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number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 2,268
Shaking off the remnants from a long-lasting period of colonization and conflicts, the 35-year span from 1986 with multiple comprehensive reforms has transformed Vietnam from a country of war to an “emerging dragon” across all social and economic sectors, including education. Vietnam made an impressive success story of the efficiency of investment in education given its top position in the PISA average score ranking and international academic competitions. This article accounts for the major post-1986 changes of Vietnam’s education system, the country’s “success formula” as well as lapses. Recommendations for educational policymakers and educators regarding the role of the education sector in the coming ever-disruptive social and economic context will be discussed as concluding remarks.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 1,286
The transition from traditional (face-to-face) to online learning mode presents challenges and barriers to students globally. Reports on this issue during the pandemic show the various effects of barriers to online learning on their academic achievement. Some researchers have been interested in this issue. However, specific research on the group of students majoring in social sciences is still limited. To fill this research gap, this paper aims to build a theoretical framework on barriers to students’ learning in the online environment through a review of research papers, thereby examining the relationship between barriers and students’ academic achievement. The barriers identified in this study are Social Interaction, Academic Skills, Technical Skills, Learner Motivation, Time and Support for Studies. The Snowball sampling method was used, and the Google Forms application designed the questionnaire for data collection. The analytical data set included 482 records collected over 32 days from April 5th to May 6th, 2021. The results show the difference in demographic conditions in terms of the academic year, learning conditions, gender and region with the identified barriers. The study results show that most female students are guaranteed to fully meet the requirements of online learning in the context of COVID-19. However, the results of online learning are still affected, and the main reason is the time and support for learning activities. Through the findings, the research has contributed to strengthening the knowledge about the relationship between barriers and academic performance among students majoring in social sciences in the online learning environment. The research results can be a reference source so that educational administrators, teachers and related stakeholders such as parents, enterprises and the community will propose solutions to issues affecting the students’ learning effectiveness and outcomes.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 1,272
The Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) currently has 1220 faculty members and staff working under the ten constituent colleges and the Office of the Vice Chancellor. This figure comprises of 402 women employees compared to 818 men (IMS, 2021). This number indicates that gender equality has not been reached within RUB. The present study explored the self-efficacy and job satisfaction levels of female RUB employees and how they are related. A mixed method, sequential explanatory design was adopted for the study. The quantitative data were gathered from 95 participants and the qualitative data were gathered from 38 participants. The participants included female employees working in different colleges of RUB and the Office of the Vice Chancellor. A thematic analysis following descriptive statistical analysis was used for the quantitative data and the qualitative data were analyzed along the same themes. The findings revealed that the participants’ levels of selfefficacy and job satisfaction are high. The study also highlighted a repertoire of factors that affect self-efficacy and job satisfaction. A study to explore the most effective and sustainable source of self-efficacy and job satisfaction is recommended.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 1,391
In the era of globalization, one of the ultimate goals in English language education is to equip learners with intercultural sensitivity (InS) to effectively communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds; however, EFL learners in rural contexts are supposed to encounter difficulties in achieving InS. Therefore, this mixed-methods study aims at exploring EFL students’ InS in a rural high school where students have few opportunities to interact with foreigners in person. The study involved 185 EFL high school students in Lam Dong province, Vietnam, in answering the questionnaire, and 18 students in responding to the focus group interview questions. The results indicated that participants possessed a high level of InS. Among the five constructs of InS (e.g. interaction engagement, respect for cultural differences, interaction enjoyment, interaction attentiveness, & intercultural confidence), the participants were most aware of respect for cultural differences, had interaction enjoyment and attentiveness, and showed their intercultural confidence. Nevertheless, they were likely to have difficulties in interaction engagement. It can be implied that the EFL high school students could, to some extent, gain their InS except socially intercultural interactions.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 2,314
The paper aims to investigate the impact of the Big Five personality traits on the academic performance of college students within the context of the Faculty of Business English at Foreign Trade University. A quantitative approach was applied in this study. Primary data was collected through an online questionnaire. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) was used as the academic performance measure, whereas the Big Five personality traits were measured using the extra short version of the Big Five Inventory-2. Regression results showed that 41.2 percent of the variance in CGPA is explained by personality traits. Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience were found to have significant and positive impacts on CGPA, while Neuroticism was found to have a significant negative impact. It is concluded that Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience enhance academic performance, and Neuroticism impairs it. Suggestions were made on creating an appropriate fit between teaching and assessment methods and individual differences in personality among college students. Limitations of the personality trait instrument and the academic performance measure were considered.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 3,121
This research mainly aims at investigating non-English majored students’ awareness of autonomous English learning. To obtain the data for this research, one hundred non-English majors, from The Saigon International University, were surveyed. The objectives were to explore the students’ perceptions of their responsibility in learning English as well as the main factors affecting students’ autonomy. In addition to the survey, five students were also interviewed to discover the roles of autonomous English learning in students’ view. The findings indicate that the majority of students perceive themselves as autonomous learners who are willing to take responsibility for their English learning inside and outside the classroom. Besides, according to the results, there are various factors influencing autonomous English learning which includes laziness, a lack of learning strategies, and a lack of motivation. Moreover, the results show that autonomy does play an integral part in English learning. This study concludes by suggesting various methods to promote non-English majors’ autonomy in their English language learning process.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 995
While India is undergoing a swift expansion in secondary education, there has also been a drift of demand towards preschool education as a large number of parents are opting for it for their little ones. In India, the provision of preschool education is being made by the government, non-government organizations as well as the private sector through diverse models. Due to a variety of reasons such as working mothers, nuclear families, there is increasing enrolment in stand-alone playschools as well as kindergarten sections to facilitate education due to early stimulation, promote development activities and support to parents and families (Rao, 2005; World Bank, 2006; Paltasingh, 2010; Kaushal, 2016). However, in terms of the numbers, the prime coverage of 3- to 6-year-old children is being provided through Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) set up by the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme. The ICDS is offered under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), India. This research paper is based upon a study, objectives of which were to uncover the infrastructure, curriculum, support materials, existing practices in early childhood education (ECE) available in the diverse type of ECE centres situated in Delhi, India. It was found that the nutritional component being there in AWC makes them attractive as there are free meals and snacks. On the other hand, in the preschools, the educational infrastructure is better as the teaching and learning materials are replenished and added on, and also the teachers are better qualified. The absence of these components often inhibits the attainment of the desired objectives. So, the aspects in terms of human and physical infrastructure also need to be given due weightage along with nutrition. It is recommended that preschools and AWCs should be linked to the primary schools, physically and programmatically.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 1,066
Vietnam’s 2018 general educational curriculum was developed on the premise that learners in the twenty-first century need to be prepared with generic skills in order to fulfill the requirements of society and the workforce. The evaluation of these key competencies in a classroom environment, on the other hand, has received very little attention in the literature. The aim of this article, which is based on the most recent research work by ACER and ATC21S, is to create a framework for assessing the general competence of secondary school students for use by secondary school instructors. Since then, it has facilitated the creation of assessment procedures and tools for problemsolving activities that require students to exhibit problem-solving and creativity, as well as collaboration and communication.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 1,444
This paper presents the results of a study exploring the English as a foreign language (EFL) high school students’ perceptions of the factors that affect their intercultural communicative competence (ICC) development. This mixed-methods study was conducted in the context of a high school in Lam Dong Province, and it involved 140 EFL high school students in answering the questionnaires and 12 of them in semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data were processed using the software SPSS, while the qualitative data were analyzed by the content analysis approach. The findings unraveled that participants believed that learner-related factors played an important role in shaping their ICC. Learners’ psychology (e.g., confidence, calmness, risking-taking) and motivation (e.g., importance, necessity and usefulness of culture) were two major factors in contributing to their ICC development. Nevertheless, it was found out that participants were unsure of the effects of teacherrelated factors (e.g., teaching methods/approaches, enthusiasm, assistance) and learning material-related factors (e.g., cultural issues, textbook contents, effectiveness) on their ICC enhancement. Such preliminary findings may imply that learners play an important role in shaping their ICC, while the teachers and learning materials are not clearly significant in developing students’ ICC.
number: /2021
CIT number: 0
Number of views: 2,795
Student intercultural adaptation in higher education has been extensively studied throughout the world, primarily from socio-cultural and psychological perspectives. This paper draws on recognition, agency and transformative learning theories to develop a conceptual framework of intercultural adaptation in students of international training programs in higher education. Firstly, it articulates intercultural adaptation issues that have been presented in the recent literature. Secondly, it conceptualizes “intercultural adaptation” in student self-transformation through exercising their “needs-response agency” and “agency for becoming” that is shaped by structural and affective recognition in ecological circumstances. Accordingly, the needs-response agency is manifested in students’ intentions and actions in response to structural contexts in terms of international curriculum, culturally responsive pedagogy, intercultural support policies and extra-curricular programs. Meanwhile, agency for becoming is exhibited in self-transformation to become more interculturally adaptable through future aspirations and goals, agentive access to available resources and support and a stimulating environment. The paper concludes by arguing for a critical orientation towards transformed agency through structural and affective recognition as a worthwhile means of achieving effective intercultural adaptation in students of international training programs in higher education.