Pyatigorsk State University

Mobile messaging surged as a teaching aid during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns, yet its evidence base in integrated science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education remains fragmented. Guided by Arksey-O’Malley and Joanna Briggs Institute scoping protocols, this review systematically searched Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC for peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and 2024 that embedded WhatsApp in STEAM learning. Twenty-one studies satisfied the requirements. Seventy-two percent of the applications were for math or science, and there weren’t many for engineering, technology, or, especially, the arts. This shows a clear imbalance between the fields. Most of the studies were short, cross-sectional, or qualitative; only four used experimental or longitudinal designs. Most of the reported benefits were in problem-solving, working together, and grasping concepts. The impact sizes were moderate, and there wasn’t much testing of higher-order skills like creativity, design thinking, and creative expression. Low data costs and user familiarity made it easy for people to start using it quickly, but too many messages, privacy problems, and exhaustion from interacting with too many people–especially in groups with more than fifty members–threatened long-term use. There was still not much evidence on fairness, ethics, and long-term learning. The review suggests (1) broadening the focus of the disciplines to include engineering, technology, and the arts, (2) using stronger, more complex research designs, (3) incorporating validated tools that measure advanced STEAM skills, and (4) including clear privacy and ethics guidelines to support long-lasting, scalable practice. The results together lay out a study plan for moving mobile instant messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, from being used as a one-off pilot to making strong, balanced contributions to STEAM teaching.

The article presents an in-depth analysis of the role of cinematic epigraphs as pivotal paratextual components that facilitate the interference of discourses in English-language cinema. The study aims to uncover the mechanisms through which epigraphs expand the interpretive horizons of films, activate external cultural codes, and contribute to the creation of layered semantic structures. Special attention is given to how epigraphs influence viewer perception by establishing intellectual and emotional frameworks prior to the commencement of the main narrative. The paper examines specific examples from various feature films, illustrating how epigraphs set the conceptual tone of the narrative, engage in tense dialogues with the plot, or encourage comparative analyses of different semantic layers. Additionally, a typology of interactions between the epigraph and the cinematic text is proposed, encompassing unison, dissonance, and comparative interplay, thereby highlighting the multifunctionality and adaptability of these paratextual elements within the context of discursive interference practices. The findings emphasize the significance of cinematic epigraphs in shaping a comprehensive and multifaceted perception of filmic works, as well as their role in fostering critical thinking and interdisciplinary interpretations among audiences.

The article is devoted to identifying and analyzing speech behavior of mayors during a pandemic from the point of view of linguoculturology and intercultural communication. The aim of the article is to study the specifics of speech behavior of representatives of the executive branch in various linguocultures, to identify and systematize the features of mayor speech behavior based on the world’s largest megacities during the pandemic. To achieve the goal we turned to modern studies of political communication, both domestic and foreign, in particular: parliamentary discourse, government officer discourse (presidents, prime ministers), as well as public figure speech in the blogosphere. Studying the language strategies and tactics used by government officers reveals how they persuade people to follow rules and restrictions, explain complex concepts, and manage conflicts and contradictions. This study is focused on the problem of the mayor speech behavior; speeches of the mayors of London, Washington, and Moscow, in particular interviews, their video and text messages on municipal portals, personal pages, other information platforms (YouTube, VK, Telegram, TV news channels) are used as material. The novelty of this study lies in identifying and analyzing specific features of the mayors’ speech, which they recurrently use in their addressing the public. The study shows that the use of various linguistic means of expression by mayors contributes to the harmony between discourse and activation of certain emotions in listeners. Depending on the events in the political arena or city social sphere, mayors change their tone and use certain linguistic means to evoke sympathy or indignation with listeners. Moreover, the authors argue that speech behavior of mayors is, on the one hand, linked with cultural and social factors in their countries, and, on the other, is determined by the personality characteristics of the mayor himself/herself.

The aim of this study is to find the relationship between problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and new media literacy (NML) among Sechenov University, Pyatigorsk State University, and Kuban State University in Russia students where the study is under progress. The study was conducted using a quantitative approach and included 425 undergraduate students. The data was evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM); the findings revealed a complex relationship between NML and PMPU. The results revealed that whilst functional production-consumption had a negative effect, functional consumption and critical production-consumption had a beneficial effect on social dissonance. It was noted that cognitive effects were affected differently by the NML aspects. Multiple group analysis based on gender showed that NML affects PMPU differently depending on gender. These findings imply that in some situations good media literacy may encourage problematic behavior rather than always resulting in low problematic use. The report underlines that media literacy initiatives should go beyond mere technical knowledge to increase awareness about sensible and balanced technology use. Furthermore covered are recommendations for next studies and constraints of the study.

This study investigates the pragmatic-semantic aspects of the hyperbolized representation (caricaturization) of gluttony within the discursive space of M. Amis’s novel “Money: A Suicide Note.” It analyzes both direct nominations and metaphorically reinterpreted linguistic resources that contribute to the creation of a parodic image of the fat man and glutton at the sentence level and within a broader intratextual context. The underlying mechanisms that construct a typified situation of gluttony and its consequences are unveiled. The use of cognitive dissonance is characterized as a device that aids in shaping the comic figure of the protagonist in the novel. The author emphasizes Amis’s iterative approach to constructing a caricatured archetypal image of the hedonist and glutton through a variety of lexico-semantic, stylistic, and contextually-cognitive tools, noting their high discursive density. Cognitive-linguistic mechanisms for representing the theme of gluttony in a caricatural and hyperbolized manner are identified. The findings open new horizons for exploring pragmatic-semantic resources and the cognitive-discursive potential of verbal manifestations of the contemporary issue of selfish lifestyles. The connotative and emotive multidimensionality of the caricatured verbal image is defined.

To achieve the goals of balanced development of the agricultural sector to ensure food security, there is a need to improve management processes in the sphere of agricultural land use. The aim of the article is to provide a rationale for the ecological-economic management of land resources based on agricultural zoning to improve the efficiency of agricultural enterprises. Research gaps include the need for detailed studies on localized ecological impacts and long-term outcomes of AZ-based land redistribution on soil health and agricultural productivity. Based on the analysis of documents (sources) and an expert survey, this study proposes a framework for ecological-economic management of agricultural land resources in Kazakhstan through agricultural zoning (AZ), aiming to optimize the allocation of grasslands, pastures, arable land, and water resources. Based on document analysis and expert surveys, an optimal land ratio of approximately 30% meadows/pastures, 20% arable land, and 20% water is recommended, aligned with practices in Western Europe and North America. The study suggests measures for sustainable land use, including transferring degraded lands to pasture, preferential taxation for ecologically clean production, and financial incentives for restoring and conserving land. These strategies aim to increase agricultural productivity, meet international quality standards, and support sustainable food security through enhanced land use planning and policy. Scientific novelty of the obtained results relates to the improvement of ecological-economic management of land resources at agricultural enterprises in the conditions of zoning, considering the potential of the agricultural zones of Kazakhstan.