Search

This qualitative study examined the beliefs of Vietnamese primary teachers regarding writing instruction. The participants included 12 in -service teachers from five primary schools in a large city in Vietnam. The data consisted of in -depth semi -structured interviews. Qualitative analysis of the data showed several interesting insights into the teachers' beliefs about writing instruction for young learners and the challenges they faced in their classroom teaching. All the participating teachers believed that writing was very important for primary school learners, and teaching writing was one of the key tasks for primary school teachers. The teachers considered that students' lack of life experiences and creativeness was the most considerable challenge in teaching writing, but they faced several practical constraints in helping students overcome the difficulties. Notably, the teachers were supportive of methods to enhance the creativeness and emotions in students' writing, but they reported using model texts in teaching frequently. The socio -cultural contexts of teaching and learning were taken into account in the interpretation of the findings. This study is the first step to inform professional development programs and pedagogy to enhance the effectiveness of teaching writing skills to young learners at primary schools in Vietnam, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and national education agendas are concerned with improving quality and equality of learning outcomes. This paper provides an analysis of the case of Vietnam, which is regarded as having high learning outcomes and less inequity in learning. But national data and international test outcomes may mask the hidden inequities that exist between minoritized groups and majority (Kinh) students. Drawing on data from qualitative videos and interviews of secondary teachers, we examine teachers' beliefs, curricular design and actions in ethnic minority and Kinh majority classrooms. We show that teachers hold different beliefs and engage in curricular design – or the use of hegemonic curriculum and instructional practices – that produce different learning outcomes for minoritized students compared to Kinh students. These findings suggest that policies need to focus on the social-cultural aspects of teaching in addition to the material and technical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the beliefs, experiences, and challenges of primary school teachers in Vietnam in the first years of implementing a new curriculum. The study was conducted at five primary schools in a big city in Vietnam. The data consist of in-depth semi-structured interviews with eleven teachers. Analysis of qualitative data showed that the teachers held positive views on the new curriculum, commenting that the curriculum had many strengths and was introduced at the right time. The teachers reported that they largely understood the principles of and made attempts to realise the new curriculum. They highlighted several initial positive effects of the curriculum on students and themselves. However, the teachers also faced several challenges, especially the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which forced them to transition to online teaching. In addition, the teachers showed some difficulties in designing the long-term syllabus and the objectives for individual lessons due to the fundamental differences between the previous curriculum and the new one. Implications for teachers and policymakers for Vietnamese primary education, and possibly similar contexts, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to extend our knowledge of the differences between EFL teachers' beliefs of effective instruction and their actual classroom practices under the influence of different factors in the Vietnamese context. The paper took a qualitative approach using focus group discussion, journaling, non-participant observation and post-observation individual interviews as data gathering tools. Findings from this study indicate a wide gap that existed between what was believed and what was actually implemented by experienced teachers. Participating teachers valued and were actually aware of the benefits of interactive activities to students' communication skills. However, they adopted teacher-centred, GTMoriented instruction in the classroom. The study teachers' perceptions of students' factors, traditional educational values and norms, physical working constraints, family roles and emotion appeared to affect their teaching practices in the classroom. This research has the potential to inform teacher development in Vietnam and in similar settings with the view to improving the quality of English teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined university teachers' perceptions of the role of humor in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching, teachers' practices of humor use, and teachers' preferences regarding humor types in the context of Vietnam. An ethnographic approach was employed in this study, combining observations, fieldnotes and interviews. The findings revealed that teachers acknowledged several beneficial functions of humor in EFL teaching. All teachers used humor in their teaching, or claimed that they did so. The three most preferred types of humor are humorous comments, jokes, and funny stories, employed to lighten the atmosphere and increase the teachers' immediacy. Teachers’ perceptions about their practices and preferred types of humor provide insights into their readiness to adopt humor in the classroom. This research raises awareness of how humor can be integrated in language teaching and provides recommendations for effective classroom use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]