مطالب

The current paper intends to exploit the Many Facet Rasch Model to investigate and compare the impact of situations (items) and raters on test takers' performance on the Written Discourse Completion Test (WDCT) and Discourse Self-Assessment Tests (DSAT). In this study, the participants were 110 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students at Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan in Iran. The students were asked to complete the WDCT and rate themselves on that test. Four raters scored the WDCT tests. According to the FACETS results, there were significant differences in students' performance between the two methods. The stable fit statistics and differing levels of difficulty measures for each test method indicated that each test had a unique way of differentiating the test taker's pragmatic ability. Based on the results, both DSAT and WDCT are acceptable measures for pragmatic ability; however, there are some fitness problems in DSAT. This shows the unpredictable pattern of ratings in the DSAT. It is recommended to have rater training to obtain more accurate results from the DSAT. Finally, the implications were discussed.

According to Kant, the lack of progress in metaphysics is due to the fact that philosophers tried to solve metaphysical problems without examining the limits of our reason, and the outcome of these endeavors has been a dogmatic metaphysics fraught with contradictions and tensions. Then, after examining the types of cognition, he concludes that in order to determine the limits of reason's capacity, one must answer the question: “How are synthetic a priori judgments possible?” Some contemporary Islamic philosophers have sought to answer this question inspired by the teachings of Islamic philosophy. One solution involves resorting to conceptual relations that make the synthetic a priori judgments possible, while another solution is to deny outright the a priori/a posteriori and analytic/synthetic distinctions of cognition. In this paper, using a comparative-analytical method, I demonstrate that these two solutions are unsuccessful. The proposed alternative is to consider the possibility of such propositions as fundamental and in no need of further explanation. This suggestion seems to be simpler and fully consistent with the teachings of Islamic philosophy.

The traditional conception of sovereign immunity, rooted in the notion of absolute state authority, increasingly conflicts with contemporary demands for justice and accountability. This article proposes a reconceptualization of sovereign immunity through an Islamic political framework that views sovereignty not as an inherent entitlement but as a divine trust (‘amāna’) conditional upon the realization of justice (‘ʿadl’) and the promotion of public welfare (‘maṣlaḥa’). From this perspective, immunity must serve the purpose of protecting legitimate sovereign functions rather than shielding violations of individual rights. By analyzing the evolution from absolute to restrictive immunity in international law and aligning it with Islamic governance principles, the study argues for a justice-centered model where immunity is granted selectively, contingent upon the sovereign’s adherence to ethical and legal obligations. This trust-based understanding ensures that sovereignty remains a mechanism for the preservation of human dignity and the prevention of oppression (‘ẓulm’), rather than a barrier to accountability. The article advocates for a normative shift toward recognizing sovereign responsibility as intrinsic to sovereign rights, offering a new lens through which contemporary debates on immunity can be assessed.

This study aimed to examine the mediating role of executive functioning in the relationship between parental involvement and math achievement among children with learning disabilities. A descriptive correlational research design was employed, involving 379 Malaysian parents of children aged 9 to 12 years diagnosed with learning disabilities. Participants were selected using stratified random sampling based on the Morgan and Krejcie (1970) sample size determination table. Data were collected using three validated instruments: the Parent and School Survey (PASS) to assess parental involvement, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to measure children's executive functioning, and the Math Composite of the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–Third Edition (WIAT-III) for math achievement. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted using SPSS version 27, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using AMOS version 21 to test the hypothesized mediation model and assess the model fit. Pearson correlation results indicated significant positive relationships among all variables: parental involvement and executive functioning (r = .41, p < .001), parental involvement and math achievement (r = .36, p < .001), and executive functioning and math achievement (r = .48, p < .001). The SEM revealed an acceptable model fit (χ²/df = 1.84, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.045), and confirmed that executive functioning significantly mediated the effect of parental involvement on math achievement. Both the direct effect (β = 0.26, p < .01) and the indirect effect through executive functioning (β = 0.18, p < .001) were statistically significant. The findings underscore the importance of executive functioning as a cognitive mechanism through which parental involvement enhances mathematical performance in children with learning disabilities. Educational interventions should integrate strategies to strengthen both parental engagement and children’s executive functioning skills to optimize academic outcomes.