Embedded Files
From: Diane Fox (dnfox) <dnfox@hamilton.edu>
Date: Feb 6, 2006 2:52 PM
Subject: [Vsg] resources for student interested in education in Vietnam?
I have a student interested in looking at education in Vietnam for her
senior thesis next year. Neither of us is sure what it is possible to
study at this point: classroom practices and how they changed during
the war? curriculum? educational policy, theory?
How war affects students physical and mental learning envrionment...
How trauma affects students, and how it is dealt with...
Case studies or interviews with students during the war...or about how
war affected their schooling...
etc.
We know about UNDP and UNESCO sources, but wonder where else to look.
thanks in advance for any suggestions
Diane
From: Charles Waugh <cwaugh@cc.usu.edu>
Date: Feb 6, 2006 3:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Vsg] resources for student interested in education in Vietnam?
Diane,
Does the project have to be war-related? There are all sorts of interesting changes happening in the education system in Vietnam right now. For example, the Ministry of Education has been discussing the possibility of introducing teacher evaluations much like the ones our students use here in the US. The possibility has caused a lot of debate because many teachers feel that such an evaluation would be disrespectful in a way, much like a child telling a parent how to be a parent. Part of the impetus for introducing them is the pressure the Ministry feels to raise the quality of Vietnamese education to international standards, so this seems like one of many examples in which global concerns seem to be having an effect on traditional interpersonal relationships, which seems like a pretty interesting study to me.
Regardless of the topic, the Centre for Education Quality Assurance and Research Development in Hanoi might be able to help too: http://www.vnu.edu.vn/en/contents/index.php?ID=376
Best,
Charles
From: Stephen J. Leisz <steve_leisz@yahoo.com>
Date: Feb 6, 2006 5:54 PM
Subject: RE: [Vsg] resources for student interested in education in Vietnam?
Diane,
I am currently based at Hanoi Agriculture University (HAU) and have had
some contact with a few other universities. From my observation it
appears that there are many changes going on re: educational practices
at the university level and that they vary by university. For example,
at HAU the Vice Rector has told me that there are already teacher
evaluations done by students at the end of each class. But this does
not appear to be the case at other universities. Also, HAU has
instituted a tiered pay scale based upon whether a lecturer is involved
in a project or not, writes a research report/article per year or not,
or just teaches his/her classes - the objective of this is to try to get
lecturers out of the classroom and active in research projects so that
the research experience can inform their teaching. These initiatives
have been instituted by the university and I've not found them at either
Can Tho University or Thu Duc University (Dai Hoc Nong Lam TPHCMC). I
agree with Charles that if your student can look beyond the war-related
issues to the changes in the education system now (and in many cases the
'decentralized' changes happening at various institutions) it would be
very interesting.
Best,
Steve
From: Rob Hurle <rob@coombs.anu.edu.au>
Date: Feb 6, 2006 9:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Vsg] resources for student interested in education in Vietnam?
I'm not sure why the war (the American war I presume?) should be
important in this context. You could try contacting Diane Oliver at
Texas Tech - she may have some pointers, particularly on the higher
education sector:
Diane Oliver <diane.oliver@ttu.edu>
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Rob Hurle
From: Dan Duffy <dduffy@email.unc.edu>
Date: Feb 7, 2006 2:47 AM
Subject: Re: [Vsg] resources for student interested in education in Vietnam?
What goes around comes around: teacher evaluations started here in the
US as part of the movement for democratization in the university that
accompanied the movement against the war in Viet Nam.
They have since become part of the routinization and consumerization of
intellectual life, used without sophistication about survey research or
seriousness about collaborative management technique, as a blunt
instrument of conformity.
I hope they will play a more positive role in the colleges of Viet Nam.
Maybe that's a research topic?
Page updated
Report abuse