Call for Submissions

Special Issue in the Vietnam Journal of Education

QUALITATIVE JOURNEYS: REFLECTING ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS

Education, known for its interdisciplinary nature, intersects with fields such as economics, politics, sociology, history, and psychology. Analysis of educational issues, therefore, necessitates a diversity of research methods. Qualitative approaches have gained increasing prominence in academic research due to their ability to offer profound insights, connect with real-world contexts, and enable theoretical generalizations. Also, educational qualitative researchers have drawn on theories and methods from diverse fields, challenging the conventional boundaries between disciplines (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007; Creswell, 2015; Hatch, 2002; Ward & Delamont, 2020).

Discussions around qualitative research often transcend mere research methods. Indeed, qualitative research embodies a kaleidoscopic worldview, departing from the linear mode of thinking to invite us to navigate and understand the intricate mosaic of human society. This perspective acknowledges that the social world is crafted not just by physical elements but also by a wealth of inner experiences, life stories, and complex social dynamics. Qualitative research deepens our engagement with the world, revealing varied nuances, subtle interconnections, and constant evolutions, thereby unlocking our comprehension and interpretation of educational matters.

In Vietnam, qualitative research has been marginalized in favor of quantitative methods. This trend has been reinforced by decades of economic-focused development emphasizing indicators and quantitative measures. This bias is evident in educational policies and research, where the social sciences and humanities have not been afforded the same level of attention and resources as other areas, such as STEM and technology (Ho, 2023; Pham & Hayden, 2019). Yet, the complexities of modern society and its global challenges demand researchers to possess a more nuanced understanding and engage more rigorously with qualitative research, as it contributes to effectively addressing multifaceted educational and societal issues.

In this spirit, we invite you to participate in Qualitative Journeys, a project within VERI (Vietnam Educational Research Initiative) designed to foster reflection and discussion on our collective experiences with qualitative research — past, present, and future. Through this project, we aspire to advance the study and application of qualitative methodologies among educational researchers and practitioners in Vietnam. Quality contributions will be published in the Special Issue of the Vietnam Journal of Education (VJE) and a monograph on qualitative research (see details below).

Topics of Discussion

We welcome articles of various types (e.g., original research, reflections, systematic/integrative reviews, conceptual papers) adopting innovative approaches that are related to, but not limited to, the following issues:

• Using qualitative methods in educational studies (e.g., education policy, STEM education, language education, educational program assessment, multicultural education, education for sustainable development, inclusive education).
• Traditional qualitative research designs (e.g., narrative inquiry, qualitative case study, phenomenology, document/discourse analysis, ethnography, grounded theory) and their application in specific contexts.
• Potentials of emerging qualitative research approaches (e.g., post-qualitative inquiry, arts-based research, poetic inquiry, comparative case study, photovoice, design-based research, longitudinal research, big data for qualitative research, AI-assisted qualitative analysis, netnography).
• Researcher positionality and reflexivity.
• Qualitative approaches in mixed methods educational research.
• Challenges and opportunities in qualitative research’s fieldwork and implications for educational research.
• Experiences, approaches, and creative methods in analyzing and interpreting qualitative data.
• The role of theories in qualitative research.
• Teaching research methods and qualitative research.

Submission Guidelines

Abstract

Abstracts in Vietnamese or English should be sent by May 15, 2024 to the following email address: [email protected]

The abstract should not exceed 300 words (English) or 500 words (Vietnamese), including research questions/objectives, research methods, data sources, (expected) findings, and conclusions/ implications. If the abstract is accepted, the authors will receive a notification and an invitation to submit the full text (see Publication for more details).

Full Article

Papers must be original, unpublished works, and should not be under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Language of submission for the Special Issue in VJE: English

Length of full papers: 6,000 words (inclusive of the reference list) following the structure as specified at http://vje.vn/index.php/journal/submission-guidelines. Further instructions for the submission procedure will be provided later.

Writing Workshops

To encourage collaboration and support in the writing process, we will coordinate with relevant partners to organize small-scale seminars focusing on academic writing. Authors contributing articles to the Qualitative Journeys project will be encouraged to apply if interested. Workshop details, including time and place, will be announced when they are available.

Publication

After the peer review process, articles in English will be published in the Special Issue of the Vietnam Journal of Education (VJE). Any article ready for Online First publication can be published online as early as this year (2024).

Articles in Vietnamese will continue to be collected for the Qualitative Research Monograph project. Specific information about this book project will be sent to contributing authors and the VERI community.

Key dates

• Abstract submission: May 15, 2024
• Abstract selection notification: June 05, 2024
• Full paper submission: August 31, 2024
• First peer review result: September 30, 2024
• Revised manuscript submission: October 15, 2024
• Second peer review result (if any): November 1, 2024
• Complete manuscript submission: November 30, 2024

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Guest Editors

Dương Bích-Hằng, PhD - Arizona State University

Nguyễn Phương Thảo, PhD - Hanoi National University of Education, Vietnam

Nguyễn Thị Hạ Ni, PhD - University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City

References

Bogdan, R., & Biklen, S. K. (2007). Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theories and methods (Fifth edition). Pearson A & B.

Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (Fifth edition). Pearson.

Hatch, J. A. (2002). Doing qualitative research in education settings. Suny Press.

Ho, S. Q. (2023). Trí thức Việt Nam trong lĩnh vực khoa học xã hội và nhân văn: Thế mạnh và những rào cản. Tạp Chí Khoa Học Xã Hội và Nhân Văn, 2, 3–12. https://doi.org/10.56794/KHXHVN.2(182).3-12

Pham, L. T., & Hayden, M. (2019). Research in Vietnam: The Experience of the Humanities and Social Sciences. Journal of International and Comparative Education (JICE), 27–40. https://doi.org/10.14425/jice.2019.8.1.27

Ward, M. R. M., & Delamont, S. (2020). Handbook of Qualitative Research in Education. Edward Elgar Publishing.