Academic Program Evaluation: A Constructive Alignment Perspective Combined with AUN-QA’s Criteria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52296/vje.2025.485-
Downloads
How to Cite
Abstract
Evaluation is the core component of the cyclical process for academic program administration. This paper aims to investigate learners’ evaluation of the constructive alignment (CA), i.e. alignment of course learning outcomes, teaching and learning activities, and assessment tasks, of a Master’s program in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) in a Vietnamese public university. As direct beneficiaries, learners and their feedback and recommendations are considered for proper actions regarding programs’ quality assurance (QA) and administration. To achieve its aim, the current research applied a descriptive mixed-methods study, using a questionnaire and focus group interviews to collect relevant information. Thirty-four graduates from the studied program answered the questionnaire, which was adapted from the program assessment framework by ASEAN University Network Quality-Assurance (AUN-QA). Twelve of these participants joined two focus group interviews, which helped to gauge in-depth understanding of the participants’ feedback and recommendations regarding curriculum development and implementation. The findings reveal that the participants were satisfied with the CA of the program, ranking it as ‘an example of best practices’ (an equivalent to the top second level of AUN-QA’s quality scale). It was, however, suggested that the CA should be enhanced to better serve the program’s quality assurance and administration.
Downloads
References
Adams, J. (2000). Taking charge of curriculum: Teacher networks and curriculum implementation. Teachers College Press.
Ansong, D., Okumu, M., Bowen, G. L., Walker, A. M., & Eisensmith, S. R. (2017). The role of parent, classmate, and teacher support in student engagement: Evidence from Ghana. International Journal of Educational Development, 54, 51-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2017.03.010
ASEAN University Network (2020). Guide to ANU-QA Assessment at Programme Level Version 4.0. Bangkok, Thailand: ASEAN University Network.
Beerkens, M., & Udam, M. (2017). Stakeholders in higher education quality assurance: Richness in diversity? Higher Education Policy, 30(3), 341-359. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-016-0032-6
Bharvad, A. J. (2010). Curriculum evaluation. International Research Journal, 1(12), 72-74.
Biggs, J. (1996). Enhancing teaching through constructive alignment. Higher Education, 32(3), 347-364.
Butt, B. Z., & Rehman, K. U. (2010). A study examining the students’ satisfaction in higher education. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2(2), 5446-5450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.888
Crane, R. S., & Griffith, G. M. (2021). Orientation and assessment. In R. S. Crane and G. M. Griffith (Eds). Essential Resources for Mindfulness Teachers (pp. 99-105). Routledge.
Dao, L. P., & Nguyen, C. Q. (eds.). (2021). Guide to ANU-QA Assessment at Programme Level Version 4.0. Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City.
De Jong, E. J. (2004). After Exit: Academic Achievement Patterns of Former English Language Learners. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12(50). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v12n50.2004
Fullan, M. (1996). Leadership for change. In K. A. Leithwood, J. Chapman, P. Corson, P. Hallinger, and A. Hart (Eds). International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration (pp. 701-722). Springer, Dordrecht.
Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hall, C. E. (2014). Toward a model of curriculum analysis and evaluation - Beka: A case study from Australia. Nurse Education Today, 34(3), 343-348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.04.007
Hanaysha, J. R., Abdullah, H. H., & Warokka, A. (2011). Service quality and students’ satisfaction at higher learning institutions: The competing dimensions of Malaysian universities’ competitiveness. The Journal of Southeast Asian Research, 2011, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.5171/2011.855931
Hines, R., & Henderson, A. (2017). Relationship between General Education Course Sequence and Student Success. Assessment in Practice. Urbana, IL: National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). https://www.learningoutcomesassessment.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/AiP_HinesHenderson.pdf
Kara, A. M., Tanui, E., & Kalai, J. M. (2016). Educational service quality and students’ satisfaction in public universities in Kenya. MMARAU Institutional Repository, 3(10), 37-48. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/6944
Kelly, K. (2000). The higher education system in Vietnam. World Education News and Reviews, 13(3), 5-6.
Kwatizhe, S. (2015). Factors affecting curriculum implementation for students. International Journal of Applied Research, 1(12), 984-986.
Le, T. T., & Le, M. X. (2020). English language teaching reforms in Vietnam: EFL teachers’ perceptions of their responses and the influential factors. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(1), 29-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2020.1846041
Le, V. C., Nguyen, H.T.M., Minh, N.T.T., & Barnard, R. (Eds.). (2019). Building Teacher Capacity in English Language Teaching in Vietnam: Research, Policy and Practice (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429457371
Peacock, R. (2009). Management of Change: Challenges and Opportunities. Design & Technology Teaching, 27(1), 6-7.
Pham, H. T. (2019). Limited legitimacy among academics of centrally driven approaches to internal quality assurance in Vietnam. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 41(2), 172-185. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2019.1565298
Pham, H. T., & Nguyen, C. H. (2020). Academic staff quality and the role of quality assurance mechanisms: The Vietnamese case. Quality in Higher Education, 26(3), 262-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2020.1761603
Richards, J. C. (2013). Curriculum approaches in language teaching: forward, central, and backward design. RELC Journal, 44(1), 5-33. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033688212473293
Shaltoni, A. M., Khraim, H., Abuhamad, A., & Amer, M. (2015). Exploring students’ satisfaction with universities’ portals in developing countries. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 32(2), 82-93. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijilt-12-2012-0042
Shurair, A. S., & Pokharel, S. (2019). Stakeholders’ perceptions of service quality: a case in Qatar. Quality Assurance in Education, 27(4), 493-510. https://doi.org/10.1108/qae-05-2017-0023
Taba, H. (1962). Curriculum Development Theory and Practice. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World.
Thijs, A., & Akker, J. V. D. (2009). Curriculum in development. Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development (SLO).
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Vietnam Journal of Education

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.