Institutional and Societal Transformations in the Era of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence: Multidisciplinary Approaches

Abstract

The journal Multidisciplinary Research Horizons in Social and Human Sciences presents its third issue to readers and researchers, pursuing its commitment to approaching contemporary issues through cognitive perspectives where education intersects with sociology, and history converges with literature and anthropology. The unifying thread of this issue centers on a core problematic: institutional and societal transformations in the era of digitalization and artificial intelligence, and their impact on pedagogical practices and social configurations. Technology today has become a defining determinant reshaping our identity, educational institutions, social relations, and even our access to essential services.

In this context, the issue opens with a study examining the intersections of digital transformation with instructional practice, reviewing the competency-based approach in teaching the Arabic language within the context of digital transformation, using the "Pioneering Middle School" (Établissements Pionniers) project as an analytical case. This provides an impetus for re-evaluating and refining didactic models, as seen in the article proposing the functional integration of natural sciences and human sciences to develop the teaching of Islamic Education in Moroccan secondary qualifying education.

This educational concern remains inseparable from issues of vulnerable groups and reintegration; the issue highlights the "pedagogy of success in second-chance schools (new generation)" in an effort to comprehend the mechanisms of educational reintegration. Confronted with this instrumental and digital acceleration, a critical and philosophical pause defending the essence of the educational process becomes imperative. This is delivered through an analytical reading of Philippe Meirieu's book, raising the existential question: "Who still wants teachers?", in an overt defense of the teaching profession against the encroachment of artificial intelligence.

Alongside educational and didactic inquiries, the issue engages with questions of society, history, and spatial dynamics. The sociological approach is prominently positioned to question tech-related territorial disparities through an empirical field study on "The Digitalization of Healthcare Services and Citizen Inclusion Amid the Digital Divide and Spatial Disparities" (Driouch Province, the City of Midar as a Case Study), underscoring the urgent need for digital justice alongside social justice. At the intersections of history, education, and values, the issue features a descriptive study investigating the "Epistemology of Universal Values Through the Prophetic Hijra," followed by cross-disciplinary explorations of history and anthropology in "Anthropological Insights from the Black Sea Regions," and a methodological reading of hagiographic literature (Adab al-Manaqib) and how medieval historians utilize hagiographies in historical inquiry. The issue concludes with a perspective on literary criticism and narrative analysis through an applied study examining the "Narrative Structure in the Short Story Collection Rida' al-Zill (The Robe of Shadow) by Youssef Ben Tayeb," addressing thematic dimensions, character dynamics, and the semantics of spatial setting.

We hope the articles in this issue offer a qualitative contribution and open new horizons for rigorous research and scholarly discourse. We take this opportunity to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation to all researchers who enriched this issue with their valuable contributions, and to the esteemed members of the scientific and editorial boards for their continuous efforts in peer-reviewing and elevating the quality of the published work.