Isagoge - Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

MODERNIZATION IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Sérgio André Lopes Resende — 2026-01-22

The recurrent transformation we are currently witnessing leads to the need for constant modernization. The pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus, the Public Administration is forced to act quickly in the most diverse areas to be able to give citizens the conditions to continue their activities. To this end, a study was promoted that aims to analyze the performance of Portuguese agencies, through comparative studies with other countries that faced similar conditions in pandemic times. The study will be quite relevant in that it can serve as a source of collection of best practices to be implemented. It is concluded that the unique conditions that were experienced make it difficult to assess, in a sequential way, which is the best way to act, however no application seems to be useful in fighting the pandemic.

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITY IN POLISH LAW

Kamil Lorek — 2026-01-22

In Polish law, family members may in certain cases bear and do bear legal responsibility for their relative. First of all, parents have a legal obligation to raise and support their minor children. It is also worth mentioning that when analysing who can be the guardian of an incapacitated person, courts take into account primarily the relatives of such a person. There is an obligation to pay maintenance, which may be imposed on various people in the family, e.g. an adult, independent child towards his parent who requires financial assistance in old age. Other cases of legal responsibility of the family are limited to property responsibility, i.e. they concern the debts of a relative. Heirs who acquire an inheritance may also take over the debts of the deceased. In addition, family responsibility may also occur during the debtor's lifetime. Enforcement of obligations often also covers the joint property of the debtor and his spouse. Co-ownership of the property of spouses is the basic property regime in Polish law. In certain cases defined by law, family members may be required to pay tax arrears on behalf of a taxpayer who is their relative and no longer has any assets. It is similar in fiscal criminal law (this is the so-called subsidiary liability). In Poland, there is no legal liability of the family for crimes or torts committed by their relative. Nevertheless, one can observe the tendency of some in society to attribute moral responsibility for prohibited acts. Some people make claims, without any evidence, that the closest relatives of a criminal always have the same character and are prone to such acts. This approach is officially wrong. Nevertheless, some people even in public officially express such views.

THE IMPACT OF GAME-BASED LEARNING TOOLS ON VOCABULARY ACQUISITION AND MOTIVATION IN UNDERGRADUATE EFL CLASSROOMS

Ahmad Kasser Mleiki — 2026-01-22

This study investigates Saudi undergraduate EFL learners’ perceptions of gamified vocabulary learning tools—specifically Kahoot, Quizizz, and Duolingo—in the context of vocabulary retention, learner motivation, and platform usability. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory and the Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions, the study explores how gamification influences learners’ affective engagement and lexical development. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was employed, using a structured Google Form questionnaire comprising 10 close-ended items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. A total of 120 Saudi university students participated in the study. Descriptive statistics—means, standard deviations, and percentages—were used to analyze learner responses across three domains: vocabulary retention, motivation, and platform usability. Further, the findings indicate that gamified platforms were positively perceived, with motivation emerging as the most influential factor (M = 4.16), followed by vocabulary retention (M = 3.90), and usability (M = 3.84). Learners reported that game-based elements such as competition, rewards, and instant feedback enhanced their engagement and recall of new vocabulary. Among the platforms, Duolingo was rated most user-friendly for independent learning, while Kahoot and Quizizz were preferred for classroom activities. Despite minor concerns about competition-induced distraction, the overall learner sentiment was highly favourable. These results suggest that gamified tools offer meaningful pedagogical benefits for vocabulary learning in Saudi EFL classrooms. Integrating such platforms into the curriculum may enhance learner engagement, motivation, and retention while aligning with contemporary digital learning preferences.

AI-ASSISTED TRANSLANGUAGING IN EMI CLASSROOMS: INSIGHTS FROM SAUDI EFL LEARNERS

Mohammed Mahib ur Rahman — 2026-01-22

This study investigates Saudi EFL learners’ perceptions of AI-assisted translanguaging as a pedagogical strategy in English Medium Instruction (EMI) classrooms. Drawing on a structured Likert-scale questionnaire administered to 122 undergraduate EFL students, the research explores how AI tools mediate comprehension, reduce anxiety, and enhance participation in EMI contexts. Descriptive statistical analysis revealed that learners generally held positive attitudes toward AI-mediated translanguaging, with high levels of agreement regarding its role in improving comprehension, confidence, vocabulary retention, and active engagement with course materials. While students acknowledged challenges such as continued dependence on teachers and difficulties in processing fast-paced English input, they also emphasized the motivational benefits of AI tools in extending learning beyond classroom boundaries. The findings underscore the pedagogical potential of AI-assisted translanguaging for creating inclusive, supportive, and effective EMI environments, offering implications for curriculum design, teacher training, and policy development in Saudi higher education.

ΤΗΕ METAZOË

Andreas Oikonomou — 2026-01-22

Metazoë has been described in the past as a theoretical approach to the concept of human continuity in technology, the environment, and culture (Oikonomou, 2025), but this article approaches Metazoë from a completely different perspective. Rather than developing its systemic framework, this research treats trans-humanism as more than just an approach to human continuity. The article moves away from technical discussions about digital immortality and explores the phenomenology of continuity through a dialogue with Rilke's Duino Elegies, Pindar's "epinicians," and Levinas's concept of moral sensitivity. Such an exercise allows us to hypothesize that the re-evaluation of the biological opposition between life and death has little to do with technological power but is rather an integral part of the history of human thought itself. In this discussion, the afterlife is considered an aesthetic or lived phenomenon that neither denies nor transcends the biological limits of life but inhabits them attentively through words, memory, or presence. Finally, the article concludes that understanding the afterlife from a phenomenological or poetic perspective reveals that the phenomenon of death is in fact the horizon that silently defines life itself.

EXPLORING TEACHER AND LEARNER PERCEPTIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CHATBOTS FOR ENGLISH CONVERSATION PRACTICE

Abdullah Alshayban — 2026-03-11

With the increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in language education, chatbots are gaining attention for their potential to support English conversation practice in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings. In this study, I investigated the perceptions of Saudi university students and EFL teachers regarding the use of AI chatbots for enhancing speaking skills. I adopted a convergent mixed-methods design involving 226 learners and 62 teachers from Saudi higher education institutions. I collected data using two adapted and structured questionnaires, which consisted of demographic questions, Likert-scale items across five dimensions (motivation, fluency, confidence, helpfulness, and risk), and three open-ended questions per group. I analyzed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests and the qualitative data thematically. Findings indicate that learners view chatbots as helpful, motivating tools that enhance their confidence and speaking fluency. Teachers, however, expressed greater concerns regarding misinformation, pedagogical control, and student overreliance on technology. I found no significant relationship between teaching experience and risk perception, highlighting that skepticism may stem from broader institutional or pedagogical concerns rather than experience alone. This study highlights the need for balanced AI integration that supports learner autonomy while addressing teacher apprehensions. It contributes to the literature on AI-enhanced language learning by providing practical recommendations for EFL educators and policy stakeholders in underexplored regional contexts.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN VIETNAM

Le Phuong Nam — 2026-03-18

Vietnam’s economy has grown strongly over the past decades, while environmental pollution has increased at the same time. This situation makes sustainable human development an important concern for the country. The study examines the relationship between economic growth, carbon dioxide emissions, foreign direct investment, and the Human Development Index (HDI) over the period 1990–2023. The data come from the World Bank and UNDP, and the ARDL model is applied in the analysis. The cointegration test confirms a long-run relationship among the variables. Economic growth, measured by GDP, has a positive effect on the Human Development Index. However, GDP squared has a negative coefficient. This shows that when income becomes higher, its positive contribution to welfare becomes smaller. Carbon dioxide emissions lower human development in the long run, while foreign direct investment does not have a statistically significant effect. These findings mean that Vietnam should improve the quality of economic growth, control emissions more effectively, and select investment projects more carefully to achieve sustainable development.

DIGITAL LITERACY AS A MEDIATOR OF THE EFFECT OF THE INDEPENDENT CURRICULUM AND LEARNING MOTIVATION ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Maulida Rahmawati — 2026-03-20

This study aims to examine the role of digital literacy as a mediator in the relationship between the implementation of the Independent Curriculum, learning motivation, and student academic achievement. This study develops a structural model to explain how curriculum reform improves achievement by strengthening digital competencies. A survey method was used with purposive sampling of 124 seventh and eighth-grade students at a public junior high school in Indonesia. Data were collected using a four-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using the Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach. The results indicate that implementing the Independent Curriculum has a positive and significant effect on digital literacy and academic achievement. Furthermore, digital literacy was shown to mediate the relationship between the implementation of the Independent Curriculum and learning motivation, and indirectly contributed to improved academic achievement. These findings emphasize the importance of strengthening digital literacy.

HEGEL AND THE STATE

Railson da Silva Barboza — 2026-03-22

Our debate pervades the concept of state, according to the German author G.W.F. Hegel, as we move through the crisis of philosophy in modernity, caused by empiricist and rationalist currents. Hegel’s conception of state, moving away from a platonic idealism or the instrumental character of Aristotle, gains a comprehensive perspective by encompassing several gears that culminate in freedom. In our work, we seek a systematic exposition of what the author understood by state, in which freedom correlates and becomes an inevitable consequence of eticity. For this, we used a literature review that covers the main concepts of the German author, outlining ways that make it possible to consult literatures that discuss the topic. Likewise, the purpose of the opúsculo falls in understanding the state as an instrument that protects and enables the integral development of man, as one of the culminating factors of Hegel’s political philosophy. Observing the state as an ethical effectuation in individuals, in Hegel we find that Hegelian thought seems to depict not only the modern state but also the contemporary one.

HUMAN RIGHTS VALUES VERSUS LOCAL NORMS

Rika Saraswati — 2026-03-26

This article aims to examine judges’ considerations on marriage dispensation cases, whether using human rights values and norms or local norms. The article discusses challenges posed to implementing human rights values and norms, including child rights in such instances, especially in the Central Java Religious Court. Supporting data consists mostly of court decisions and interviews with judges at three Islamic courts in Central Java. The research reveals that most of the judges’ legal considerations in granting marriage dispensation apply the foundation of the local norms (Adat/customary law), Islamic Law, and national legislation related to marriage, but lacks reference to human rights norms.

IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS IN BOTSWANA AND MAURITIUS

Bokamoso Julius — 2026-04-10

The COVID-19 pandemic caused globally disruptions, greatly impacting higher education students through lockdowns and the transition to online learning. This study analyzed the impact that COVID-19 has had on mental health status (anxiety and perceived stress), changes in teaching and academic performance, individual experiences and coping strategies; as well as students’ views on the support measures introduced since the beginning of the pandemic in Botswana and Mauritius. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey administered to students in both countries, with statistical analysis conducted to examine differences by gender and academic level. The findings revealed that female students reported significantly higher anxiety and stress levels compared to their male counterparts. Similarly, undergraduate students experienced higher levels of anxiety and stress than postgraduate students. Policymakers and higher education institutions can use these insights to develop targeted support strategies for students as part of their preparedness plans for future crises.