Comparison of fluid intelligence in female and male high school students based on classic and item-response theories

Islamic civilization is one of the major civilizations that has significantly contributed to the development of science and education worldwide. During its golden age, it established educational institutions, fostered scholarly traditions, and produced influential scholars whose ideas continue to shape modern knowledge in the digital era. This article examines the relevance of Islamic civilizational values to the development of modern education through qualitative library research using thematic content analysis. The findings show that Islamic education was distinguished by four interrelated values, namely a strong culture of literacy, the integration of religious and general knowledge, an emphasis on moral formation (akhlak), and openness to knowledge from other civilizations, which together enabled scholars to advance science while upholding ethical and social responsibility. These values are highly relevant to addressing contemporary educational challenges, including declining critical literacy, uncritical dependence on digital technology and artificial intelligence, and the ongoing crisis of learners’ character. These values can inform the development of a modern educational system that integrates critical thinking, digital literacy, character education, and lifelong learning while maintaining moral and social responsibility.

ABSTRACT Introduction Anxiety is central to the psychotherapy process, yet psychotherapists routinely infer a client's anxiety intensity from observable behaviour rather than from formal measurement, with no widely accepted framework to organise which observable markers indicate which levels of anxiety. This exploratory study examined how therapists make such classifications. Method Ninety‐one mental health professionals were randomly assigned to classify 41 text‐described behavioural and physiological markers using either a 5‐level or a simplified 3‐level category system, both derived from an integrated model of state anxiety in psychotherapy. Results Response distributions departed significantly from uniformity for nearly all markers in both formats, and the rank ordering of markers by intensity was highly consistent across formats, suggesting that therapists may share broad intuitions about relative marker intensity. Which markers elicited agreement, however, was far less reproducible, depending substantially on the response format. Convergence also depended on where the agreement criterion was set, declining from 90.2% to 51.2% of markers in the 3‐level format and from 63.4% to 22.0% in the 5‐level format as the criterion rose from > 0.50 to > 0.70. The 3‐level format yielded more classifiable markers at every criterion, although this advantage was not consistent across indices, whereas the 5‐level format elicited fewer ‘Insufficient to Determine’ responses. Markers placed at the highest intensity levels were classified most consistently. Discussion These findings offer preliminary groundwork for research on marker operationalisation, contextualised rating tasks and the development of training materials for psychotherapy process research.

Student engagement positively influences academic achievement, yet instruments suited to the Indonesian cultural context remain limited. This study aimed to develop a valid, reliable, and user-friendly student engagement scale for high school students. Using a quantitative descriptive design, the study involved 295 male and female students aged 15–18 years recruited through convenience sampling. The scale comprised three dimensions: behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement. The results showed that the scale demonstrated a good model fit based on the goodness-of-fit indices (χ2/df = 1.60; CFI = 0.966; TLI = 0.962; SRMR = 0.074; RMSEA = 0.045) and good reliability, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.844 for emotional engagement, 0.753 for behavioral engagement, and 0.782 for cognitive engagement. The developed scale can be used by teachers, counselors, and educational researchers to identify students’ levels of engagement and inform the development of programs to improve student engagement.

The rapid digitalisation and technological advancements associated with Industry 4.0 are transforming work environments, job demands, and employee expectations across sectors. While these changes create new opportunities for flexibility, innovation, and productivity, they also introduce increased pressures that can affect workers’ psychological well-being in different ways. Emerging literature highlights mental health and well-being as critical concerns in the digital era, yet limited attention has been given to how these changes are experienced differently by men and women. This conceptual paper aims to examine gender differences in psychological well-being within the context of Industry 4.0, with a focus on work demands, work–life balance, and organisational support. Through a critical review of existing empirical and theoretical studies, a conceptual framework is proposed, drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) theory and supported by Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being model. This framework provides an understanding of how demands and resources associated with Industry 4.0 shape the well-being of men and women in both similar and different ways. The study offers insights for policymakers, organisations, and researchers in developing more inclusive and gender-sensitive strategies to support employee well-being in technology-driven workplaces and contributes to discussions on sustainable work and mental health in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Teacher assessment literacy has received increasing attention, yet evidence remains fragmented across studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized 18 studies comprising 21 independent samples using the ALI, CALI, and TALQ instruments. The pooled mean score was 16.48 (95% CI [14.86, 18.10]) on a 35-point scale, indicating low assessment literacy, with substantial between-study heterogeneity (I² = 99.21%). Publication year, geographical region, instrument type, teacher status, teaching level, and subject specialization were not significant moderators. This review provides the first quantitative benchmark of teacher assessment literacy across the ALI, CALI, and TALQ instruments and highlights the need to strengthen assessment literacy through pre-service education, continuous professional development, and context-responsive educational policies.