind wandering are discussed.

«Кто мы»: цивилизационные идеи классического евразийства и их эволюция

Classical Eurasianism inherited the “genes” of Slavic resistance to the European cultural monopoly, it offered its own view on the typology of civilizations and geopolitics and created its own political philosophy. Based on criticism of the universality of Western civilization, classical Eurasianists put forward the concept of Russia as a unique Eurasian civilization and gave their answer to the questions “who are we?” and “where are we going?” L.N. Gumilev, who called himself “the last Eurasianist,” became the author of a civilizational theory in which geographical features corresponded to certain characteristics of civilization, at the same time his views were based on geopolitics and on the desire to rethink the concept of the Russian spirit. Classical Eurasian political philosophy is closely related to the problem of choice that Russia is now facing; it offers its own view of the roots of Russian civilization, being a direct ideological predecessor of neo-Eurasian political philosophy. Its research has positive implications not only for Russia in its fight against historical nihilism and in restoring its national identity, but also for providing reference for the self-cultural construction of all ethnic groups in the process of globalization. The concept of community of human destiny put forward by China advocates taking into account interests of other countries when pursuing its own interests, and promoting the common good of all countries in the pursuit of own development, which may provide reference for the theoretical construction of Eurasianism.

Navigating Hybrid Governance

The governing balance between civilian regime and military leadership has become an important aspect of governance in Pakistan. When military and civilian life are pragmatically in touch with each other, both become an asset, otherwise, they are an aggressor to each other. It is their integration that ensures the convergence of their goals and directions as well as values and ideologies, as both depend on each other. This not only leads to the consolidation of democracy but also fulfills the effective civilian oversight over the military. For this, an efficient governing structure can keep in check the state’s civil-military equation and ensure that the incidence of military intervention or influence is minimized. The theoretical and structural construction of this integration and ideological alignment is particularly relevant to civil-military interaction under the National Security Committee (NSC) in Pakistan. This paper analyzes the civil-military relations in Pakistan under two different models i.e., ‘control theory’ and ‘convergence theory’ to bring a new perspective to the analysis of the topic. The paper begins with a brief review of both theoretical frameworks, followed by the history of civil-military relations under military rule, civilian setup, and NSC governance in Pakistan. The paper then looks into the case of hybrid governance under the NSC in line with the tenets of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan. It suggests that far-reaching national strategic concerns and governing balance issues can be addressed under NSC, which is currently not being utilized to its full potential; instead it should function as a regular forum of dialogue and consultation, and not as an irregular decision-making entity. A consistently functional consultative NSC can help diffuse the ideological differences between civil and military elements of governance, creating more prospects of integration and decreasing chances of outright interference , as postulated by Janowitz in the convergence theory.

Writing of Business Ethnography: Reflections on Fieldwork and Theory

The writing of business ethnography has expanded from the study of small social units such as factories to the discussion of transnational markets, transnational business networks and global finance in under the context of globalization. A holistic anthropological perspective and use of ethnography research have played important roles in the development of business anthropology. The research tradition and orientation of anthropology not only determine research perspectives and approaches in business ethnography, they also influence the theoretical construction of business anthropology. The study of business ethnography in China provides not only local interpretations of the theory and practice of business anthropology, but also opportunities to reflect on the use of ethnography for such studies.

On the calculation and use of effective single-particle energies: the example of the neutron 1d3/2-1d5/2 splitting along N = 20 isotones.

The rich phenomenology of quantum many-body systems such as atomic nuclei is complex to interpret. Often, the behaviour (e.g. evolution with the number of constituents) of measurable/observable quantities such as binding or excitation energies can be best understood based on a simplified picture involving auxiliary quantities that are not observable, i.e. whose values vary with parameters that are internal to the theoretical construction (contrarily to measurable/observable quantities). While being useful, the simplified interpretation is thus theoretical-scheme dependent. This applies, in particular, to the so-called single-nucleon shell structure based on auxiliary effective single-particle energies (ESPEs). In this context, the present work aims at (i) recalling the way to compute ESPEs out of solutions of many-body Schrödinger's equation, (ii) illustrating the use of ESPEs within the frame of state-of-the-art ab initio calculations to interpret the outcome of a recent nuclear experiment, and (iii) demonstrating the impact of several alterations on the computation of ESPEs. While the chosen alterations constitute approximations within the ab initio scheme, they are built-in when employing other theoretical constructs at play in nuclear physics. The present considerations are thus meant to empirically illustrate variations that can be expected between ESPEs computed within different (equally valid) theoretical schemes. This article is part of the theme issue 'The liminal position of Nuclear Physics: from hadrons to neutron stars'.

Intercultural Communication Competence: Theoretical Exploration and Practical Application from the Perspective of Foreign Language Education

As globalization continues to deepen, intercultural communication competence has become an indispensable key skill in international exchange and cooperation. This paper aims to explore the theoretical construction of intercultural communication competence and its practical application in foreign language education. By synthesizing reviews of relevant literature from both domestic and international sources, this paper proposes an interactive theoretical model of intercultural communication competence that integrates the dimensions of attitude, knowledge, and skills. The model emphasizes the dialogic nature of intercultural communication, the equality of cultures, and the dialectical combination of globalization and localization. Based on this, the paper further develops a practical model that organically integrates intercultural communication competence, teaching segments, and teaching activities into a three-ring structure, providing a specific operational framework for the cultivation of intercultural communication competence in foreign language teaching. Through empirical research, this paper has verified the application effect of the proposed model in college English teaching. The results indicate that the model can effectively enhance students' intercultural awareness, knowledge acquisition, and communication skills. Finally, the paper puts forward a series of teaching suggestions aimed at promoting the comprehensive development of intercultural communication competence in foreign language education and points out directions for future research and practice.

A model for investigating and developing mathematics teachers' noticing of argumentation

Drawing upon the imperative to foster argumentation within the mathematics classroom, this paper integrates two key areas of mathematics education research – argumentation and teachers' noticing. It proposes a model of mathematics teachers' noticing of argumentation that was designed and piloted in professional development courses for teachers in Israel dedicated to argumentation in mathematics teaching. The paper discusses the theoretical and empirical construction of the model and presents empirical evidence regarding the model's potential to foster and analyze teachers' noticing of argumentation. The paper concludes with a discussion of the model's contributions and limitations.

A Review on the Applications of Dual Quaternions

This work explores dual quaternions and their applications. First, a theoretical construction begins at dual numbers, extends to dual vectors, and culminates in dual quaternions. The physical foundations behind the developed theory lie in two important fundamentals: Chasles’ Theorem and the Transference Principle. The former addresses how to represent rigid-body motion whereas the latter provides a method for operating on it. This combination presents dual quaternions as a framework for modeling rigid mechanical systems, both kinematically and kinetically, in a compact, elegant and performant way. Next, a review on the applications of dual quaternions is carried out, providing a general overview of all applications. Important subjects are further detailed, these being the kinematics and dynamics of rigid bodies and mechanisms (both serial and parallel), control and motion interpolation. Discussions regarding dual quaternions and their applications are undertaken, highlighting open questions and research gaps. The advantages and disadvantages of using dual quaternions are summarized. Lastly, conclusions and future directions of research are presented.

Constitutional legal understanding: historical, theoretical and sectoral aspects

In the context of the constitutional law of Russia, the problem of interpreting the Constitution has traditionally been reduced to different views on it as a written document with a special political and legal status. In different periods of Russian history, the Constitution was perceived differently, which was reflected in different understandings of the relationship between the Constitution and the state, the Constitution and legislation, the constitution and human rights. One of the important aspects for the interpretation of the constitution was the interaction between the Constitution and constitutionalism, as well as state and constitutional law. Within the framework of this problem, the object is the phenomenon of constitutional legal understanding, considered as a theoretical and praxiological construction that combines scientific views and empirical ideas reflecting the formal and substantive features of the Constitution and constitutional law at different stages of the development of the legal system of Russia. The article explores the problem of legal understanding and law understanding in the domestic legal tradition, the understanding of the Constitution in the context of cyclical politogenesis, as well as the problem of constitutional law understanding in the context of the concept of a «living» Constitution.

Soliton gas: Theory, numerics, and experiments.

The concept of soliton gas was introduced in 1971 by Zakharov as an infinite collection of weakly interacting solitons in the framework of Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation. In this theoretical construction of a diluted (rarefied) soliton gas, solitons with random amplitude and phase parameters are almost nonoverlapping. More recently, the concept has been extended to dense gases in which solitons strongly and continuously interact. The notion of soliton gas is inherently associated with integrable wave systems described by nonlinear partial differential equationslike the KdV equationor the one-dimensional nonlinear Schrödinger equationthat can be solved using the inverse scattering transform. Over the last few years, the field of soliton gases has received a rapidly growing interest from both the theoretical and experimental points of view. In particular, it has been realized that the soliton gas dynamics underlies some fundamental nonlinear wave phenomena such as spontaneous modulation instability and the formation of rogue waves. The recently discovered deep connections of soliton gas theory with generalized hydrodynamics have broadened the field and opened new fundamental questions related to the soliton gas statistics and thermodynamics. We review the main recent theoretical and experimental results in the field of soliton gas. The key conceptual tools of the field, such as the inverse scattering transform, the thermodynamic limit of finite-gap potentials, and generalized Gibbs ensembles are introduced and various open questions and future challenges are discussed.

Deciphering Land Use Transitions in Rural China: A Functional Perspective

Although research on land use transitions has gradually received widespread attention since its introduction to China at the beginning of the new millennium, the lack of a clear portrayal of the transitional characteristics and pathways of land use at the theoretical level has prevented this research from providing adequate support for the regulation and management of rural land use activities. This study aims to bridge this research gap from a functional perspective, since the transition of land system functions—also known as land use functions—heralds the completion of a regional land use transition. The methods employed included a literature review and theoretical analysis. The results show the following: (1) the relationships between land use morphology, land use multifunctionality, and land use functions transition (LUFT) were identified; (2) the connotation of the multifunctional agriculture transition theory was analyzed, and the applicability and limitations of drawing on the theory for researching the transition of land use functions in rural China elucidated; (3) a method for characterizing LUFT is proposed from the “state” and “quality”; (4) a theoretical framework for the LUFT was constructed and anchored in transition theory; and (5) it was summarized that there are three transitional pathways: weak-strong, strong-weak, and dynamic balance. In conclusion, while theories originating from the West can provide references for Chinese research, the significant difference between their socio-economic backgrounds necessitates reconstructing these theories in the light of the actual situation in rural China. The theoretical construction of land use transitions from a functional perspective can more clearly delineate the process, the trend, and the characteristics of the transitions of rural land use, thus offering valuable insights for the regulation and management of land use.

The Effect of Work-life Balance and Reward System on Turnover Intention with Employee Engagement as An Intervening Variable

This study aims to analyze the effect of Work-life balance and Reward System on Turnover Intention and analyze the mediating role of Employee Engagement. This research is quantitative. The type of data used is primary data obtained through the distribution of questionnaires. The respondents of this study were millennial and Gen Z employees who worked for digital startup companies in Malang totaling 125 people. The data was analyzed using descriptive analysis and PLS analysis with the help of the SmartPLS version 4 application. The results of the analysis showed that the effect of WLB, reward system, and employee engagement on turnover intention is significantly negative; and then the effect of WLB, reward system on employee engagement is significantly positive. Variable WLB and Variable reward systems have a positive and significant effect on turnover intention through employee engagement. The assumption that there is a relationship between the four variables in theoretical construction, illustrates a relationship that can explain and describe the practical application and implications for the novelty of human resource management theory in the digital and creative industries. The contribution of these findings may help management implement policies and programs that support a balanced work-life balance to improve employee well-being and productivity and decrease turnover intention.

Theoretical Framework Construction of Remote Sensing Image Processing Technology in The Study of Urban Heat Island Effect

This study aims to construct a theoretical framework to discuss the application of remote sensing image processing technology in the study of urban heat island effect. Urban heat island effect refers to the phenomenon that the temperature of urban area is significantly higher than that of surrounding rural area, which has become an important problem in the process of global climate change and urbanization. Remote sensing technology provides a powerful tool for in-depth understanding and effective response to this phenomenon. This study first reviews the existing remote sensing image processing technologies, including multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, thermal infrared imaging, laser radar (LiDAR), and analyzes the application status of these technologies in the study of urban heat island effect. Then, this paper puts forward a comprehensive theoretical framework, combining the key steps of remote sensing data acquisition, image preprocessing, feature extraction, classification and segmentation, and change detection, systematically describes how to use remote sensing image processing technology to monitor and analyze urban heat island effect. In the research process, this paper adopts the methods of literature review and case analysis, and extracts the core elements and key technologies of remote sensing image processing technology in the study of urban heat island effect by systematically combing the relevant research results at home and abroad. The research results show that remote sensing image processing technology has significant advantages in the spatial distribution characteristics, time change rules, and analysis of influencing factors of urban heat island effect, and can provide high-precision and high-timeliness monitoring data, and provide scientific basis for urban planning and environmental management. The theoretical framework of this paper provides guidance for future empirical research, and provides a reference for policy makers and urban managers, which has important academic value and practical application significance.

Research on Communication Network Security Based on Narrowband Internet of Things and Encryption Algorithms

With the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) has been widely adopted in smart cities, smart homes, and industrial automation due to its low power consumption, wide coverage, low cost, and high reliability. However, the associated security issues have become a critical factor hindering its further development. This paper aims to explore the security challenges in NB-IoT communication networks using encryption algorithms. Through theoretical analysis and model construction, a comprehensive security solution is proposed. Initially, the paper reviews the fundamental principles and application scenarios of NB-IoT, analyzing the current challenges in network security, including data leakage, device tampering, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Subsequently, a security framework based on lightweight encryption algorithms is introduced, leveraging the strengths of both symmetric and asymmetric encryption to ensure security while reducing computational and communication overheads. Additionally, the application of blockchain technology in NB-IoT security is discussed, enhancing data credibility and system resilience against attacks through its decentralized nature. Theoretical derivations and simulation analyses confirm the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed security framework. The results demonstrate that this framework significantly enhances the security performance of NB-IoT networks, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for the secure development of IoT.

Monitoring and assessment of mechanical response of large-scale prefabricated structures in underground subway stations during construction process

Mechanical performance of prefabricated structural components during construction is critical for ensuring long-term safety and durability of prefabricated underground stations (PUS). This study aims to address the issues of structure mechanical performance of large-scale prefabricated components during assembling process. First, a strain transfer model for five-layered armored fiber optic is proposed and validated experimentally through test. Second a PUS-based distributed fiber optic sensors (DFOS) monitoring system was established. Third, a PUS based hierarchical performance assessment framework was constructed. Finally, a PUS based theoretical Construction Intelligent Monitoring Assessment Model (CIMAM) was established to quantitively assess structure safety level. A case study of Shenzhen Metro PUS was performed, and the results showed that: (a) PUS-based DFOS monitoring system presents high accuracy and high resolution, (b) The monitoring system reflects the PUS reactions during the whole construction process with good adaptability and intelligence, (c) PUS-CIMAM results show that the assembly process of components is a significant control link, particularly the performance of large-span roof during assembling process is a key controlling component, and (d) PUS-CIMAM reveals the adjacent ring construction has a disturbing effect.

Solving Abel integral equations by regularisation in Hilbert scales

Integral operators of Abel type of order a>0 arise naturally in a large spectrum of physical processes. Their inversion requires care since the resulting inverse problem is ill-posed. The purpose of this work is to devise and analyse a family of appropriate Hilbert scales so that the operator is ill-posed of order a in the scale. We provide weak regularity assumptions on the kernel underlying the operator for the above to hold true. Our construction leads to a well-defined regularisation strategy by Tikhonov regularisation in Hilbert scales. We thereby generalise the results of Gorenflo and Yamamoto for a<1 to arbitrary a>0 and more general kernels. Thanks to tools from interpolation theory, we also show that the a priori information associated to the Hilbert scale formulates in terms of smoothness in usual Sobolev spaces up to boundary conditions, and that the regularisation term actually amounts to penalising derivatives. Finally, following the theoretical construction, we develop a comprehensive numerical approach, where the a priori smoothness is encoded in a single parameter rather than in a full operator. Several numerical examples are shown, both confirming the theoretical convergence rates and showing the general applicability of the method.

The application effect of the optimized scheduling model of virtual power plant participation in the new electric power system

To build a comprehensive framework for virtual power plant (VPP) development aligned with market dynamics and to devise effective strategies to foster its growth, this study undertakes several key steps. Firstly, it constructs a VPP development framework based on market conditions, to drive the evolution of new power systems and facilitating energy transformation. Secondly, through a blend of theoretical analysis and model construction, the fundamental principles of VPP are systematically elucidated, and a decision model for the VPP development framework, focusing on price demand response, is formulated. Lastly, an optimal scheduling model for the new power system is developed, with its efficacy validated across three distinct scenarios. The findings underscore the critical importance of integrating energy storage technologies, particularly pumped storage hydropower systems, for achieving balance and optimization within new power systems. Model verification reveals that the incorporation of energy storage power stations significantly enhances system stability and efficiency, particularly in addressing the volatility associated with renewable energy sources. Additionally, the analysis indicates that while the adoption of energy storage technologies may marginally increase overall power generation costs, the total power generation cost declines with the integration of battery storage and pumped storage hydropower stations. This suggests that leveraging energy storage technologies not only enhances system operational reliability but also contributes to reducing the overall cost of power production to a certain extent. In summary, this study presents an economic and environmentally sustainable scheduling model for new power systems within the context of market trading environments. By offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance, it aims to support sustainable development and energy transformation initiatives. Ultimately, the study is poised to foster the adoption of clean energy, facilitate the establishment of smart grids, and bolster the sustainable utilization of energy resources, thereby advancing environmental conservation efforts.

Compilation of Dictionaries and Scientific and Technological Translations by Western Protestant Missionaries in China in the Nineteenth Century

The 19th century saw the important transformation of modern Western concepts into Chinese lexical resources. The missionaries were the initiators and important driving force for the translation of Western books into Chinese in modern China. They promoted ‘translating terms’ and ‘coining terms’ in their translations of Western books and the compilation of dictionaries with the cooperation of Chinese intellectuals. Their work provided a tangible ‘word’ carrier of ‘concepts’ for disseminating modern knowledge from the West to the East. Compiled by missionaries, the English–Chinese bilingual dictionaries introduced a brand-new concept of dictionary compilation and changed China’s history of having zidian (字典, character dictionaries) but no cidian (辞典, specialized dictionaries). In particular, John Fryer applied the translation method of creating new words or characters in the translation of chemical terminology. Members of the School and Textbook Series Committee, including John Fryer and Calvin Wilson Mateer, made great contributions to theories and strategies for translation, which keep inspiring Chinese–English translation of terminology and its theoretical construction.

Building College Education Management in the New Era: Theoretical Discussion and Model Construction Based on New Quality Productivity

This study analyses the use of new quality productivity theory in higher education management and develops a framework called the "multi-dimensional collaborative innovation management model" to tackle the challenges of globalisation and information technology. This concept combines the three dimensions of scientific and technological innovation, management innovation, and system innovation to promote effective resource allocation, improve educational quality and efficiency, and increase the education system's adaptability. This study uses mixed-methods research to verify the model's effectiveness in practical educational management as well as to present fresh theoretical perspectives and practical tactics for cultivating high-qualified talents who will satisfy the needs of future society.