Search Results (7,847)

Private tutoring has become an increasingly popular approach for improving academic performance by providing individual or group support outside regular school hours to enhance student outcomes. In the context of mathematics tutoring, we introduce the eMath4All platform, designed to replicate traditional teaching methods through virtual tools for distance learning. Despite the growing prevalence of private tutoring, research on online tutoring platforms and their use in practice remains limited. Accordingly, this study explores the application of the eMath4All platform in two different private tutoring scenarios involving secondary school students from Romania. Study A examines group tutoring with five eighth-grade students preparing for a national examination over a three-month period, while Study B explores individual tutoring with ten students from various secondary education levels over a 12-month period. The paper analyzes how the key components of the eMath4All platform (such as the virtual whiteboard, mathematical editor, real-time audio–video communication, virtual library, assessment tool, and personal student profile) support tutoring activities. The platform is examined through a combination of platform usage data, descriptive analysis of student progression, and student-reported experience collected via questionnaires. The results of the exploratory study indicate consistent usage patterns, high engagement with platform features, and high usability ratings, highlighting the platform’s potential for supporting both individual and group mathematics tutoring. Full article

Despite the rapid digitization of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), the complex mechanisms governing how users interact and co-create knowledge in digital spaces remain underexplored. Understanding the internal dynamics and engagement logic of these interactive environments is therefore essential to developing sustainable heritage knowledge ecosystems. Conceptualizing the Zhihu community as such an ecosystem, this study investigates ICH thematic structures, knowledge demands, and user participation. By employing an LLM-refined BERTopic framework, this study identified 36 core topics and mapped them onto a four-layer architecture (Cultural Resource Layer, Action Subject Layer, Social Support Layer, and External Interaction Layer) and five knowledge demand dimensions (Basic Knowledge, Cultural Experience, Professional Development, Protection and Inheritance, and Modern Application) through weighted semantic similarity and Spearman correlation analysis. The results reveal a structural configuration dominated by the External Interaction Layer. A dual-track demand mechanism was identified, comprising a professionalized ability-oriented pathway and an affective experience-driven mode. Furthermore, deep engagement was primarily catalyzed by topics that integrate technology, action, and narrative, rather than structural prominence alone. The ICH knowledge ecosystem was characterized by an outward-looking and emotion-driven orientation. This research study contributes an ecosystem framework to heritage information while providing insights for practitioners to optimize digital ICH information services through multi-dimensional semantic integration and public co-creation. Full article

In the history as well as historiography of Chinese Buddhism, the tradition has often been closely associated with death-related cultural practices and ideas, an association that has frequently carried negative connotations. Early twentieth-century reformers such as Taixu famously criticized Buddhism as a religion of ghosts and funerals and sought to redirect Mahāyāna Buddhism toward engagement with an urban, modernizing society. Contemporary Taiwanese Buddhists have realized many aspects of this socially engaged vision. Yet concern with death remains deeply embedded in Buddhist life. Far from standing in contradiction to social engagement, this concern has become one of its central expressions, most visibly in the emergence of modern Buddhist palliative care. Focusing on the writings of the scholar-monk Shi Huimin, this article examines the development of Buddhist palliative care in Taiwan in response to a secular, multireligious, and rapidly aging society, with primary attention to Huimin’s conceptual work. Rather than treating death in isolation, Huimin situates dying within a broader ethical horizon that links good death to good aging, good living, and community formation. Through his reinterpretation of the Five Śīlas and his notion of a Community Pure Land, he extends prevailing concerns with dying well toward a more comprehensive reflection on everyday moral cultivation, healthy lifestyles, and communal responsibility. In this sense, the study reads Buddhist palliative care as a site that “provincializes” dominant Euro-American frameworks of spiritual and palliative care, highlighting their particular historical and Christian-inflected origins while tracing how they are reconfigured and made productive in a multireligious, secular context. By foregrounding Huimin’s conceptual contributions, this study highlights how palliative and spiritual care are localized and reworked within Taiwanese Buddhism, connecting end-of-life care to broader questions of life, aging, and community well-being. Full article

Purpose: This study provides a critical examination of the literature on applying artificial intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) in restaurant settings and related foodservice operations. It focuses on how AI and XE influence consumer nutrition awareness and decision-making about food choices, and their implications for customer satisfaction, loyalty, and service delivery in foodservice environments. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach following the PRISMA method. An initial search identified over 3900 academic papers published between 2016 and 2025. Studies were selected on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 26 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed. The review provides a conceptual synthesis and develops propositions for practical applications and future research directions. Findings: The review reveals a shift from static systems that rely on optimization, toward adaptive and user-centered solutions that are behavior-oriented. AI applications predominate in the case of calorie tracking, personalized recommendations, and menu planning. Though deployment of XR technologies (e.g., AR and VR) is less prevalent, they offer potential for immersive, and real-time interventions. A key distinction emerges between studies demonstrating empirical effectiveness (e.g., improved understanding and healthier choices) and those focused on technical and/or conceptual developments. To date, there has been limited validation of behavioral impacts in foodservice settings. Originality: This study offers a theory-informed conceptualization of AI and XR applications in restaurant and foodservice contexts by integrating three perspectives: hospitality (menus and dining experience), nutrition (dietary awareness and healthier choices), and human–technology interaction (technology acceptance and user engagement). The study reconceptualizes AI- and XR-enabled systems as behavioral intervention tools and outlines a focused research agenda for advancing nutritional communication in foodservice environments. Full article

This study examines the roles of startup hubs within the cultural and creative industries (CCIs) and their implications for cultural innovation and tourism in European cities. Despite the growing importance of CCIs in urban development and destination branding, few studies have explored the organisational, social and communicative dynamics of cultural startup hubs. To address this gap, a comparative mixed-methods approach is applied to analyse 91 incubated startups in three European hubs: 104factory (Paris, France), Makerversity (London, UK) and A Lab (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). This study integrates structural variables (sustainability and institutionalisation), social variables (gender representation in leadership) and communication variables (activity and engagement on Instagram). The results reveal distinct organisational models, from highly institutionalised structures to more flexible, community-oriented approaches, with notable differences in terms of sustainability and gender distribution. In terms of communication, greater engagement is associated with content focused on community, identity and collective creativity, rather than promotional strategies. These findings highlight the role of startup hubs as hybrid intermediaries that not only support cultural entrepreneurship, but also contribute to the symbolic positioning and tourist appeal of the cities in which they are located. This study offers theoretical and practical insights for the development of more inclusive, sustainable and effectively communicative cultural ecosystems. Full article

The vulnerability of many Pacific communities is impacted by rising sea levels and exposure to extreme weather patterns. This qualitative research study was conducted with focus groups of Māori and Pacific youth in Aotearoa New Zealand. I am a Pacific researcher, and I examine research and report on findings from Pacific youth focus groups. Employing a Talanoa methodology, a key question posed was how educators in Aotearoa New Zealand supported the wellbeing of Pacific youth in the face of increasing climate extremes within their schools and communities. Engaging a Pacific values framework, this discussion emphasizes the critical role of teachers and education in eliminating concerns, working collectively, listening respectfully, and collaborating with Pacific youth in confronting the complexity of issues surrounding climate change, thereby creating a shift from a position of despair and helplessness to a place of hope and optimism. Findings from the study reveal that, in the education sector, climate change is not well addressed, teachers could do more to acknowledge and address climate crises faced in the Pacific region in the curriculum, and little attention is paid to the wellbeing of Pacific youth facing climate change in the Pacific. An implication is that teachers need to support Pacific youth and understand that education about climatic variance affects Pacific learners’ wellbeing. Full article

Rural communities face significant healthcare access barriers that contribute to persistent health disparities. Mobile health clinics (MHCs) have emerged as a promising strategy for expanding healthcare access, yet their effectiveness in rural settings remains understudied. The aim of this review was to examine the literature to determine what is known about access, health outcomes, and the cost-effectiveness of rural MHCs, specifically with regard to their impact on patient access and outcomes, return on investment (ROI)/financial, and program sustainability. We conducted a comprehensive search of peer-reviewed and grey literature sources. Systematic screening yielded 34 documents for full analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted across three domains: patient access, patient outcomes, and ROI/sustainability. All 34 documents provided data on patient access, with common themes including expanded service utilization, multi-service integration, overcoming geographic and transportation barriers, and improved healthcare affordability. Thirty-two documents addressed patient outcomes, reporting improvements in preventive care delivery, chronic disease management, and high patient satisfaction. Twenty-eight documents included ROI/sustainability information, with evidence suggesting cost-effectiveness particularly through emergency department visit avoidance and multi-service integration. Across the literature reviewed, the quality of evidence varied considerably, yet we concluded mobile health clinics demonstrate promise for expanding healthcare access and improving outcomes in rural populations. Key success factors include multi-service integration, diverse funding partnerships, technological integration, and strong community engagement. More rigorous research with longitudinal clinical outcome measures and robust economic analyses is needed. Full article

The digital preservation and dissemination of historical and cultural heritage is a pivotal area at the intersection of digital humanities and geographic information science. To address the challenges of multi-source heterogeneity, limited dimensionality, and inadequate public engagement, this study designed and implemented an interactive visualization platform using modern Web technologies. Taking the Leshan Confucian Temple (religious heritage) and the former site of Wuhan University (educational heritage) as case studies, the platform integrates four types of heterogeneous data (geospatial coordinates, architectural attributes, visitor behavioral records, and multimedia imagery) into a unified spatiotemporal information model. Core technical implementations are built upon a lightweight front-end stack including the Gaode Map JavaScript API for geographic visualization, ECharts for dynamic statistical charting, and the Tailwind CSS framework for a fully responsive front-end interface. Key interactive features encompass linked map markers with contextual information windows, user-driven chart filtering, and paginated loading of cultural relic cards. Evaluation results demonstrate that the platform achieves cross-device response delay ≤3 s, supports spatially grounded, dynamic, and presentation of cultural heritage information, and attains a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 82.5. This work offers a lightweight, scalable technical solution for advancing digital recording and public communication of historical and cultural heritage, while contributing to the theoretical discourse on spatial narrative and multi-source data integration in digital humanities. Full article

In the context of climate change and the challenge of strengthening urban biodiversity, this paper examines the potential of speculative drawing as a methodological tool for developing biodiversity scenarios of the cityscape within the framework of the New European Bauhaus initiative. The research is based on the initiative’s core values of beautiful, sustainable, and together, and is conducted using a drawing-based methodology grounded in inductive reasoning across three spatial scales in Block 30, which is part of the spatial cultural-historical unit of the Central Zone of New Belgrade. The potentials for biodiversity development are explored at the scale of the apartment, the facade, and the open space of the block. By examining the interactions between the indoor and open spaces of mass housing, ecological potentials emerge. The experimental process demonstrates that drawing can function as a methodological tool that reveals opportunities for community engagement through drawing practices. The proposed layering of drawings offers interpretations of cityscape transformation at each of the three scales. Through speculative scenarios, the drawings provide a methodological tool to co-create biodiversity interventions in mass housing as a sensitive architectural layer within the design process, fostering a new understanding of the relationship between nature and the cityscape. Full article

The intersection of digital citizenship, sustainable education, and community belonging represents an emerging yet underexplored area of inquiry, particularly within Arab higher education contexts where institutional digitalization is accelerating alongside distinct sociocultural expectations around academic identity. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of sustainable education in the relationship between digital citizenship and community belonging among Egyptian university students. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed with a main sample of 819 university students. Participants completed three validated instruments: the Revised Digital Citizenship Scale, the Sustainable Education Scale, and the Where I Belong Survey. Mediation analysis was conducted using Hayes’ PROCESS macro with 5000 bootstrap resamples. Results reveal that digital citizenship is significantly and positively associated with both sustainable education and community belonging. Sustainable education, in turn, significantly predicts community belonging after controlling for digital citizenship, with the indirect effect accounting for approximately 38% of the total effect, consistent with partial mediation. These findings demonstrate that responsible digital engagement is associated with community belonging not only directly but also in a pattern statistically consistent with partial mediation through sustainability-oriented values including equity, inclusiveness, and democratic participation. These findings suggest theoretically informed directions for future intervention design, wherein integrating sustainable education principles into digital learning environments may warrant empirical investigation as a potential approach to cultivating ethically grounded, socially cohesive academic communities. Full article

This contribution explores the role of reflective practice and performative methodologies in the professional development of support teachers, framing reflectivity as a complex and articulated form of thinking that goes beyond intuitive reflection. Drawing on theories of transformative learning and practice-based research, the paper argues that performative approaches—grounded in embodied, emotional, and narrative experience—can effectively foster teachers’ critical awareness, professional identity construction, and capacity for inclusive educational action. The study presents a teacher training experience implemented within the Specialization Course for Support Teaching Activities at Link Campus University, involving a 20-h workshop attended by 200 lower secondary school teachers. Centered on performance art practices, the workshop aimed to promote reflective processes related to themes of exclusion and inclusion through bodily engagement, collective meaning-making, and non-verbal communication. Participants were actively involved in designing and performing activities, thus positioning themselves as protagonists of their own learning trajectories. Data collected through pre- and post-intervention questionnaires highlight participants’ positive perceptions of the experience and its transferability to school contexts. Findings suggest that performative methodologies support emotional sharing, enhance group cohesion, and contribute to the creation of a supportive classroom climate, while also strengthening teachers’ reflective and transformative capacities. The paper concludes by emphasizing the pedagogical value of performative practices as tools for fostering inclusive, reflective, and experience-based teacher education. Full article

School leadership practices may influence teachers’ motivation and professional engagement, which, in turn, may affect overall school performance. This study explores how secondary school teachers and deputy head teachers perceive head teachers’ leadership practices and how these practices are understood to influence teacher motivation and professional engagement. Drawing on a qualitative design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 teachers and six deputy head teachers from six government secondary schools in Kabwe District, Zambia. A qualitative approach enabled an in-depth exploration of leadership perceptions across participants from multiple school contexts. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in leadership practices described by participants. The findings indicate that participants frequently described leadership practices aligned with delegation, mentorship, and open communication, shaped by contextual and organisational factors. However, these practices were not consistently experienced across all school contexts. Participants also described the presence of democratic and autocratic leadership practices. Participants perceived participatory and supportive leadership practices as contributing to their motivation and professional engagement. However, participants from several schools reported that autocratic leadership practices continued to shape decision-making, largely due to contextual, institutional, and workload-related constraints. The study highlights the importance of understanding leadership as contextually negotiated and relationally enacted. It contributes to African educational leadership research by demonstrating how leadership practices are experienced and interpreted within specific school contexts and emphasising the value of examining leadership beyond a single theoretical model. The implications of these findings for school leadership practice, policy development, and international educational leadership research are discussed. Full article

Introduction: Financial support is a key driver of international student mobility. This study examines whether the financial incentives attracting international students to Hungary also translate into meaningful academic and social integration and a sense of belonging, comparing scholarship holders with self-funded students. Methods: A mixed-methods, cross-sectional online survey was conducted among international students enrolled in Hungarian higher education institutions (N = 232). The survey assessed motivations for choosing Hungary, academic and social integration, and willingness to recommend the country as a study destination. Group differences were analysed using independent-samples t-tests, Mann–Whitney U tests and multivariate analyses, while open-ended responses were examined using thematic analysis. Results: Scholarship programmes, academic quality, and Hungary’s relative affordability emerged as dominant motivational factors. While no significant difference was observed in overall academic integration (p = 0.127), scholarship recipients reported stronger inclusion within the Hungarian community (p = 0.032) and were markedly more likely to recommend Hungary (p < 0.001). Nonetheless, language barriers, limited interaction with host-country students, and social isolation persisted across groups, indicating that financial support alone does not ensure holistic engagement. Conclusion: Scholarship schemes yield the greatest impact when paired with institutional and social initiatives that actively foster integration, inclusion, and a sense of belonging. The study offers empirical insights from a non-traditional study destination, highlighting strategies to enhance international student experiences and strengthen Hungary’s competitiveness globally. Full article

Trackways preserve sequential records of animal locomotion and provide some of the most direct evidence of locomotor behaviour in the vertebrate fossil record. Alternating short–long pace lengths have historically been used to infer gait irregularities such as limping or lateral limb preference, but these interpretations typically lack statistical validation, treating mean asymmetry as sufficient grounds for behavioural conclusions without first establishing whether observed differences exceed normal locomotor variability. This study introduces a quantitative framework that addresses this gap by applying Welch’s t-test to pace and stride length measurements, establishing statistical confirmation of asymmetry as a prerequisite for behavioural interpretation. The framework is demonstrated on nine dinosaurian trackways drawn from published data. While all had previously been interpreted as asymmetric, seven exhibited statistically significant pace asymmetry (p < 0.05) and two did not exceed the range of normal variation. Stride length showed no significant asymmetry in any trackway, confirming that pace-level metrics are more sensitive to limb bias than stride-based measures. This framework provides an objective, reproducible standard for evaluating asymmetry claims—a necessary and feasible methodological advance for vertebrate ichnology. Full article

The not-yet-forgotten pandemic restrictions related to COVID-19, which affected the religious sector in an unprecedented manner, significantly contributed to the intimisation and virtualisation of spiritual expressions. Religiosity that had previously been experienced both internally and externally, two essential dimensions of any religious act, was transformed into a predominantly private and virtual phenomenon. This transformation affected not only the ordinary liturgical life intrinsically linked to ecclesial community and sacred space, but also extraordinary forms of religiosity, including pilgrimage. Although the phenomenon of virtual pilgrimage to online chapels and shrines was known prior to the pandemic, developments in recent years have substantially increased interest in this form of devotion. Since pilgrimage to a sacred site requires both spiritual engagement and bodily participation, this study examines the possibilities and prospects of this emerging form of a traditional religious practice. The question of whether virtual pilgrimage may, in the future, constitute an independent and, in a certain sense, autonomous form of spiritual expression, or whether it represents merely a temporary phenomenon, emerges from an analysis of faith in both its bodily (external) and spiritual (internal) dimensions. Since these two dimensions are inseparable components of faith, virtual pilgrimage can be considered as a distinct phenomenon only in relation, whether close or remote, to physical pilgrimage. Nevertheless, to adequately acknowledge that virtual pilgrimage bears the characteristics of the “signs of the times”, it should be evaluated in a new, more comprehensive, and open manner. It may thus be understood as a primary spiritual phenomenon with the potential to significantly influence the pilgrim’s inner disposition and thereby substantially contribute to the attainment of the goals of pilgrimage, whether or not physical participation is possible. Full article