Vietnam Journal of Education

Developing University Students’ Statistical Reasoning via a Research-informed Course

Binh Tri Huynh — 2024-03-30

Statistical reasoning (SR) is an essential skill for students in studying statistics. This study aims to develop SR for university students through an appropriately designed course in statistics. Employing a quasi-experimental design, this study evaluated students' SR changes as they participated in a research-informed statistics course, designed to integrate statistical reasoning. The results showed that the course helps students improve their SR, with their scores increased by 23% from the pre-test to the post-test. Specifically, the SR scores on measures of central tendency of the experimental class increased by 8%; while the SR scores on the measures of variability of the experimental class increased by 34%. Suggestions about curriculum and teaching are included, such as offering opportunities for statistical investigations with real data; going deeper into building and understanding formulas; and training lecturers to teach statistics using approaches that are different from traditional teaching methods, as well as evaluating students' statistical learning with reliable tools.

Investigating Professional Development Policy and Practice for Educational Policy-Makers in Vietnam: An Exploratory Study

Cuong Huu Nguyen — 2024-03-30

There has been a large number of studies concerning professional development at the micro level. However, little research has been particularly conducted to investigate professional development at the macro level. This study aims to explore professional development policy and practice in a Vietnamese government department. Using a qualitative with two focus group discussions including 11 participants and semi-structured interviews with 14 people, the study investigates professional development for state policy-makers in testing and quality assurance in Vietnam. Results show that these government officials themselves actively looked for professional development programmes together with receiving support from their organisational leaders. The research findings also reveal that top-down and bottom-up professional development mechanisms are being implemented. However, professional development policy has not been documented in this government agency. It is suggested that professional development policy aligned with best practices should be discussed, developed and evaluated by agency members and soon approved by the agency’s leader.

Insights into Homeschooling in Vietnam: Vietnamese Parents’ Perspectives and Approaches to Cultivating Mother Language Skills and Literary Appreciation for their Children

Tinh Thanh Thi Le — 2024-03-30

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, homeschooling has emerged as a viable alternative in Vietnam, raising questions about its effectiveness compared to traditional schooling. While offering personalized learning and cultural immersion, concerns remain regarding social development, academic rigor, and systemic recognition. This qualitative study delves into the experiences of Vietnamese homeschooling families, utilizing semi-structured interviews to uncover thematic patterns in parental narratives. We explore how parents navigate curriculum design, resource utilization, and social interaction to foster their children’s Vietnamese language fluency and literary appreciation. By analyzing their strategies and challenges, our findings inform educational policymakers in developing support systems for homeschooling families and guide parents in creating enriching learning environments. This study opens a crucial dialogue on the future of homeschooling in Vietnam, encouraging stakeholders to explore its potential and address its limitations to ensure every child receives a high-quality education.

Factors Contributing to Academic Boredom among English-Major Students at Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Anh Lan Thi Phan — 2024-03-30

Academic boredom can detrimentally impact students' motivation, engagement, and academic performance. Recognizing the challenges faced by English-major students at Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh city, the authors of this paper conducted a study to investigate the underlying factors contributing to academic boredom within this specific academic context. A quantitative research method was employed in the current study to investigate the antecedents of academic boredom among the English-majored students. The population of this study consists of 427 English language majors at Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A convenience sampling method was utilized. Correlation and regression analyses were used to explore the relationships between the antecedent factors and academic boredom among students. The findings reveal a combination of internal and external factors contributing to boredom. It was also found that the most common causes of boredom are the students’ attitude toward their learning and the university’s environment while no significant correlation was observed between the level of boredom and teaching contents, teaching methods and pedagogical style. Some implications concerning how to reduce EFL classroom boredom are also presented in this paper.

Examining the Factor Structure of the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire in the Vietnamese Educational Context

Dat Van Tran — 2024-03-30

In contemporary organizational research, organizational commitment has emerged as a crucial concept in comprehending employees' behavior within the workplace, reflecting their identification with an organization and dedication to its objectives. Despite its significance, the existing literature reveals a scarcity of research on this subject within the Vietnamese educational context. Therefore, the primary objective of the current study was to validate the factor structure of the 24-item Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) in Vietnam. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to analyze the data obtained from 706 high school teachers. The results obtained from the factorial analyses strongly support the validity of the three-factor model of the original OCQ, which comprises affective commitment, continuance commitment, and normative commitment. The results include statistical measures such as factor loadings, eigenvalues, and variance explained, indicating how well the observed data align with the proposed three-factor model. This validation is crucial for understanding and measuring organizational commitment within the Vietnamese settings. Educational researchers can rely on these findings to better assess teachers’ commitment within schools. This study suggests further examining the reliability and validity of the OCQ with a wide range of participants among teachers at both elementary and secondary school levels.

Changes in Vietnamese University Students’ Attitudes towards English Reading via an Extensive Reading Project: A Tri-Component Model Analysis

Ly Huong Nguyen — 2023-12-30

Whether or not extensive reading transforms Vietnamese university students’ attitudes towards reading using a tri-component analysis model is an uncharted area. This study delved into the reading attitudes of English majors concerning their cognitive, conative, and affective dimensions through a two-month extensive reading (ER) project. Participants were composed of 26 first-year students at a large urban university in Vietnam. Research instruments included a pre-project questionnaire, a post-project questionnaire and book records. The findings revealed a positive change in the students’ reading attitudes, characterized by reinforced belief in the benefits of reading, heightened positive feelings, and an increased intent to read. Recommendations for practice and further research were provided and discussed.