Vietnam Journal of Education

Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) Tools and Processes Used by Vietnamese Universities: Implications for Continuous Improvement

Hien Thu Thi Ta — 2024-06-28

Based on Martin’s and Parikh’s (2017) model of quality assurance, this research investigated the extent to which higher education institutions in Vietnam developed Internal quality assurance (IQA) processes and tools in five aspects: teaching and learning, students’ employability, research, governance, revenues and community services, and international affairs. This study surveyed university leaders, middle managers, faculty members, and support staff from 13 universities. These universities were recruited from 44 universities in a city in Vietnam using a stratified sampling technique. It was found that (a) these universities used two common IQA tools (student course experiences and students’ satisfaction) to ensure and improve the quality of teaching and learning, (b) most universities developed and used all surveyed IQA tools to assure the quality of student services as well as to promote students’ employability, (c) as regards governance-related IQA tools, most universities only focused on units’ evaluation, and (d) the participating universities reported limited use of tools to assure revenues and community services and international affairs. Based on the findings of this study, the paper offers implications for universities in Vietnam to enhance quality and develop a management information system to analyze data collected from these tools for quality improvement.

Vietnam’s STEM Education Landscape: Evolution, Challenges, and Policy Interventions

Phuong Lan Nguyen — 2024-06-30

In Vietnam, national policies increasingly prioritize STEM education, recognizing its critical role in developing future workforce skills. However, significant gaps remain between policy and practice. Currently, STEM education in Vietnam is primarily found in extracurricular activities, with limited systematic integration into the formal curriculum. Key challenges include inadequate teacher capacity, insufficient resources, sociocultural biases, and difficulties in translating national STEM goals into classroom practices. Future research should focus on several key areas to further strengthen STEM education in Vietnam. Evaluating effective curriculum models will help integrate STEM into the core curriculum more systematically. Assessing professional development programs will ensure that teacher training initiatives are effective and impactful. Addressing sociocultural biases is necessary to promote diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. Analyzing regional collaboration networks can identify best practices and foster knowledge sharing among ASEAN countries. Implementing context-specific reforms will ensure that solutions are tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities in Vietnam. Addressing these priorities will enable Vietnam to make informed decisions, strengthen STEM education, and develop a skilled workforce for sustainable economic growth.

Implementing Outcome-Based Education in Higher Education Programs: A Multiple Case Study in Vietnam and Laos

Cuong Huu Nguyen — 2024-06-27

Outcome-based education (OBE) has been an effective framework for teaching, learning and assessment of many higher education institutions worldwide for the past few decades. This study aims to investigate the OBE implementation in four universities across Vietnam and Laos. A multiple case study with personal reflection and document analysis was employed to identify the achievements and obstacles. The research results show that the OBE implementation changed lesson plans and classroom activities, and enhanced student engagement within the teaching and learning processes. However, teachers and students encountered challenges when they implemented OBE in their lessons. The paper concludes that despite the difficulties in implementation, the student-centered approach of OBE exerted a positive influence on student learning in the investigated institutions.

Analysis of Academic Program Review from U.S. Higher Education Institutions: Implementation and Implications for Vietnamese HEIs

Nhung Tuyet Thi Pham — 2024-06-28

Assessing the effectiveness and quality of academic programs in higher education is a fundamental task to ensure the long-term viability of a university. This responsibility falls primarily on administrative bodies such as the Ministry of Education and Training and higher education accreditation agencies. This qualitative study examines the handbooks for academic program review from ten US universities, representing various institutional types. These include three research universities (two public and one private not-for-profit), three master's universities (two public and one private not-for-profit), and four bachelor's universities (two public and two private not-for-profit), as classified by the Carnegie Classification system. The thematic analysis of these handbooks reveals three key components: Comprehensive process and procedure, resources to support the implementation of academic program review, and peer evaluation. Recommendations are proposed for Vietnamese higher education institutions to adapt and integrate these practices effectively, thereby enhancing the internal quality assurance of academic programs.

Organizing Activities for Chemistry Pedagogy Students to Research and Practice Extracting Cajeput Essential Oils from Melaleuca Leaves Using the CDIO Approach

Giac Cu Cao — 2024-06-28

The philosophy in teacher training is geared towards students' excitement and passion for what the teacher will do in the role of the "Soul Engineer" in high schools. That philosophy in the CDIO approach is in the direction of developing the core competencies for graduates, Conceive - Design - Implement – Operate the teaching and educational process in the context of school educational innovation towards standardization, modernization, socialization, democratization and international integration. With the goal of researching the process of organizing the teaching of practical chemical experiments based on the CDIO standards to develop experimental competence for chemistry pedagogical students, the authors used an experimental method through instructing students to extract cajuput essential oil and implementing 14 teaching activities with this experiment. Drawing on the CDIO-based teaching standards, we have built a practical chemistry process to form and develop the competencies for students in chemistry pedagogy. Based on that process, we organized teaching activities and experimented with: (1) Extracting cajeput essential oil by the steam attraction method; (2) The process of preparing an antiseptic solution supplementing the extracted pure cajeput essential oil. The experimental data confirms that the CDIO teaching model applies effectively to chemistry practical exercises for pedagogical students.

Examining the Impact of University Teaching Quality on Learning Engagement: A Cross-sectional Study in Vietnam

Trung Dang Nguyen — 2024-06-11

This study aims to explore the impact of teaching quality on learning engagement, with the objective of crafting a framework for enhancing educational quality management in higher education institutions. To achieve this goal, the study employed a theoretical model of education assessment originating from Western contexts and applied it to a research sample from Vietnam. By adapting two measurement tools and testing methodologies, the study assesses the relationship between teaching quality and academic engagement. Our study involves 244 graduate students and alumni from a Vietnamese university, with an average age of 41.8 (SD = 6.41), comprising 166 female students (68%). Results from factor analysis, reliability analysis, and correlation analysis underscore the reliability and validity of our scale for measuring course experience as a proxy for teaching quality. Furthermore, hierarchical multiple regression analysis reveals a significant correlation between course experience, reflecting the quality of teaching activities, and students’ learning engagement. Discussions of the research limitations and future research directions are also indicated in this paper.