Emerging Science Journal (ESJ)
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Beyond COVID-19 Lockdowns: Rethinking Mathematics Education from a Student Perspective
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic has recently reshaped education and life around the world. Undoubtedly, the return to face-to-face learning has been affected after two years of distance learning. However, research that focuses on post-COVID-19 is still limited. Therefore, this study investigates how students perceive the experience of returning to face-to-face learning after distance learning within the context of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It emphasizes the possibilities and challenges that could be faced in improving face-to-face mathematics education. This study applied an exploratory sequential mixed-method approach, which involved collecting qualitative data from 13 students through a focus group, and then quantitative data was collected from 243 Cycle 2 and 3 students. The qualitative data were coded and analyzed thematically, while descriptive analysis was used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative and quantitative results revealed consensus on the main challenges that students experience as they return to face-to-face learning. On top of these challenges are students' lack of study skills, excessive use of technology, and high levels of math test anxiety. Research findings showed students' preference for face-to-face learning while adding some aspects of distance learning. The results of this study are also expected to be a reference in the development of a new sustainable paradigm of face-to-face learning and as study material for subsequent research related to rethinking math education after COVID-19. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-010 Full Text: PD
Zero-Shot Prompting Strategies for Table Question Answering with a Low-Resource Language
Get PDFThis work explores the application of zero-shot prompting strategies for table question answering (TQA) in Portuguese, focusing specifically on the Text2SQL task. This task involves translating questions posed in natural language into Structured Query Language (SQL) queries, which can be executed against a database to answer the original question. Given the popularity of relational databases across various domains, advancements in this field can substantially impact the accessibility and democratization of data as simpler and more intuitive interfaces for database interaction are developed. Despite this significant potential, progress in developing Portuguese TQA solutions remains limited. The proposed approach leverages Large Language Models (LLMs)”specifically the GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 models”through zero-shot prompting. The primary objectives are to assess the effectiveness of such LLMs in this task and to identify the most suitable prompt styles. These are evaluated using a Portuguese translation of the popular Spider Text2SQL benchmark. Results reveal that the proposed approach can generate adequate SQL queries to answer Portuguese language questions about various databases, mainly when using GPT-4. The findings suggest that including schema information and database content in the prompts is critical for satisfactory outcomes. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-020 Full Text: PD
Mediating Role of Aesthetic Experience between Environmentally Aesthetic and Sustainable Development in Primary School Education System
Get PDFResearchers in Guangxi Province, China, are doing research on primary school teachers to investigate the relationship between environmental aesthetics, aesthetic experiences, and sustainable development. To conducting an analysis of the data collected from 435 elementary school teachers who participated in a structured survey, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with SMART PLS software was utilized. According to the conclusions of the study, there is a large and beneficial association between environmental aesthetics, aesthetic experiences, and sustainable development. Based on the findings, it is possible that enhancing environmental aesthetics could result in an increase in the number of aesthetic experiences, which could be beneficial to educational sustainable development. The research is restricted to a narrow geographic area and relies on self-reported data, both of which may restrict its capacity to be generalized. The research demonstrates that environmental aesthetics influence the educational experiences of primary teachers, notwithstanding the constraints that have been mentioned. The knowledge of this fact may have an impact on educational practices and policies pertaining to sustainability. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-SIED1-013 Full Text: PD
Smart Farm-Care using a Deep Learning Model on Mobile Phones
Get PDFDeep learning and its models have provided exciting solutions in various image processing applications like image segmentation, classification, labeling, etc., which paved the way to apply these models in agriculture to identify diseases in agricultural plants. The most visible symptoms of the disease initially appear on the leaves. To identify diseases found in leaf images, an accurate classification system with less size and complexity is developed using smartphones. A labeled dataset consisting of 3171 apple leaf images belonging to 4 different classes of diseases, including the healthy ones, is used for classification. In this work, four variants of MobileNet models - pre-trained on the ImageNet database, are retrained to diagnose diseases. The model's variants differ based on their depth and resolution multiplier. The results show that the proposed model with 0.5 depth and 224 resolution performs well - achieving an accuracy of 99.6%. Later, the K-means algorithm is used to extract additional features, which helps improve the accuracy to 99.7% and also measures the number of pixels forming diseased spots, which helps in severity prediction. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-013 Full Text: PD
Secure Distributed Cloud Storage based on the Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts
Get PDFObjectives: This paper addresses the problem of secure data storage and sharing over cloud storage infrastructures. A secure, distributed cloud storage structure incorporating the blockchain structure is proposed that supports confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Methods/Analysis: The proposed structure combines two well-known technologies: one of them is the Ethereum Blockchain and its Smart Contracts and the other is the RSA encryption and authentication scheme. The Ethereum Blockchain is used as a data structure, which ensures data availability and integrity while RSA provides sensitive data confidentiality and source authentication. Findings: As a result, users of the proposed structure can trust it and be certain that they can securely exchange information through a publicly accessible and shared cloud storage. The application can be used either through a user interface (UI) or a command-line interface (CLI). Novelty /Improvement:The novelty of this work is that the system that is proposed could be used for secure data storage on the cloud as well as for file sharing and authentication verification. Also, secure data storage and file sharing are already offered by the proposed system. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-012 Full Text: PD
Big Data Analytics and Auditing: A Review and Synthesis of Literature
Get PDFThe use of data analytics in auditing is increasingly growing. The application of common data analytics to audit engagements appears to be lagging behind other areas of practice, even though data analytics is thought to represent the future of audit, and there are still few publications that have examined this influence. This article reviews data analytics in audits and its potential for future audit engagements to describe the evolution of this research trend and picture its future growth directions. Future audit research potential and difficulties are also discussed. Data analytics application in auditing has enormous potential for refining audit quality, decreasing errors, increasing process transparency, and enhancing stakeholders' confidence. We conducted a systematic literature review using the PRISMA approach. A total of 100 articles published in English from January 2011 to November 2021 were identified through a systematic search of reputed databases, including Web of Science and Scopus and many others. Our analysis reveals that data analytics is a promising domain for the auditing practice as it improves audit efficiency and promotes audit work digital transformation. While reviewing the most pertinent literature in the context of data analytics in auditing, this study offers insights on potential new directions and waning views on big data analytics in auditing. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-023 Full Text: PD
A Causal Model of Relationship between Organizational Climate Influencing Happiness at Work and Organization Engagement
Get PDFThis research aimed to study the level of organizational climate, happiness at work, and organization engagement. It included research into the relationship between organizational climate and employee happiness and engagement, as well as the direct and indirect effects of organizational climate on employee happiness and engagement. A sample of 400 employees was used. The findings revealed the following: 1) Organizational Climate (OC) directly influencing Happiness at Work (HW) had an influence coefficient of 0.92 with a statistical significance level of 0.05. 2) Organizational Climate (OC) directly influencing Organization Engagement (OE) had the influence coefficient of 0.32 with the statistical significance at the level of 0.05 and indirectly influencing Organization Engagement (OE) through Happiness at Work (HW) had the influence coefficient of 0.59 with the statistical significance at the level of 0.05. 3) Happiness at Work (HW) directly influencing Organization Engagement (OE) had an influence coefficient of 0.64 with a statistical significance level of 0.05. 4) Organizational Climate (OC) could forecast 85 percent of Happiness at Work (HW). 5) Organizational Climate (OC) and Happiness at Work (HW) could jointly forecast 89 percent of Organization Engagement (OE). Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-07-02-018 Full Text: PD
Effects of the Development of Central Bank Digital Currencies on Financial Markets amid the Pandemic
Get PDFThe study determined the influence of the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) on the financial markets during the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigated if the CBDC had the potential to improve the efficiency and lending power of the financial system. The research relied on secondary data from a range of financial markets, such as the FTSE, MSCI, Gold Index, S&P 500, and Dow Jones, collected during the COVID-19 period. The quantitative approach was employed using the statistical software SPSS to perform descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The results revealed that the financial markets were negatively impacted by COVID-19, but the CBDC saw a higher level of development during the same period. The statistical analysis showed a positive and significant relationship between the CBDC Attention Index, the Uncertainty Index, and various financial market indices, with regression analysis indicating a significant impact of the CBDC Attention Index on all financial market indices except the Gold Index. However, this study has some limitations, including its limited scope of financial markets. Despite this, these results have important implications for academics and policymakers. It is recommended to increase the use of CBDC through well-crafted policies and legislation to fully realize its potential impact on the financial system. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-SPER-013 Full Text: PD
Eco-Innovation and SME Performance in Time of Covid-19 Pandemic: Moderating Role of Environmental Collaboration
Get PDFObjectives: All businesses worldwide, especially small and medium-sized organizations, are now concerned about environmental degradation. Eco-innovation and environmental collaboration are expected to be the driving forces for saving the environment and the performance of companies. Therefore, this study aimed to ascertain how eco-innovation and environmental cooperation affect the financial, social, and environmental performance of SMEs. This study also explored environmental collaboration as a moderating variable for the effect of eco-innovation on the performance of SMEs. Methods/Analysis: Data from 300 small and medium-sized enterprises of Creative Home Décor were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings: Eco-innovation is necessary to improve the performance of Indonesia's SMEs. Environmental collaboration has a beneficial and substantial effect on the performance of the environment and society. Regarding environmental collaboration as a moderating variable, this study identified a positive and statistically significant coefficient regulating the relationship between financial performance and eco-innovation. Novelty /Improvement. The novelty of this research lies in its focus on the impact of eco-innovation and environmental collaboration on the performance of SMEs, particularly in developing countries such as Indonesia, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also contributed to the theoretical and empirical understanding of eco-innovation in developing countries and highlighted the importance of environmental collaboration in enhancing the social and environmental performance of SMEs. Additionally, this paper provided empirical and theoretical contributions on the role of environmental collaboration as a moderating variable that is particularly improving the performance of Indonesia's SMEs in Creative Home Décor during the COVID-19 pandemic.JEL Classifications: M12, L68, L25, L53, Q56 Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-SPER-018 Full Text: PD
Legal Protection against Patent and Intellectual Property Rights Violations Amidst COVID-19
Get PDFThe concept of legal principles for intellectual property (IP) protection is related to the adequate marketing of drug patents to protect patent rights. The objective of this research is to understand and analyze the factors affecting the market concerning international law, treaties, acts, and declarations, leading to encouraging creativity, production, increased investment, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The qualitative methodology provided for an in-depth understanding and analysis of primary and secondary research data gathered from key informant interviews and published literature. The collected data were analyzed with Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threats (SWOT), a Delphi panel, and Correct, Adapt, Maintain, and Explore (CAME) analysis. The results found legal problems concerning the lack of rules to protect the rights and freedoms damaged by the monopoly on drug patents, complexities in the process of importing medicinal compounds, and how to access information with limited accessibility during COVID-19. Therefore, it is advisable to amend the law to curtail monopolies and to enact a law that prescribes rules for importing medicinal compounds to produce generic drugs in the country, including identifying the status of the patent holders. The research further paves the way for utilizing micro level research to be conducted in the development of intellectual property rights. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2023-SPER-016 Full Text: PD