International Journal of Multidisciplinary Department
Leading Students in the Classroom: Similarities and Differences Between English and Music Teachers
Abstract
Effective classroom leadership plays a key role in supporting student learning across all subjects, though its practice varies according to each discipline’s unique demands. This article explores how English and music teachers lead their classrooms, identifying both commonalities and distinctions. Based on a narrative review of research on classroom management, teacher leadership, and subject-specific teaching methods, the analysis reveals that while both groups use similar foundational strategies—such as setting clear expectations, building relationships, maintaining consistent routines, and designing engaging lessons—they differ in significant ways. These differences include the main focus of student engagement, reliance on nonverbal and auditory signals, patterns of student interaction and grouping, methods of feedback, and overall classroom structure. The findings offer insights for teacher training, instructional coaching, and broader educational leadership practices.
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Barriers to Artificial Intelligence Adoption for Cybersecurity in Small and Medium Scale Enterprises
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) a potentially transformative route to stronger cybersecurity, yet adoption among such firms continues to lag markedly behind that of larger organisations. This study examines the barriers that hinder AI adoption for cybersecurity among SMEs, conceptualised across three functional barrier dimensions drawn from Innovation Resistance Theory: the value barrier (cost and return-on-investment uncertainty), the usage barrier (knowledge and skills gaps), and the risk barrier (governance and trust-related concerns). Anchored on Innovation Resistance Theory, the study formulated three objectives, three research questions and three corresponding hypotheses. A descriptive survey design was adopted, involving 220 purposively sampled owner-managers and information technology personnel of registered SMEs. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings show that the value, usage and risk barriers each exert a statistically significant negative influence on the extent of AI adoption for cybersecurity, jointly explaining a substantial proportion of variance in adoption outcomes, with the usage (knowledge and skills) barrier emerging as the strongest predictor. The study concludes that AI adoption resistance among SMEs is best understood as a multi-dimensional, rational response to genuine resource and knowledge constraints rather than mere technological conservatism. Recommendations are offered for SME operators, policymakers and educational institutions engaged in digital capacity-building.
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Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Literary Pedagogy and its Influence on Students' Critical Thinking, Engagement, and Interpretive Skills in English Literature Classrooms
Abstract
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education is transforming teaching and learning practices, particularly in language and literature classrooms. This study examines the influence of AI-assisted literary pedagogy on students' critical thinking, engagement, and interpretive skills in English literature classrooms. AI-powered tools—such as intelligent tutoring systems, text analysis applications, and adaptive learning platforms—are increasingly being used to support personalized learning experiences and enhance students' interaction with literary texts. The study adopts a mixed-method approach to investigate how AI-supported instructional strategies impact students' ability to analyze themes, interpret literary devices, and engage meaningfully with texts. It also explores how AI fosters collaborative learning, immediate feedback, and deeper comprehension, thereby promoting higher-order thinking skills. However, the research further considers challenges associated with the use of AI in literary pedagogy, including over-reliance on technology, reduced human interaction, and ethical concerns related to academic integrity. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and policymakers on effectively integrating AI into literature instruction to improve students' cognitive and interpretive outcomes. This study contributes to the growing discourse on technology-enhanced learning and its implications for 21st-century education.
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Effects of Dacryodes edulis Leaf Extract on Kidney Function and Antioxidant Activity in Male Wistar Rats
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of aqueous Dacryodes edulis leaf extract on kidney function and oxidative stress parameters in male Wistar rats. Eighteen rats were randomly divided into three groups of six animals each. Group I served as the normal control, while Groups II and III received 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight of D. edulis leaf extract, respectively, for 28 days. Serum urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride and bicarbonate concentrations were determined using Randox diagnostic kits. Kidney tissue superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration were also assessed. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post-hoc test, with significance accepted at p < 0.05. Administration of the extract produced no significant differences (p > 0.05) in serum urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, chloride or bicarbonate concentrations compared with the normal control throughout the treatment period. Similarly, SOD, CAT and GPx activities and MDA concentration did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among the groups. The findings indicate that aqueous D. edulis leaf extract at 200 and 400 mg/kg did not markedly alter the measured renal biochemical, electrolyte and oxidative stress parameters in male Wistar rats during the 28-day treatment period. Further studies are required to evaluate its effects following prolonged administration and in experimental models of renal injury.
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Enhancing Financial Decision Quality in Smart Organizations through Explainable AI and Real Time Analytics with AI Governance Maturity
Abstract
This study investigates the links among explainable AI capability, real time financial analytics capability, and financial decision quality within smart organizations while assessing how AI governance maturity moderates those links. Drawing on organizational information processing theory and dynamic capabilities theory, it frames financial decision quality as the product of organizational capabilities that convert clear AI outputs and timely financial data into accurate, evidence based, and strategically coherent choices. AI governance maturity serves as a boundary condition shaping whether explainability translates into stronger financial judgments. A quantitative cross sectional design gathered responses on a five point Likert scale from 385 Vietnamese professionals knowledgeable in AI, financial analytics, governance, or organizational decision making. Analysis relied on IBM SPSS version 26 for reliability checks, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression, with Hayes Process Macro Model 1 testing the moderation. Findings show that explainable AI capability (β = 0.636) and real time financial analytics capability (β = 0.580) both raise financial decision quality, the former exerting a modestly larger direct influence that underscores the value of interpretable and actionable algorithmic advice. AI governance maturity further amplifies the positive path from explainable AI capability to financial decision quality through a significant interaction term of 0.436. The results indicate that explainability by itself cannot guarantee high quality financial decisions; smart organizations must therefore pair understandable AI systems and timely analytics with model validation, human oversight, continuous monitoring, auditability, and explicit accountability.
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ENHANCING SMALLHOLDER AND RETAILER COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH EFFICIENT AND DYNAMIC VEGETABLE SUPPLY CHAINS IN CAMBODIA
Abstract
The study examined strategies for improving the competitiveness of smallholder farmers and retailers through efficient and dynamic vegetable supply chains in Cambodia. The study was motivated by persistent challenges relating to fragmented marketing systems, inadequate post-harvest infrastructure, weak governance coordination, and limited market integration, which constrain the performance of the vegetable sector. The study was grounded in Dynamic Capabilities Theory, which explains how organisations and supply-chain actors develop, integrate, and reconfigure resources and capabilities to respond effectively to changing market conditions. The study was conducted using a mixed-methods research design that consisted of a cross-sectional survey of 420 smallholder vegetable producers, 85 key informant interviews, and six focus group discussions. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, ANOVA, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), while the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The results show that the respondents strongly agreed that efficient supply chains are important in improving competitiveness, household income, and retailer profitability. Supply-chain efficiency and governance coordination explained 66.3% of the variation in competitiveness (R2 = 0.663, R = 0.814), according to regression analysis. The regression model was statistically significant (F = 118.463; p < 0.001). Supply-chain efficiency had the strongest impact on competitiveness (β = 0.603, p < 0.001). Governance coordination improved supply-chain performance significantly (β = 0.384, p < 0.001). The SEM also revealed a significant positive effect of supply-chain efficiency on competitiveness (β = 0.684, p < 0.001) and governance coordination on supply-chain performance (β = 0.592, p < 0.001). The study found that efficient logistics, collaborative governance, digital innovation, market integration, and better post-harvest systems are essential to boost competitiveness. It is recommended that Cambodia develop resilient and sustainable vegetable supply chains through strengthening agricultural cooperatives, expanding cold-chain and storage infrastructure, promoting digital market information systems, improving stakeholder collaboration, and increasing government investment in supportive policies and rural infrastructure.
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THE DIGITAL MODE OF PRODUCTION AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE ERA OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Abstract
This study examines the relationship between the digital mode of production and the transformation of the higher education model, using the Ho Chi Minh University of Banking as an empirical case study. Based on a political economy and educational governance framework, the research demonstrates that big data and artificial intelligence are restructuring the division of labor, thereby requiring higher education institutions to shift from a closed knowledge-transmission model toward an open, co-creative digital university ecosystem. In the case of HUB, the study identifies two key pillars of transformation: the restructuring of interdisciplinary digital-oriented curricula and data-driven training governance associated with a tripartite collaboration model. The findings provide significant scientific foundations for policy formulation and contribute to the development of high-quality human resources in the digital era.
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The Lying Cycle: A Neurophysiological Account of Deception and Its Implications for Polygraph Examination
Abstract
A lie does not begin at the moment it is spoken. It begins earlier, in the brain, as a plan, and it ends up in the body as measurable psychophysiological changes. This is the premise polygraph examination has always worked from, and this paper tries to spell out the sequence in more detail than is usually offered. This paper proposes a four-stage model of the deceptive act — planning, execution, concealment, and confrontation — and argues that what a polygraph records at each relevant question is best understood as a sympathetic nervous system reaction to specific threat, and may be viewed also as a direct behavioral signature of lying itself, since lying so often functions as the mechanism by which an offense is concealed. The paper works through the supporting literature on cognitive load, brain imaging of deception, and autonomic Psychophysiology, and makes the case that reactivity tracks salience: whatever most threatens an examinee’s safety or standing will pull more of that person’s attention, psychology and physiology than a comparably phrased but low-stakes question, guilty or not. I also address, deliberately and at some length, the scientific criticism the polygraph has attracted for decades, because a paper that argues for the underlying mechanism without acknowledging the method’s documented limits would not be an honest one. The paper closes with what this means in practice: how an examiner might use the concept of salience and the stages of the Lying Cycle to build better questions, run a more disciplined pre-test interview, and interpret results with appropriate caution.
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Strong Men, Weak Institutions: X-Raying Intraparty Democracy in Nigeria's Fourth Republic
Abstract
The consolidation of democracy in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic has remained a subject of intense scholarly debate, particularly in relation to the internal functioning of political parties. While Nigeria has sustained uninterrupted civilian rule since 1999, the quality of its democracy is often questioned due to persistent deficiencies in intraparty democracy. This study interrogates the interplay between “strong men” and “weak institutions” in shaping intraparty democracy in Nigeria. It argues that the dominance of powerful political elites, combined with fragile institutional frameworks, had significantly undermined democratic practices within political parties. Drawing on Elite Theory and Institutional Theory, the study adopted a qualitative research approach using secondary data sources, including academic literature, electoral reports, and documented cases from major political parties such as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). The findings reveal that intraparty democracy in Nigeria is largely characterized by elite manipulation, lack of transparency, and the monetization of political processes. Party primaries are frequently marred by irregularities, including vote buying, imposition of candidates, and exclusion of grassroots members from decision-making processes. The study further finds that weak institutional structures exacerbate these challenges. Again, the study observed that frequent party defections, factional crises, and electoral disputes are symptomatic of deeper structural issues within the party system. This study therefore concludes that, strengthening intraparty democracy is essential for democratic consolidation in Nigeria and finally, recommended critical reforms, aimed at enhancing institutional capacity, promoting transparency in party processes, and reducing the influence of money in politics. By addressing these challenges, Nigeria can move towards a more inclusive and sustainable democracy
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IDENTIFICATION AND GOVERNANCE OF INTELLECTUAL ASSETS IN VIETNAMESE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Abstract
This article explores intellectual asset governance as a catalyst for developing innovation-driven universities in Vietnam. While higher education institutions are central to creating and managing intellectual assets-from scientific research to digital learning tools-their capacity to identify, protect, and commercialize these resources remains limited. The study proposes a comprehensive life-cycle governance framework that treats intellectual assets as strategic endogenous resources. By leveraging digital transformation-specifically AI, big data, and digital platforms-as strategic infrastructure, universities can enhance intellectual property protection, streamline digital provenance, and strengthen university-industry collaboration, thereby converting academic knowledge into tangible socio-economic value within the innovation ecosystem
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Evolution of Nigeria as a Political Unit: The Amalgamation of 1914
Abstract
The amalgamation of Northern and Southern Protectorates dresses in a toga of unity that prizes Nigeria as the most populous Black nation on the face of the planet Earth. Thus, the combination of its resources and human capital edification makes her the giant and pride of the Negro world. It is therefore the contention of this paper that whatsoever 1914 amalgamation stands in Nigeria’s contemporary discourses, it’s the greatest thing that has happened to Nigeria and Africa in disguise. The paper employed both primary and secondary sources of data collection as well as content analysis to query the nature, context, and consequences of the amalgamation of 1914 on contemporary Nigeria. Relying on the historical approach to diagnose the 1914 amalgamation process reveals that, it’s loaded with readings of amalgamation of many modern nations as part of the historical process for the construction of diverse identities. The paper however submits that Great Britain, United States of America, Germany, and many others for examples had benefited from the amalgamation constructs of diverse identities. The paper however drives that the 1914 amalgamation is critical in the historical construction of a Nigerian identity for analysis.
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CHANGES IN RECORDED CRIME ACROSS MILITARY DEPLOYMENT PHASES IN HAVANA, WINDHOEK (2017–2022)
Abstract
This study evaluates whether the joint deployment of the Namibian Defence Force with the Namibian Police Force and the Windhoek City Police under Operation Hornkranz and Operation Kalahari Desert produced measurable and durable changes in reported crime in the Havana Informal Settlement of Windhoek, Namibia, over the 2017–2022 observation window. The study used administrative crime records from the Namibian Police Force Wanaheda station and the Windhoek City Police, segmented into seven offence categories across three consecutive epochs: pre-deployment, active deployment, and post-deployment. Analysis applied interrupted time-series logic supported by one-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, the Friedman non-parametric test, and Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons, with normality and sphericity pre-tests governing test choice. The deployment produced a statistically significant in-window decline in total recorded crime, followed by a sharp post-withdrawal rebound, yielding a statistically non-significant net change across the full window. Reductions were largest and most sustained for weapons and firearms offences, while regulatory offences inflated under expanded enforcement. The trajectory is consistent with transient-guardianship, rather than structural, crime prevention. Military deployments of this type deliver tactical deterrence rather than durable safety. Enduring gains require civilian-specific rules of engagement, codified exit strategies, independent oversight, and parallel investment in civilian-policing capacity. This is the first settlement-level administrative-statistical evaluation of military-supported urban crime prevention in Namibia, providing a replicable analytic template for similar informal-settlement contexts in the Southern African Development Community.
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INSTITUTIONALIZING MERITOCRACY IN NIGERIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES: A STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO
Abstract
This research investigates the challenges and prospects of institutionalizing meritocracy in Nigerian public universities, using the University of Uyo as a case study. The central problem is the persistent tension between merit-based recruitment and promotion, on the one hand, and prebendal practices where appointments are influenced by ethnic, political, and personal connections on the other. Drawing on prebendalism and institutional theory as analytical lenses, the study adopts a mixed-methods design involving surveys of academic and non-academic staff, key informant interviews, and analysis of university recruitment records. The study addresses three research questions concerning the prebendal practices hindering meritocratic recruitment, their effects on staff recruitment and promotion, and the reforms needed to institutionalize meritocracy. Quantitative data from 400 respondents are analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data from 20 key informants and document analysis are analyzed thematically. Findings reveal that prebendal practices are prevalent in recruitment and promotion at the University of Uyo, manifesting through ethnic favouritism, political interference, and patron-client relationships. These practices significantly undermine institutional quality, staff morale, and the credibility of academic credentials. The study recommends the development of transparent merit-based frameworks, robust monitoring mechanisms, and capacity building for ethical governance. The findings will inform policy recommendations for university governing councils, the NUC, and the Federal Ministry of Education. The study addresses the National Research Fund's thematic area of Governance, Politics, Law and Ethics, and aligns with its goals of national relevance, policy impact, innovation, capacity building, and evidence-based research.