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Ecological Consciousness and Ecosophical Participation in Ki. Rajanarayanan's Pinjugal
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Children’s Literature, Ecocriticism, Ecofeminism, Eco-literacy, Ecosophy Ecocriticism, as an interdisciplinary field, seeks to understand the intricate connections between humankind and the biosphere as represented in literature and other cultural artifacts. It ultimately calls for a shift from human-centric lifestyles toward ecological harmony. Rooted in textual analysis and theoretical synthesis, the present study draws on insights from ecocriticism and its allied fields – ecosophy and ecofeminism – to examine the ecological consciousness expressed in Pinjugal (1979), a Tamil children’s novella by the acclaimed writer Ki. Rajanarayanan. The analysis interprets the value of nonhuman entities—particularly the rural landscape and its life-forms—that gradually guide the young protagonist Venkatesu (a dropout schoolboy) toward active ecological participation and ultimately towards eco-wisdom. The study also explores the eco-ethics held by the characters (though marked by inherent contradictions) that demonstrate their heightened awareness of the natural world. Pinjugal is thus posed as a testament to the potential of indigenous children’s literature to instill eco-ethics and sustainable living.
Copyright (c) 2026 M.S. Siddharth Prabhu, D. Praveen Sam https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Analytical review of contemporary speculative literature: Foresighting the future of health, energy, and economics within strategic pillars and the 2030 SDG framework
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: speculative literature, cultural foresight, ecocriticism, medical humanities, energy humanities, political economy, critical dystopia, Sustainable Development Goals This article argues that contemporary speculative literature operates as a mode of cultural foresight through which writers test, complicate, and ethically evaluate possible futures of health, energy, and economics. Rather than treating speculative fiction as a crude predictive machine, I read it as a literary practice of scenario-making that reveals hidden interdependencies between bodily vulnerability, infrastructural power, and political economy. Situated at the intersection of English literary studies, speculative fiction studies, ecocriticism, medical humanities, energy humanities, and sustainability discourse, the essay examines how narrative form, temporality, metaphor, and world-building render the future thinkable at human scale while keeping structural forces in view. The discussion proceeds through three major clusters. First, it reads pandemic, biotechnological, and biopolitical narratives to show that speculative literature imagines health not merely as a medical condition but as a question of care, access, reproductive justice, disability, and institutional trust. Second, it turns to climate crisis, fossil-fuel dependence, extractivism, water stress, and renewable imaginaries to show how speculative texts make energy legible as culture, conflict, and planetary infrastructure. Third, it examines labor, automation, inequality, scarcity, and post-growth possibilities to demonstrate that the genre persistently turns economic abstraction into lived experience. Throughout, the article connects these literary futures to the strategic logics of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDGs 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, and 13. I conclude that contemporary speculative literature does not deliver policy blueprints, but it performs an equally important task: it trains ethical attention, widens political imagination, and offers narrative laboratories for more just and sustainable futures.
speculative literature, cultural foresight, ecocriticism, medical humanities, energy humanities, political economy, critical dystopia, Sustainable Development Goals
Copyright (c) 2026 Ghassan Nawaf Jaber Alhomoud, Sayed M Ismail, Nisar Ahmad Koka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The impact of teacher feedback strategies on writing accuracy among EFL learners
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: teacher feedback, writing accuracy, EFL learners, corrective feedback, learning opportunities This study investigates the effectiveness of different teacher feedback strategies on improving writing accuracy among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Pakistani higher education contexts. Writing accuracy remains a critical challenge for Pakistani EFL learners due to limited exposure to English in authentic communicative settings, traditional grammar-translation pedagogies, and insufficient writing instruction. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this research examines three feedback strategies, direct corrective feedback, indirect coded feedback, and metalinguistic feedback applied to 120 undergraduate students across three intact classes at a public sector university in Punjab, Pakistan. Quantitative analysis of pre-test and post-test writing samples measured changes in grammatical accuracy, lexical accuracy, and mechanical accuracy over a 12-week intervention period. Qualitative data from student interviews and teacher reflective journals provided insights into learner perceptions and implementation challenges. Findings reveal that indirect coded feedback produced the most significant improvements in overall writing accuracy (p < 0.001), particularly in grammatical accuracy, while direct corrective feedback showed effectiveness for lower-proficiency learners in mechanical accuracy. Metalinguistic feedback enhanced learners' metalinguistic awareness but required more instructional time. Student interviews revealed preferences for feedback that balanced clarity with cognitive engagement. The study contributes empirical evidence to the ongoing debate about optimal feedback strategies in resource-constrained EFL contexts and offers practical recommendations for Pakistani English language educators seeking to enhance writing instruction through strategic feedback implementation.
teacher feedback, writing accuracy, EFL learners, corrective feedback, learning opportunities
Copyright (c) 2026 Shamim Akhter, Tribhuwan Kumar, Dr. Madhurima Srivastava, Rabindra Dev Prasad, Anindita Borah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
James McCreet’s Neo-Victorian novels and the critique of Victorian culture
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Neo-Victorian fiction, Victorian culture, James McCreet, cultural critique, historical fiction, postmodernism, intertextuality, marginalized groups, deformity, freak show performers, penal deportation, crime fiction This study explores how contemporary novelist James McCreet revisits Victorian society to challenge dominant historical narratives and give voice to marginalized figures. In his novels, McCreet exposes the marginalization of the physically deformed, the transportees, and the poor. By examining how neo-Victorian fiction reimagines the past, the paper highlights the importance of questioning inherited cultural hierarchies and binary oppositions that continue to shape modern thinking. This paper examines the way James McCreet (b. 1971) writes back to the Victorian center. As a neo-Victorianist, McCreet views the Victorian society as a site for conflicting voices. As such, he brings the marginalized individuals from the Victorian society to the center.
Neo-Victorian fiction, Victorian culture, James McCreet, cultural critique, historical fiction, postmodernism, intertextuality, marginalized groups, deformity, freak show performers, penal deportation, crime fiction
Copyright (c) 2026 Inas Ababneh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
An applied linguistic comparison of basic and critical reading skills among EFL learners
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: critical reading, linguistics, English, ELT, reading skill, students, universities This study compared students’ competence in basic reading skills and critical reading skills. The researcher chose a reading comprehension text entitled The Buy Nothing Movement and designed ten questions to test the competence of the basic reading skills of the students and another ten questions to test the competence of their critical reading skills. The participants in this study were forty BA English language students at the Applied Science Private University, in the English Language and Translation Department. The results revealed that the students’ competence in answering the basic reading skills questions was much better than answering the critical reading skills questions; the answers to the basic questions were more complete, correct, and competent than the answers to the critical questions. In the end, the researcher recommended that English teachers must give special attention to critical reading questions while teaching reading skills.
critical reading, linguistics, English, ELT, reading skill, students, universities
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Niveen Mohammad Zayed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Kazim Ali's poetry: Sky Ward negotiating postmodern identity
Section: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: postmodernist features, Kazim Ali’s poetry, technology, technological advancements The postmodern belief is more mental structures in response to rapid changes in thinking, creativity, awareness, conduct, and authority. Kazim Ali is a contemporary poet inspired by technology. Sky Ward, his poetry book, examines how technology affects relationships and creativity. In this research, postmodernist features in Kazim Ali's poetry are analyzed, along with how he metaphorically reflects his native North America and his ancestors' homelands in his writing. This study takes a multifaceted look at the poetics of diaspora, with a particular focus on the diasporic identities of those who are of the second generation of immigrant families. This study also investigates the ways in which second-generation immigrants construct metaphorical homelands via the use of familial narrative and early recollections of their ancestors. In addition to this, it investigates the ways in which loss expresses itself for authors who live in liminality, as well as the ways in which contradicting experiences or plurality are depicted by gaps in both the formal structure of a poem and its intellectual landscape.
postmodernist features, Kazim Ali’s poetry, technology, technological advancements
Copyright (c) 2026 Nehal Ali, Dr. Mohsen Abbas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The effectiveness of an integration based training program in developing interdisciplinary thinking skills and students’ attitudes towards transdisciplinary projects
Section: Articles Keywords: postmodernist features, Kazim Ali’s poetry, technology, technological advancements This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of an integration-based training program in developing interdisciplinary thinking skills and students' attitudes towards Transdisciplinary Projects. To achieve this, a quasi-experimental design with a single group and pre- and post-testing was used. The measurement tools consisted of an interdisciplinary thinking skills test and an attitude questionnaire towards Transdisciplinary Projects. The research was conducted with a group of (60) first-year students at the College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during the second semester of the academic year (2024-2025). The research yielded several results, most notably that the integration-based training program contributed to developing interdisciplinary thinking skills and improving students' attitudes towards Transdisciplinary projects. This has already led to their inclusion in the curriculum of some courses. Based on these results, the research recommends a set of recommendations
Copyright (c) 2026 Ali Alwardany Ali Omar, Walaa Saleh Megahed Saleh, Mona Abdelmoneim Ebrahim, Marwa Torki, Noha Hamoudah, Manal ElSayed Ahmed Ali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Trauma through cognitive lenses: Disrupted time and memory in slaughterhouse-five
Section: Articles Keywords: mental spaces theory, trauma, corpora, narrative, challenges, strategies This study intends to assess Slaughterhouse-Five using Mental Spaces Theory, finding out how the war trauma disturbs our understanding of time and memory. It investigates how Billy Pilgrim’s involvements of existence ‘unstuck in time’ characterize the psychological properties of war. In merging trauma, cognitive linguistics and literary studies, the study expands multidisciplinary practices for examining combat tales. It drives beyond symbolic or historical readings of Slaughterhouse-Five, emphasizing the descriptive power of Mental Spaces Theory in understanding narrative ruin. A hybrid textual analysis utilised on Fauconnier’s Mental Spaces Theory and trauma theory. Significant instants including time shifts, memory loops, and mythical places such as Tralfamadore are thematically investigated as created mental concepts that help the protagonist traverse terrible trials. The findings indicated chronicle tendencies which identified to determine the cognitive reform of time and memory in the scenery of trauma. Accordingly, the scrappy timeline in Slaughterhouse-Five allows the mind to deal with unpleasant experiences. The theory enables past, present, and potential futures’ coexistence, representing the nonlinear nature of traumatic memory recollection. Further implications are identified for policymakers and translation education through understanding trauma tales as mental operations more willingly than narrative deviations.
mental spaces theory, trauma, corpora, narrative, challenges, strategies
Copyright (c) 2026 Bilal K Khalaf, Linda S Al-Abbas, Sarah N Hasan, Marwan H Alqaryouti, Omar M Alali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Voices of learning: Investigating the impact of Nasheed (Hymns) on language acquisition among international students in Jordan
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Reading Skill, Teaching Curricula, Language Skills, Communication Skills This study aimed to study the effect of nasheed in enhancing language acquisition among international students at the Applied Science Private University in Jordan. The semi-experimental approach was used, and the study members consisted of 40 foreign students who did not speak Arabic at the Applied Science Private University. The sample was divided into two parts: an experimental group (20 students) and a control group (20 students). The experimental group studied the use of chants to develop Language skills, especially oral expression, which are important for communicating with the outside community, while the control group was studied using traditional methods. Pre- and post-tests were applied to the study samples. The achievement test was prepared as a tool, and the data was analysed statistically. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in favour of the experimental group, which confirms the effectiveness of using songs in developing Arabic language skills among non-native Arabic-speaking foreigners. I recommend activating the role of nasheed in the educational process because of its positive impact, which leads to improving the performance of students in general.
Copyright (c) 2026 Zakaria Mahmoud Almubasher, Mohammed O. Abu-Rahme, Almu'tasembellah Mustafa Kh. Dabash, Ahmad Mohammad AL-Salman https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Translating food idioms across the English-Arabic language divide: A comparative study of human translators, ChatGPT, and Gemini
Section: Articles Keywords: food idioms, English–Arabic translation, Arabic–English translation, idiom translation, ChatGPT, Gemini, human translation, cultural equivalence, pragmatic appropriateness Idiomatic expressions, especially those rooted in the universal domain of food, represent one of the most culture-embedded and translation-difficult forms of language. The current study aims to examine the translation of twenty English food idioms into Arabic and twenty Arabic food idioms into English by human professional translators, as well as two of the most prominent large language models (LLMs): ChatGPT (GPT-4o) and Google Gemini Advanced. A mixed-methods approach is used to evaluate the performance of all sixty translations of each idiom on four criteria: semantic equivalence (SE)1., pragmatic appropriateness (PA), cultural adaptation (CA), and natural fluency (NF), with a five-point scale for each. A composite translation quality score is derived for each translator/agent. The results show that human professional translators outperform the two LLMs on all criteria with a mean translation quality score of 5.00, compared to 3.83 for ChatGPT and 3.60 for Gemini. The results also show the greatest performance gap between human translators and the two LLMs is on cultural adaptation. The results of the current study have important implications for the pedagogy of translation, translation practice, and the development of culturally sensitive AI translation tools.
food idioms, English–Arabic translation, Arabic–English translation, idiom translation, ChatGPT, Gemini, human translation, cultural equivalence, pragmatic appropriateness
Copyright (c) 2026 Sadam Megdadi, Zakaryia Almahasees, Ahmad Al-Harahsheh, Rafat M Alrousan, Mohammad Anwar Al-Taher, Islam Husienat https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Visual paradox as a means of visual semantic foregrounding
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Advertising imagery, semantic foregrounding, visual paradox This study explores the role of visual paradox as a stylistic device for achieving semantic foregrounding in advertising imagery, addressing an overlooked gap in research on visual semiotics. It focuses on how paradox shapes meaning and enhances communicative impact within multimodal contexts. The study investigates two selected advertisements—Seiko Lassale and Nestlé Munch Bunch—and adopts a triangulated qualitative approach that integrates semiotic-stylistic analysis, audience reception through a questionnaire involving 30 university students, and expert interviews with specialists in visual communication and cognitive semiotics. The findings demonstrate that paradox, created through techniques such as spatial disruption, role reversal, and unexpected visual juxtapositions, provokes psychological defamiliarization, captures the viewer’s attention, and stimulates deeper interpretive engagement. Key visual strategies, including compositional structure, contrasts in lighting, nuanced color blending, and the application of linear perspective via the Ponzo illusion, are shown to be essential in generating paradoxical effects. The study argues that paradox should not be viewed merely as an aesthetic ornament but as an intentional cognitive and persuasive strategy that reinforces the communicative strength of advertising images. It further highlights their stylistic and psychological dimensions, showing how paradox simultaneously activates cognitive processing and emotional response, thereby enhancing both the memorability and persuasive power of advertising discourse. Ultimately, the study offers a fresh contribution to multimodal stylistics and visual semiotics by positioning paradox as a central tool for semantic foregrounding in contemporary advertising.
Copyright (c) 2026 Hanene Lahiani, Fawzi Alghazali, Moustafa Mohamed Abouelnour, Ahmad Mohammad Al Mahamed, Mohamad Abou Adel https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Translating culture through AI: Evaluating the performance of ChatGPT and Gemini in rendering Arabic and English proverbs
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: translation, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, Gemini, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, translation strategies, English, Arabic The use of artificial intelligence in various areas is a growing phenomenon. Translation is a field that has long been associated with machine assistance and automation. This study examines AI translation tools' abilities to adequately transfer meaning culturally and functionally beyond word replacement. For this purpose, a sample of 50 proverbs was selected due to their cultural non-literal sense. The prominent AI tools, namely Gemini and ChatGPT, were selected as translation programs due to their growing use, especially in translation. The analysis worked with Arabic and English, each serving as both source and target languages. The results showed that the translation program and translation direction influenced the outcomes. Additionally, the quantitative analysis showed that among literal translation, paraphrasing, and cultural substitution, GPT was most likely to employ the first strategy while Gemini showed a tendency for the last. Furthermore, GPT showed a more balanced distribution of strategies even across languages. Meanwhile, Gemini’s strategy use varied especially when comparing the use of paraphrase in each direction. The qualitative analysis indicated that Gemini outperformed ChatGPT. The analysis also showed that cultural substitution has the highest potential in recreating the function of the ST, while literal translation was most likely to cause translation loss. Moreover, the programs, especially ChatGPT, could still commit translation errors that modified sense even when employing strategies like paraphrase and cultural substitution as they lack cultural nuance and critical thinking skills. The study recommends the development of parallel corpora that contain culturally equivalent idioms based on usage, so people do not rely on programs that may fall short in transferring meaning.
translation, artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, Gemini, idiomatic expressions, proverbs, translation strategies, English, Arabic
Copyright (c) 2026 Eman Alshammari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Reading power, violence, and gender anxiety in Shakespeare’s Macbeth: Re-reading the play in a contemporary context
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Macbeth, Shakespeare, power, violence, gender anxiety, sovereignty, toxic masculinity, witchcraft, adaptation, contemporary criticism This manuscript argues that Macbeth is best understood not simply as a tragedy of vaulting ambition, but as a dense dramatic inquiry into the unstable relationship among sovereign power, spectacular violence, and gender anxiety. Through close reading and interdisciplinary synthesis, the essay shows that the play imagines kingship as a problem of legitimacy that is never fully separable from force. Duncan’s rule depends upon military violence, Macbeth’s rise converts publicly sanctioned violence into terroristic self-preservation, and Malcolm’s restoration remains shadowed by the same structures of martial masculinity that enabled the usurpation in the first place. At the level of imagery and embodiment, Macbeth repeatedly stages wounded, violated, and threatened bodies: the bleeding captain, the floating dagger, the murdered sleepers, Banquo’s ghost, Lady Macduff and her child, Macduff’s “pretty chickens,” and Lady Macbeth’s compulsively washing hands. These bodies are not incidental. They are the means by which political order is made visible, contested, and internalized. The essay further contends that gender anxiety is not a secondary theme but one of the principal motors of the tragedy. Lady Macbeth’s prayer to be “unsexed,” the witches’ bearded bodies, the recurrent language of milk, gall, birth, and children, and the repeated testing of manhood all indicate that Macbeth locates political crisis in unstable fantasies about sex, gender, and reproduction. Masculinity in the play requires constant proof; femininity is idealized as nurture and simultaneously feared as a source of disorder; and reproductive futurity becomes a field of intense violence. A contemporary re-reading therefore reveals Macbeth as an uncannily durable drama of authoritarian desire, toxic masculinity, crisis rhetoric, charisma, media spectacle, and the destruction of intimate life by militarized politics. To make that contemporary argument, the essay brings established Shakespeare criticism into conversation with broader theoretical work on sovereignty, trauma, affect, performativity, and adaptation, while also drawing on twenty sources from Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies as an interdisciplinary bridge to current debates on women’s empowerment, media representation, digital democracy, marginalization, gendered labor, trauma, and collective violence. The conclusion is that Macbeth endures because it shows how power secured through violence produces not mastery but psychic disintegration, institutional fragility, and a permanently anxious theater of gender.
Macbeth, Shakespeare, power, violence, gender anxiety, sovereignty, toxic masculinity, witchcraft, adaptation, contemporary criticism
Copyright (c) 2026 Rommel Mahmoud AlAli, Mohammad Ahmad Shehadeh Alomari, Aayesha Sagir Khan, Ali Abdullatif https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Reading the waste land in the age of anxiety: Fragmentation, cultural dislocation, power, and violence in contemporary perspective
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land, modernism; anxiety, fragmentation, cultural dislocation, violence, media, precarity, contemporary criticism This manuscript argues that T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land remains one of the most illuminating poetic anatomies of anxiety because it does not merely describe crisis; it formalizes it. The poem’s abrupt shifts of speaker, place, register, quotation, and language do not function as ornamented modernist difficulty alone. They enact the lived temporality of fractured attention, deferred mourning, historical overload, and cultural dislocation. By reading the poem through modernist criticism, trauma theory, affect studies, urban theory, media theory, and contemporary discussions of digital precarity, climate unease, disinformation, and social fragmentation, this study shows how The Waste Land continues to speak powerfully to the present. Its “heap of broken images” is not simply a figure for postwar ruin; it is also a durable model of what it feels like to inhabit institutions, mediascapes, and economies that disrupt continuity, weaken shared meaning, and estrange subjects from place, memory, and one another. The article therefore brings together canonical Eliot scholarship with contemporary interdisciplinary work, including recent studies from the Ianna Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies on mental health, social media, disinformation, climate perception, cultural resilience, and ethical digital life. The central claim is that The Waste Land should be read today not as an artifact safely enclosed within the crisis of 1922, but as a continuing diagnostic poem whose form anticipates contemporary structures of anxious life: accelerated perception, intimate depletion, mediated violence, ecological dread, and the difficulty of imagining collective repair.
T. S. Eliot, The Waste Land, modernism; anxiety, fragmentation, cultural dislocation, violence, media, precarity, contemporary criticism
Copyright (c) 2026 Shoeb Saleh, Mohammad Ahmad Shehadeh Alomari, Eid Awad Abd Elsayed Hassan, Aayesha Sagir Khan, Ashraf M Zaher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Blended learning as a pedagogical framework for developing e-marketing literacy and applied skills among secondary school English language students
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: blended learning strategy, digital marketing concepts, digital marketing skills, knowledge acquisition The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the blended learning strategy in developing the concepts and skills of e-marketing among female students in the first grade of commercial secondary school. The intervention of study was administrated to a sample of (40) female students at Tema E- Educational Commercial Secondary School, using a test of cognitive achievement to measure the conceptual aspect, and a card to evaluate the outcome to measure performance skills. A comprehensive list was developed that included (30) concepts and (4) main skills subdivided into (24) sub-skills, all of which were implemented within the framework of a blended learning environment designed according to design models Educational. The results showed the effectiveness of strategy in improving cognitive achievement and developing practical skills, in addition to enhancing interaction and motivation towards learning, which reflects the feasibility of employing blended learning environments in technical and commercial education, and it is consistent with the results of previous studies that confirmed its positive effect on improving achievement and skills development.
blended learning strategy, digital marketing concepts, digital marketing skills, knowledge acquisition
Copyright (c) 2026 Shoeb Saleh, Eid Awad Abd Elsayed Hassan, Adam Basheer Adam Kegour, Anees Abdulatif Masha, Nisar Ahmad Koka, Mohammad Ahmad Shehadeh Alomari https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Reimagining service learning in the AI Era: Novice teachers’ perceptions of life and career skills and community participation
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: service learning, artificial intelligence, novice teachers, life and career skills, community participation This study explores how novice teachers make sense of life and career skills, community participation, and the role of artificial intelligence within service learning in the AI era. It adopts a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, drawing on data from 362 novice teachers across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Sudan. A structured questionnaire was used to examine three key dimensions: perceptions of life and career skills, perceptions of community participation, and perceptions of artificial intelligence in service learning contexts, followed by semi-structured interviews with a randomly selected group of participants to gain deeper insights. The findings suggest that novice teachers place strong value on life and career skills, especially problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication, which they see as essential for dealing with everyday classroom challenges. However, some areas, such as leadership and time management, appear less consistently developed, reflecting the realities of early career teaching. Community participation is also viewed positively, yet actual engagement remains limited, with teachers pointing to workload, time constraints, and limited institutional support as key barriers. In relation to artificial intelligence, teachers generally express positive attitudes, particularly regarding its role in supporting teaching practices, improving access to resources, and encouraging creativity. However, uncertainty remains about how to meaningfully integrate AI into service learning and community engagement. Overall, the study highlights a transitional stage in teaching, where professional skills, community engagement, and technology are present but not yet fully integrated, pointing to the need for more connected and practice-oriented approaches in teacher development.
service learning, artificial intelligence, novice teachers, life and career skills, community participation
Copyright (c) 2026 Samia Mokhtar Shahpo, Nora A Almadani, Noha Hsan Alfadil, Maryam Ahmed Alomair, Alaaeldin Ahmed Hamid, Mahmoud Mohamed Yaseen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Separation and the modified and interposition between the adjective noun- The Holy Qur’an as a model
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: separation and interposition, adjective and modified noun (Al-Sifa wa al-Mawsuf), The Holy Qur’an, model The Arabic language generally does not permit the separation of a follower* (Tabi’) from its antecedent (Matbu’) except in rare instances, often regarded as poetic necessity or linguistic anomalies that are memorized rather than used as a basis for analogy. Accordingly, this research aims to identify the interpolations separating the adjective (Sifa) and the modified noun (Mawsuf) within the Holy Qur’an. It provides a structural and semantic analysis of these separators while uncovering their functional dimensions and discussing related linguistic issues to determine what aligns with or contradicts the views of traditional grammarians. The research adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology. Among its key findings is the diversity of separators between the adjective and the modified noun in the Qur’anic text, including: (The delayed subject, the predicate, the agent/subject, the object, exception, conjunction, verbal clauses, apodosis of an oath, parenthetical sentences, explanatory sentences, phrasal structures, and conditional particles with their subsequent clauses). Furthermore, the study highlights novel instances not previously addressed by grammarians, such as the separation between an adjective and its noun located within a conditional response by the conditional particle and its clause, and separation via conjunctions and the coordinated noun. The semantic study also revealed significant rhetorical purposes, most notably: reinforcing and establishing facts in the listener's mind (as seen in separation by a delayed subject); glorification and suspense (evident in separation by parenthetical sentences); and capturing the listener's attention to emphasize the magnitude of an oath (as seen in separation by conditional structures). The researcher suggests further scientific studies on this separation within poems and prose texts to identify additional types of separators.
separation and interposition, adjective and modified noun (Al-Sifa wa al-Mawsuf), The Holy Qur’an, model
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohamed Taha Abd Alkhaleek Alagiri, Amr Khater Abd Elghany Wahdan, Mohamed Ibraheem Hasanen, Mohamed Eliwa Aly Ismail, Naaman Abdulhamid Bouguerra, Mohamed Abdelnabi Mohamed Ahmed, Mohamed Abd Elrahman Mohamed Sayed, Gomaa Elsayed Abd Elmaksoud Ibraheem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
When knowledge is not enough: Faculty competencies, training challenges, and AI integration in higher ed-ucation aligned with SDG 4
Section: Articles Categories: Digital Humanities Keywords: artificial intelligence integration, faculty competencies; pedagogical readiness, technical readiness, training paradox, higher education, SDG 4 Faculty AI integration in higher education depends critically on educator competencies, yet studies examining multiple predictors simultaneously remain scarce. This cross-sectional quantitative study surveyed 329 higher education faculty members to model AI integration as a function of five predictors: AI literacy, pedagogical readiness, technical readiness, ethical awareness, and AI-related challenges, while also examining variation by academic rank and formal AI training experience using OLS regression, moderation analysis, ANOVA, and independent-samples t-tests implemented in a reproducible Python-based pipeline. Technical Readiness emerged as the strongest independent predictor of AI integration (β = 0.43, p < .001), followed by Pedagogical Readiness (β = 0.35, p < .001), together explaining 35% of outcome variance, while AI Literacy and Ethical Awareness showed no significant direct effects. Counterintuitively, formally trained faculty reported lower AI integration than untrained peers alongside heightened perceptions of AI-related challenges, suggesting a knowing–doing gap whereby professional development raises critical awareness without proportionally enabling classroom experimentation. Academic rank significantly influenced integration levels, with Lecturers and Professors reporting the highest scores. Sustainable AI adoption in higher education requires institutional strategies that build technical confidence and pedagogical adaptability concurrently, supplemented by structured experimentation opportunities and differentiated career-stage support rather than awareness-focused training alone.
faculty competencies; pedagogical readiness
Copyright (c) 2026 Safar Bakheet Almudara, Amira Mohamed Algizani, Abdalla Alameen, Mohamed Sayed Abdellatif, Mohamed Ali Nemt-allah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Mapping AI-mediated pragmatic competence in EFL: A systematic review of Human–AI interaction and communicative development
Section: Articles Keywords: pragmatic competence, EFL, AI-mediated interaction, bibliometric analysis, Generative AI The study of AI-mediated pragmatic competence in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is theoretically divided and methodologically disproportionate models, and there is no pre-existing synthesis of the intellectual organization of the field. The current systematic review fills this gap by considering 361 articles in the Web of Science Core Collection (2021–2025). The study based on the improved bibliometric and science mapping methods (co-occurrence networks, thematic mapping, Lovaka Law and factorial analysis) through Bibloshyny shows the explosive annual growth (74.56%), most significant in China (168 records) and with the terms ChatGPT, artificial intelligence, and discourse. Results indicate that productivity of authors does not follow the Lotka law and thematic maps put Generative AI and Pragmatics as thematic motors. Findings suggest that the existing AI interaction can perhaps socialize learners into machine compatible hybrid pragmatic competences in lieu of entirely genuine competence. The review offers practical solutions to teachers and curriculum creators to intelligently incorporate AI without losing the sociocultural richness. It sets out a methodological model of applied linguistics that is replicable. The originality of the study lies in the fact that it is the first systematic multi-dimensional synthesis of AI-mediated pragmatic competence in EFL, as the individual studies have been replaced by a unifying knowledge structure.
pragmatic competence, EFL, AI-mediated interaction, bibliometric analysis, Generative AI
Copyright (c) 2026 Muza A E Abunamous, Khadijah AlQarni https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Working memory and generative AI tools in higher education: A systematic review
Section: Articles Categories: Digital Humanities Keywords: generative artificial intelligence, working memory, cognitive offloading, critical thinking, higher education, cognitive load, metacognition Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools have rapidly permeated higher education, yet their cognitive consequences for working memory, cognitive offloading, and higher-order thinking remain insufficiently synthesized. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, aimed to consolidate and critically evaluate empirical and theoretical evidence examining GenAI's effects on university students' cognitive functioning. A comprehensive search across six bibliographic databases covering 2023 to 2025 yielded 27 eligible peer-reviewed studies, appraised using design-matched quality instruments including RoB 2, AMSTAR-2, and MMAT. Findings reveal that unrestricted GenAI use measurably impairs long-term knowledge retention and critical thinking by substituting for the generative cognitive effort essential to durable memory encoding. However, structured, metacognitively scaffolded AI integration demonstrably preserves cognitive engagement and may enhance learning outcomes. Humanities students demonstrated disproportionate vulnerability to cognitive decline relative to STEM peers. Institutional policy frameworks, discipline-specific pedagogical redesign, and deliberate scaffolding strategies are identified as essential mitigating responses. The review concludes that cognitively informed, policy-guided GenAI integration represents the most defensible institutional approach, while urgent calls are made for longitudinal experimental research to establish stronger causal evidence.
Copyright (c) 2026 Safar Almudara, Omar Alshehri, Swead Alzahrani, Mohamed Abdellatif, Abdelfattah Idris, Ashraf Ibrahim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The effects of digital multi-tasking and task switching on working memory: A systematic review
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: digital multitasking, working memory, task switching, attentional control, executive function, academic performance Digital multitasking — defined as concurrent or rapidly alternating engagement with two or more technology-mediated tasks — has emerged as a pervasive feature of contemporary cognitive life with measurable consequences for working memory capacity and executive function. This systematic review synthesized empirical evidence from 28 studies published between 2016 and 2025, identified through searches of PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Findings converge on three domains: cognitive costs, academic performance, and neural mechanisms. Across behavioral, neuroimaging, and electrophysiological paradigms, digital multitasking consistently degraded working memory capacity, increased attentional lapses, elevated switch costs, and impaired metacognitive monitoring. In academic contexts, media multitasking during instruction reliably predicted reduced comprehension, recall, and cumulative achievement. At the neural level, chronic digital multitasking was associated with reduced functional efficiency within fronto-parietal control networks and diminished hippocampal encoding activity. Self-regulatory capacity emerged as a meaningful moderating variable. Methodological limitations — including cross-sectional designs, convenience sampling, and heterogeneous operationalizations — precluded meta-analytic synthesis and causal inference. Longitudinal research, standardized measurement, and rigorously evaluated interventions targeting digital self-regulation represent critical priorities for advancing this field.
digital multitasking, working memory, task switching, attentional control, executive function, academic performance
Copyright (c) 2026 Amal Mubarak Alsuwaylim, Omar Abdullah Alshehri, Swead Yahya Alzahrani, Faisal Bin Shabib Mosleet Alsubaie, Mohamed Osama Ali, Shaban Atiya Yacoub https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Mapping the Global Landscape of Research on Cultural Values and Moral Values: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Evolution and Collaboration Networks
Section: Articles Categories: Culture, Media & Film Keywords: Cultural values, Moral values, Bibliometric analysis, International collaboration, Interdisciplinary Alongside increasing globalization, digitalization, and social change, research on cultural and moral values has grown rapidly. This study aims to map the development of literature in this field using a mixed-methods bibliometric approach. Data were obtained from the Scopus database for the period 1968–2025 and analyzed using RStudio, Biblioshiny, and VOSviewer to identify publication trends, academic collaboration networks, thematic clusters, and research gaps. The analysis results reveal a consistent increase in publications, with international collaboration among the United States, China, and Southeast Asian countries serving as the primary drivers of cross-cultural knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary research development. Three main clusters were identified: the development of basic concepts of cultural and moral values, education and internalization of values in social and gender contexts, and the influence of technology and contemporary social changes on the formation of intergenerational morality. Despite the growth in publications, research on emerging topics such as the influence of social media, big data, and cultural-moral interactions in the digital age remains limited. These findings underscore the importance of interdisciplinary approaches and cross-national collaboration in broadening the understanding of cultural and moral values. This study provides a systematic contribution to the academic landscape of this field and highlights opportunities for further research that is more adaptive, inclusive, and responsive to the social and cultural dynamics of modern global societies.
Hasni Dyah Kurniawati Hasni Dyah Kurniawati2
Puspa Ratri Prajnasari Puspa Ratri Prajnasari
Fulgentius Adelbertus Dole Fulgentius Adelbertus Dole
Elizabeth Nabitha Ezmeralda Rihi Elizabeth Nabitha Ezmeralda Rihi
Copyright (c) 2026 saefudin saefudin, Hasni Dyah Kurniawati Hasni Dyah Kurniawati2, Azmi Muhammad Islam Azmi Muhammad Islam, SAAP Gunaasih SAAP Gunaasih, Puspa Ratri Prajnasari Puspa Ratri Prajnasari; Rino Purnomo Rino Purnomo, Fulgentius Adelbertus Dole Fulgentius Adelbertus Dole, Elizabeth Nabitha Ezmeralda Rihi Elizabeth Nabitha Ezmeralda Rihi; Dhino Suprayogo Dhino Suprayogo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Difficulties for athletics coaches in applying artificial intelligence techniques
Section: Articles This study aimed to identify the difficulties facing athletics coaches in applying artificial intelligence techniques, the researcher used the descriptive method in his survey method due to its suitability and the nature of the study, the study sample consisted of (364) athletics coaches from the directorates of education of the Jordanian Ministry of Education, (136) coaches from the central directorates of the Kingdom and (127) Coached from the northern districts of the Kingdom and (101) coaches from the southern districts of the Kingdom, and to address the analytical aspects of the subject of the study, the researcher turned to collecting raw data by building a questionnaire for the difficulties facing athletics coaches in the application of artificial intelligence techniques, which consists of (28) paragraphs distributed over three axes ( the cognitive axis (8) paragraphs, the technical axis: (10) paragraphs, and the organisational and administrative axis (10) paragraphs. The researchers used the following statistical methods (arithmetic mean, standard deviation, Cronbach's alpha coefficient to measure internal consistency, and Pearson correlation coefficient. As for the technological and technical difficulties, "the two institutions do not have the necessary technical infrastructure to use artificial intelligence technologies when training for athletics", while the organizational and administrative difficulties were "there are not enough financial resources for the use of artificial intelligence systems", and the study recommended many recommendations, the most important of which are: equipping the various institutions concerned with athletics with a modern infrastructure for the use of artificial intelligence systems.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rawa'ah Sukkarieh, Hazem Al-Nahar, Karam Abu A’Aqoulah, Maysaloun Alshadideh, Ayat Alshaer, Salwa Adnan Al-Sharman, Maryam Majed Al-Dhmour https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Decolonizing the Mind: The politics of survival in Sinan Antoon’s The Corpse Washer (2013)
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism This study traces the intersection of trauma, war, and the politics of survival in post-war Iraqi fiction through a keen critical analysis of Sinan Antoon’s masterpiece, The Corpse Washer (2013). The study examines how prolonged violence, foreign occupation, sectarian war, and political instability influence both individual subjectivity and social memory in contemporary Iraqi landscape, situating the novel within postcolonial and trauma theory frameworks. The study explores how the novel challenges prevailing imperial trajectories and narratives Iraqi lived experience through intimate storytelling, drawing on theories of decolonization, especially Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s idea of “decolonizing the mind.” The novel illustrates how individual and collective identities are fragmented under implications of occupation and systemic ruin through the protagonist Jawad, an aspiring sculptor forced by fate to take on his father’s skill of washing the corpses. A sheer crisis of self in a culture where death consistently eclipses art, beauty, and normalcy is reflected in Jawad’s internal struggle. The study argues that this conflict between ceremonial work and creative desire represents the fight to protect humanity in the face of dehumanizing mechanism. Through the lens of Ngũgĩ Thiongʼo’s theory of decolonization, Antoon’s novel offers a significant contribution to decolonization of the mind as a “writing history back” narrative that challenge dominant western mindset of Iraq as solely site of war, violence, and radical thoughts. Through the multifaceted figure of Jawad, the protagonist, who works as corpse’s washer, Antoon asserts Iraqi subjectivity, showing a deeply human outlook on trauma, chaos, and survival.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ahmed Saad Aziz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Transforming national folklore in digital space: A case study of Internet memes in modern Kazakhstan
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: correlation, creolized text, culture, digital folklore This paper seeks to contribute to the semiotic analysis of hybrid forms in digital communication. It aims to explore the transformation of Kazakh folklore in digital spaces through a case study of 236 Internet memes featuring Kazakh cultural elements drawn from digital platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and Telegram. The study has a mixed-methods design and combines thematic and semiotic analyses to look at how traditional oral narratives transform into multimodal, or creolized, digital phenomena. It allowed identifying the main thematic and semantic features characteristic of digital folklore. The thematic analysis identified the most frequently recurring themes in Internet memes and an essential dominance of spiritual values reflecting national Kazakh identity combining Nomadic traditionalism and modernity. The semantic analysis identified the main semantic features of Kazakh digital folklore depending on the number of semiotic components used, the nature of creolization tools, the composition of visual components, the significance of components, the degree of component correlation, and the method of component correlation. The findings of the research emphasize the shift from sacred extended narratives in traditional folklore to compressed creolized texts, which allows referring Kazakh digital folklore to glocal folklore combining global meme formats with local Kazakh specificity. The study fills gaps in digital folklore investigations in Central Asian contexts and offers insights into creolized semiotics for non-Western contexts.
Kunimzhan Tynyshyqbekovna Kudaibergenova
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Ainur Kenbayeva, Dr. Zhanat Saltakova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Minangkabau local wisdom in coastal environmental conservation: An ecocritical review of Wisran Hadi’s drama script Nilonali
Section: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: coastal environment, ecocriticism, local wisdom, Minangkabau, Nilonali Environmental degradation, particularly in coastal areas, has emerged as a critical challenge facing contemporary society. Addressing this issue requires a comprehensive approach, including the revitalization of local wisdom. This study examined the representation of Minangkabau local wisdom in coastal environmental conservation as portrayed in Nilonali, a drama script by Wisran Hadi, through the lens of ecocriticism. The research identified and analyzed forms of indigenous knowledge, belief systems, and cultural practices contributing to coastal ecological sustainability. Employing qualitative analysis, the study revealed three interrelated categories of local wisdom: (1) local knowledge, encompassing environmentally friendly fishing methods and an understanding of coastal climatology and geophysics; (2) local belief systems, including religious and superstitious values that function as social controls; and (3) cultural practices, particularly the tradition of berpantun (reciting traditional rhymed quatrains), whose lyrical content is inspired by the coastal environment. The findings highlight the ecological significance of Minangkabau local wisdom in fostering environmental protection and ecological awareness among coastal communities.
coastal environment, ecocriticism, local wisdom, Minangkabau, Nilonali
Copyright (c) 2026 Rafdisyam, Yenni Hayati, Harris Effendi Thahar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Demographic patterns in technical vocabulary acquisition and retention strategies among ESL engineering students in India
Section: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Vocabulary acquisition and retention strategies, Technical Vocabulary, Demographic, English as a Second Language (ESL), Engineering Education, ELT. Technical vocabulary, the domain-specific terms, is central to ESL engineering students' access to disciplinary knowledge. This study investigates the range and interaction of Technical Vocabulary Acquisition and Retention Strategies (TVARSs) employed by ESL engineering undergraduates in Tamil Nadu, India. Forty strategies divided into 11 categories were examined with attention to patterns of use and learner rationales. Using a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 331 undergraduate engineering students from rural, semi-urban, and urban backgrounds through a structured questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive, correlational, and network-based modelling analyses were done. Findings reveal that technical vocabulary acquisition operates as a networked system of interrelated strategies rather than isolated practices. Major strategies provide structural support for vocabulary acquisition, while low-frequency strategies help as connectors that enhance adaptability, transferability, and learning resilience across demographic contexts. Network analysis further demonstrates that effective vocabulary development depends more on strategic coordination than on the frequency of individual strategies. The study identifies demographic variation in strategy access linked to learning environments and technological resources, and argues for demographic-responsive instruction that strengthens core strategies, promotes integrative connector strategies, and supports equitable access to reflective and technology-assisted learning practices.
Vocabulary acquisition and retention strategies, Technical Vocabulary, Demographic, English as a Second Language (ESL), Engineering Education, ELT.
Copyright (c) 2026 V. Sabarethinam, D. Praveen Sam, A. Vijaya Lakshmi, R. Rajmohan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Mentoring for excellence: A constructivist approach to developing pre-service English language teachers’ skills
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: English literature learning practices, constructivist learning, pre-service English teachers, field-based training This study examines the pivotal role of mentor teachers in fostering constructivist learning experiences among pre-service English teachers during field-based training. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 177 pre-service teachers using a structured questionnaire, providing robust insights into the effectiveness of mentorship practices. The instrument assessed four core dimensions: lesson planning and organization, demonstration of constructivist strategies, support and guidance, and feedback and assessment practices. Findings indicated that mentor teachers play a critical role in developing learner-centered instructional skills. They provide structured lesson planning frameworks, model effective constructivist strategies, offer continuous guidance, and deliver constructive feedback, all of which enhance pre-service teachers’ instructional confidence, pedagogical reasoning, and ability to foster critical thinking, creativity, and active learner engagement. The results suggest that mentorship functions not only as a tool for knowledge transfer but also as a transformative mechanism for professional growth and reflective practice. These results underscore the essential contribution of mentorship in bridging theory and practice, highlighting the need for structured mentor training, reflective guidance sessions, and multi-method evaluation approaches. The study provides empirical evidence that systematic mentorship programs are instrumental in equipping pre-service English teachers with the competencies required to implement effective constructivist pedagogy. Future research should explore how the intensity and duration of mentorship influence the acquisition and internalization of constructivist teaching practices.
English literature learning practices, constructivist learning, pre-service English teachers, field-based training
Copyright (c) 2026 Ali Ahmad Al-Barakat, Bushra Alakashee , Eid Kanaan, Omayya M. Al-Hassan , Rommel Mahmoud AlAli, Ali Abdullatif, Yusra Aboud, Ashraf Zaher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Towards deep reading learning: Language teachers’ practices in employing reflective thinking skills among primary school students
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Deep reading learning, reflective thinking, reading instruction, primary education, language teachers. This study investigates the practices of language teachers in employing reflective thinking skills to promote deep reading learning among primary school students. A quantitative descriptive approach was adopted, and data were collected through a structured classroom observation checklist designed to document teachers’ actual instructional practices during reading lessons. The observation tool was developed based on an extensive review of the literature on reflective thinking and reading pedagogy, and it comprised five key domains representing reflective practices in reading instruction: Visual Perception Skills (VPS), Identifying Fallacies Skills (IFS), Drawing Conclusions Skills (DCS), Providing Convincing Explanations Skills (CES), and Proposing Solutions Skills (PSS). The checklist was reviewed by experts to ensure content validity, and its reliability was verified through pilot testing prior to the main data collection. The study sample consisted of 60 primary language teachers from schools in Amman, Jordan, selected using a convenience sampling method. Each teacher was observed twice during reading lessons, resulting in a total of 120 classroom observations. Descriptive statistics and a three-way ANOVA were employed to analyze the data and examine whether teachers’ practices differed according to teaching experience, gender, and academic qualification. The results indicated that language teachers demonstrated a high level of performance in employing reflective thinking skills across all five domains. Teachers consistently encouraged students to analyze textual details, identify inconsistencies, draw conclusions, justify interpretations, and propose possible solutions, reflecting a strong emphasis on reflective and analytical engagement with reading materials. The findings also revealed no statistically significant differences in teachers’ practices attributable to teaching experience, gender, or academic qualification. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence of the integration of reflective thinking practices within primary reading instruction. The findings highlight the importance of classroom practices in fostering deeper comprehension and critical engagement with texts, and they offer practical insights that may inform teacher professional development programs and curriculum design aimed at strengthening deep reading learning in primary education.
Deep reading learning, reflective thinking, reading instruction, primary education, language teachers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ali Ahmad Al-Barakat, Rommel Mahmoud AlAli, Ruba Fahmi Bataineh , Omayya M. Al-Hassan , Rula Fahmi Bataineh, Ali Khalifa A. Abdullatif, Yusra Zaki Aboud, Ashraf Zaher https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Sustainable environmental protection from pollution: A comparative study between Islamic Sharia and international law
Section: Articles Categories: Philosophy & Religion Keywords: sustainable development, Maqasid Al-sharia, Islamic Sharia, international environmental law, environmental governance, environmental justice This paper explores the issue of pollution as a source of environmental pollution that can be tackled by the Islamic Sharia and the international law by a comparative framework of sustainable environmental protection challenges in air, water, soil, biodiversity, human health, and intergenerational equity in view of the increasing environmental problems threatening our environment. Although over an advanced system of international environmental regime has been developed based on some vital principles like precautionary principle, polluter pays principle and intergenerational equity, combined with the principle of common, but differentiated responsibilities, the prevalent gaps in implementation and the weak enforcement mechanisms have remained as tactics of negating its overall effectiveness. Conversely, the study previews the normative basis of Islamic Sharia in governing human-environment relations which is anchored on the notion of khilafah (stewardship), amanah (trust), and mizan (balance), and the ban on fasad (environmental corruption). It shows that environmental protection is natural continuation of higher goals of Sharia (maqasid al-sharia) especially the protection of life, generation, and property. The maxims of the foundation of Islamic law like no harm and no reciprocating harm, and harm must be removed offer an excellent normative grounding of an environmental accountability that portrays a significant conceptual consistency with the modern international environmental law. Based on a comparative-synthetic approach, the research constructs a multi-level integrative model between Sharia values and international law by inclusivity in normative underpinnings, that genes equalization environmental governance in Muslim acquired countries and can also play a role in global discussions about sustainability and environmental justice.
sustainable development, Maqasid Al-sharia, Islamic Sharia, international environmental law, environmental governance, environmental justice
Copyright (c) 2026 Faihan Farraj Al-Haqshah https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Threads of Abraham: Interfaith memory and sacred survival in Geraldine Brooks’ People of the Book
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Geraldine Brooks; People of the Book; Sarajevo Haggadah; Abrahamic religions; interfaith memory; material religion; historical fiction; sacred survival; Jewish memory; Bosnia Geraldine Brooks’s People of the Book is often introduced as a historical novel about the Sarajevo Haggadah, yet its deeper achievement lies in the way it turns a Jewish ritual manuscript into an Abrahamic archive of shared custody, injury, and repair. This article proposes the concept of interfaith memory to describe how Brooks’s fiction connects Judaism, Christianity, and Islam not by smoothing their differences into a sentimental theology of harmony, but by staging the material survival of a sacred object across scenes of exile, censorship, war, artistic borrowing, and bodily risk. The Sarajevo Haggadah, a Passover book associated with Jewish telling and transmission, becomes in the novel a witness to Christian persecution, Muslim protection, secular conservation, and the unstable intimacy of cultures that have often lived together without living peacefully. Reading the novel through cultural memory studies, book history, material religion, trauma theory, and historiographic metafiction, the article argues that Brooks reimagines sacred survival as an ethical practice rather than a miraculous fact. Hanna Heath’s forensic conservation, the reverse chronology of the manuscript’s imagined past, and the repeated intervention of marginal figures—women, converts, artisans, librarians, servants, and endangered strangers—together form a narrative in which religious interconnection is carried by hands before it is declared by doctrines. At the same time, the article evaluates the limits of Brooks’s rescue plot, especially its tendency to make coexistence legible through exceptional acts of goodness. The novel’s value, I argue, is strongest when it refuses grand reconciliation and lets the damaged book remain damaged: a fragile, stubborn, humanly handled reminder that Abrahamic kinship is never pure inheritance but an unfinished labor of preservation.
Geraldine Brooks; People of the Book; Sarajevo Haggadah; Abrahamic religions; interfaith memory; material religion; historical fiction; sacred survival; Jewish memory; Bosnia
Copyright (c) 2026 Shoeb Saleh, Sayed M Ismail, Eid Awad Abd Elsayed Hassan, Ali Abdullatif, Nisar Ahmad Koka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Resilience, mindfulness, and self-efficacy as predictors of foreign language anxiety among EFL learners
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: foreign language anxiety, resilience, mindfulness, self-efficacy, EFL learners Background: Foreign language anxiety remains one of the most persistent emotional barriers in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learning. Although anxious learners may be motivated and hardworking, anxiety can narrow attention, reduce willingness to communicate, interrupt retrieval during performance, and make ordinary classroom tasks feel evaluative. At the same time, educational psychology has shown that learners are not passive recipients of stress. They enter the classroom with personal resources such as resilience, mindfulness, and self-efficacy, and these resources may change how anxiety is experienced, interpreted, and managed. Objective: This article develops a research-based model in which resilience, mindfulness, and English learning self-efficacy predict foreign language anxiety among EFL learners. The article is written as a full manuscript draft for adaptation into an empirical study. Because no dataset was provided, it does not report fabricated numerical findings; instead, it offers a theoretically grounded review, a transparent quantitative design, hypotheses, and an interpretation plan that can be implemented with real data. Methodology: The proposed study uses a cross-sectional quantitative design with EFL learners in secondary-school or university contexts. The recommended instruments include the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, an academic or general resilience scale, a mindfulness awareness scale, and an English learning self-efficacy scale. Data analysis would involve reliability testing, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multiple regression, and, where the sample is large enough, structural equation modelling. Expected contribution: The model expects resilience, mindfulness, and self-efficacy to be negatively associated with foreign language anxiety, with self-efficacy likely to function as the most direct classroom-linked predictor. Resilience is expected to support recovery from failure and persistence in difficult tasks, while mindfulness is expected to reduce rumination and help learners notice anxiety without becoming controlled by it. Conclusion: The article argues that anxiety reduction in EFL classrooms should not be limited to relaxation advice or test preparation. A more sustainable approach is to design classrooms that build confidence through mastery experiences, normalize setbacks, cultivate reflective awareness, and treat anxiety as a manageable part of learning rather than a sign of linguistic inadequacy.
foreign language anxiety, resilience, mindfulness, self-efficacy, EFL learners
Copyright (c) 2026 Shoeb Saleh, Khaled Ahmed Abdel-Al Ibrahim, Mohammad Mahmoud Suleiman Alsadi, Eid Awad Abd Elsayed Hassan, Ali Abdullatif, Nisar Ahmad Koka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Framing the Gen Z protesters in Kenyan daily newspapers: A discourse-historical approach
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: construction, daily newspapers, discourse-historical approach, framing theory, Gen Z, media discourse This study examines how Kenya’s mainstream newspapers, The Daily Nation and The Standard, discursively constructed Gen Z protesters during the June 24 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations. Existing studies of Gen Z protests in Kenya and globally overwhelmingly focus on digital media. Relatively little attention has been given to how newspapers frame such political movements. To address this gap, this study analyses front-page headlines and editorials in the newspapers to explore how Gen Z are constructed. Drawing on Ruth Wodak’s Discourse-Historical Approach and Framing Theory, the findings reveal a systematic pattern of positive representation, in which Gen Z protesters are constructed as heroic, victorious, revolutionary, victims of police brutality, and morally legitimate actors. Their actions are intensified when aligned with democratic ideals, while negative aspects are mitigated through nominalization, backgrounding, and silence. This framing is reinforced through intertextual references to Gen Z protests in other parts of the world. The interdiscursivity in the editorials further gives the protesters legal justification. Recontexualization of constitutional language in journalistic discourse, particularly the constant reference to articles 1 and 37, legitimizes the actions of the protesters. This study demonstrates the ideological role of newspapers in influencing the way we think about politics and youth activism. These findings are aligned with the observations of media scholars that newspapers are an important site for studying politics and ideology.
construction, daily newspapers, discourse-historical approach, framing theory, Gen Z, media discourse
Copyright (c) 2026 Joy Karambu, Mugambi C. Ngumo, Lillian Kemunto Omoke https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
The role of Arabic literature arts in developing critical thinking skills among high school students from the teachers' point of view
Section: Articles Categories: Literature, Linguistics & Criticism Keywords: Arabic literature arts, critical thinking skills, secondary school students, Arabic language teachers At a time when educational systems are under increasing pressure to cultivate analytical, interpretive, and evaluative capacities rather than rote knowledge alone, this study addresses a highly consequential question: how can Arabic literary arts serve as an effective pedagogical pathway for developing critical thinking among secondary school students? The study responds to a clear research gap in the limited empirical attention given to the relationship between Arabic literary genres and critical thinking skills within school-based Arab educational contexts. Using a descriptive-analytical design, the researchers employed an electronic questionnaire administered to 90 Arabic language teachers in Abu Dhabi, with 35 items covering poetry, short story, literary essay, and the skills of interpretation, inference, induction, analysis, and evaluation. The study aimed to examine the contribution of Arabic literary arts to critical thinking development, measure the statistical relationship between these variables, and identify differences associated with teachers’ qualifications and experience. The findings revealed a high level of teacher awareness regarding the role of Arabic literature in enhancing critical thinking, as well as a strong statistically significant relationship between literary arts and critical thinking skills. Literary essay and short story showed comparatively stronger effects than poetry. The study recommends curriculum redesign, specialized teacher training, and further comparative and experimental research to strengthen the pedagogical integration of Arabic literature in contemporary education.
Arabic literature arts, critical thinking skills, secondary school students, Arabic language teachers
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohammad Issa Alhourani, Wesal Al Zoubi, Ahmad Mohammad Al Mahamed, Moustafa Mohamed Abouelnour https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Mecca Al-Mukarramah and its development during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566 CE): An analytical study based on the Ottoman Daftar al-Mahāmm
Section: Articles Categories: History and Anthropology Keywords: Administrative History, Mecca Al-Mukarramah, Ottoman Archives, Ottoman Empire, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent This study aims to demonstrate that the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566 CE) marked a decisive shift in Mecca’s governance from symbolic suzerainty to a systematized religio-imperial administration. Drawing on Ottoman archival sources, particularly the Daftar al-Maḥāmm (Registers of Imperial Decrees), it reconstructs how Mecca was integrated into the Ottoman administrative framework through decrees regulating pilgrimage logistics, fiscal endowments, and Sharifian authority. The findings reveal Suleiman’s interventions in curbing corruption among Egyptian pilgrimage commanders, financing major urban projects such as the ʿAyn ʿArafah water canal and public housing, and standardizing the judiciary to ensure accountability. These reforms transformed the Hijaz from a peripheral sanctuary into a governed province, balancing Ottoman central control with local elites. The study concludes that this structured governance reinforced the Sultan’s legitimacy as Khādim al-Ḥaramayn al-Sharīfayn and established a foundational model for uniting religious authority with bureaucratic centralization in early modern Islamic rule.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ehab Mohammad Zahir, Anas Nayef Al-Omoush https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0
Social resonance and the transformation of meaning of Gondang Sabangunan through arts education at SMK Negeri 11 Medan
Section: Articles Categories: Visual & Performing Arts Keywords: Gondang Sabangunan, Toba Batak, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ethnomusicology, Cultural Identity Gondang Sabangunan, a traditional musical ensemble of the Toba Batak community, plays an important role in preserving cultural identity, social solidarity, and the philosophy of Dalihan Na Tolu. However, within the urban context of Medan City, the practice of gondang has experienced a shift in meaning from a sacred ritual domain to spaces of entertainment, cultural festivals, and digital media. This transformation creates a dilemma between maintaining authenticity and adapting to modernity, while also revealing a generational gap in cultural understanding. Younger generations tend to be more familiar with global popular culture than with traditional arts, leading to a decline in appreciation for gondang. This study aims to examine the social resonance and transformation of the meaning of Gondang Sabangunan in an urban context and to analyze the role of arts education at SMK Negeri 11 Medan as a strategy for cultural preservation. The research employs a qualitative approach with an ethnographic design, utilizing in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation of gondang practices in the school environment. Data were analyzed thematically using semiotic and sociological approaches, while validity was ensured through triangulation and member checking. The findings reveal that arts education functions as a space for cultural revitalization, a medium for intergenerational value transmission, and an instrument for strengthening local identity resilience. The integration of Gondang Sabangunan into the curriculum not only enhances students’ understanding of cultural heritage but also makes traditional arts relevant to contemporary urban life.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ezra Susilawaty P., Widodo Widodo, Muh. Ibnan Syarif, Junita Batubara https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0