title: Teaching languages in primary schools  using educational technologies:  Experiences of primary-school language teachers in Vietnam

authors: Vu, Nhung

subjects: Educational technology

abstract: Using educational technologies (ETs) in classrooms to teach languages in primary education has become increasingly popular worldwide in the last few decades. In Vietnam, since 2000, the government and the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (VMOET) have also encouraged teachers at all levels of education, including primary education, to use ET to support their teaching. The VMOET has created opportunities for teachers to improve their teaching with ET integration, with some teacher professional development (TPD) being offered. Thus, primary school language teachers in Vietnam have different experiences of using ET as well as the ET teacher professional development activities being provided. There have been a number of studies on teachers’ experiences of using ET and ET TPD in higher levels of education in Vietnam but few at the primary level, especially in language teaching. Therefore, this study examines the experiences of primary school language teachers and makes suggestions for teachers, school leaders, and policy makers to improve the quality of ET TPD activities, and thus the effectiveness of ET use in language classrooms.
The research method used in this study to gain an insight into the teachers’ experience is a mixed-method approach under the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology. First, teachers of languages in primary schools were surveyed to identify the more specific phenomena to study. Then, I interviewed primary school principals, school technology coordinators, and individual teachers about their lived experiences of applying ET in their teaching to have a deeper understanding of their experience. I also analysed documents such as teachers’ e-lesson plans, school policies, and government policy to address the aim.
There are three key findings of this study. First, the language teachers in this study experienced the use of a limited range of ET including both personal and school-owned ET, but most had a positive attitude and made judicious use of the ETs most of the time. Second, they experienced using ET with a teacher-centred approach, which means ET was substituted for printed materials and chalk and board tools to present the language e-lessons, although the VMOET was advocating for a more student-centred teaching approach with ET support. Third, these teachers had differing perceptions of the two types of ET TPD available. The formal TPD activities were not equally accessed, nor practical enough to address teacher needs, and any learning was not shared formally with colleagues; whereas, the language teacher's informal TPD activities were useful and met the teachers’ needs. These findings may be of use to teachers, school technology coordinators, and school leaders as confirmation of teachers’ predominantly positive perceptions of ET use and that they endeavour to use ET according to their availability and the language learning purpose for the teachers’ lessons. These findings affirm a shift in research attention from ET integration generally to a focus on curriculum specific subject use of ET for teaching and learning. Further recommendations include that the VMOET TPD programmes become more learner-centred to meet the needs of the teachers attending. Overall, these results confirm the need for bridging the gap between policy and the practice of using ET in language teaching in the primary education sector in Vietnam.

text: Teaching languages in primary schools  using educational technologies:  Experiences of primary-school language teachers in Vietnam Using educational technologies (ETs) in classrooms to teach languages in primary education has become increasingly popular worldwide in the last few decades. In Vietnam, since 2000, the government and the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training (VMOET) have also encouraged teachers at all levels of education, including primary education, to use ET to support their teaching. The VMOET has created opportunities for teachers to improve their teaching with ET integration, with some teacher professional development (TPD) being offered. Thus, primary school language teachers in Vietnam have different experiences of using ET as well as the ET teacher professional development activities being provided. There have been a number of studies on teachers’ experiences of using ET and ET TPD in higher levels of education in Vietnam but few at the primary level, especially in language teaching. Therefore, this study examines the experiences of primary school language teachers and makes suggestions for teachers, school leaders, and policy makers to improve the quality of ET TPD activities, and thus the effectiveness of ET use in language classrooms.
The research method used in this study to gain an insight into the teachers’ experience is a mixed-method approach under the lens of hermeneutic phenomenology. First, teachers of languages in primary schools were surveyed to identify the more specific phenomena to study. Then, I interviewed primary school principals, school technology coordinators, and individual teachers about their lived experiences of applying ET in their teaching to have a deeper understanding of their experience. I also analysed documents such as teachers’ e-lesson plans, school policies, and government policy to address the aim.
There are three key findings of this study. First, the language teachers in this study experienced the use of a limited range of ET including both personal and school-owned ET, but most had a positive attitude and made judicious use of the ETs most of the time. Second, they experienced using ET with a teacher-centred approach, which means ET was substituted for printed materials and chalk and board tools to present the language e-lessons, although the VMOET was advocating for a more student-centred teaching approach with ET support. Third, these teachers had differing perceptions of the two types of ET TPD available. The formal TPD activities were not equally accessed, nor practical enough to address teacher needs, and any learning was not shared formally with colleagues; whereas, the language teacher's informal TPD activities were useful and met the teachers’ needs. These findings may be of use to teachers, school technology coordinators, and school leaders as confirmation of teachers’ predominantly positive perceptions of ET use and that they endeavour to use ET according to their availability and the language learning purpose for the teachers’ lessons. These findings affirm a shift in research attention from ET integration generally to a focus on curriculum specific subject use of ET for teaching and learning. Further recommendations include that the VMOET TPD programmes become more learner-centred to meet the needs of the teachers attending. Overall, these results confirm the need for bridging the gap between policy and the practice of using ET in language teaching in the primary education sector in Vietnam.

year: 2023

title: The Eco-classroom project: Fostering student participation through education for sustainability

authors: Wake, Susan J.

subjects: education

abstract: This thesis investigates learning and other outcomes in participants, particularly students (9-11 years), as a result of their involvement in an education for sustainability (EfS) co-design and build project at their primary school, in New Zealand, which was conducted within the Enviroschools Programme. The research focused on four areas that distinguished the project: sustainability learning as the issue, participatory practice as the method, design as the process and community partnerships as the sphere of involvement. Each of these was considered in terms of its influence on learning that was either cognitively-based (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) or affective (attitudes and values). This led to the set-up of a matrix to collect qualitative data that was gathered using a narrative inquiry method of collecting participants stories. This included focus groups with students who were part of the Eco-building Working Party, interviews with key adults from the school and the wider community, survey questionaires to parents of the focus group students, and other observations and materials. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the set-up and execution of the eco-classroom project and the Danish-developed pedagogical EfS concept of Action Competence. This was indicated through the authentic, relevant and democratic action-taking focus of the eco-classroom project that is linked to making learning transformations, which have been established as being more likely to lead to genuine changes in behaviour towards the environment. Also in agreement with an action competence approach was the strong focus in the project on both individual and collective learning. This was partly a result of the process-focused nature of the project, which was related to the learning mandate and commitment to a democratic process with students. The project ran for a number of years with annually changing groups of students, who all had different experiences. The teacher used ‘peer education’ and reflective tools to manage the ‘changeover’ positively, give depth and breadth to learning and ensure the project was truly collaborative. Student learning occurred in all three learning domains and included EfS learning (particularly about aspects of architecture and the built environment), learning about the process of design, and cross-disciplinary learning that included skills such as leadership, teamwork and public speaking. Adult participants also gained from their involvement in the project. The embedding of learning in the project within the New Zealand Curriculum, provided evidence of the flexible and multidisciplinary nature of EfS. Finally, a number of key characteristics were identified as contributing significantly to learning in the project.

text: The Eco-classroom project: Fostering student participation through education for sustainability This thesis investigates learning and other outcomes in participants, particularly students (9-11 years), as a result of their involvement in an education for sustainability (EfS) co-design and build project at their primary school, in New Zealand, which was conducted within the Enviroschools Programme. The research focused on four areas that distinguished the project: sustainability learning as the issue, participatory practice as the method, design as the process and community partnerships as the sphere of involvement. Each of these was considered in terms of its influence on learning that was either cognitively-based (knowledge), psychomotor (skills) or affective (attitudes and values). This led to the set-up of a matrix to collect qualitative data that was gathered using a narrative inquiry method of collecting participants stories. This included focus groups with students who were part of the Eco-building Working Party, interviews with key adults from the school and the wider community, survey questionaires to parents of the focus group students, and other observations and materials. Findings demonstrated a correlation between the set-up and execution of the eco-classroom project and the Danish-developed pedagogical EfS concept of Action Competence. This was indicated through the authentic, relevant and democratic action-taking focus of the eco-classroom project that is linked to making learning transformations, which have been established as being more likely to lead to genuine changes in behaviour towards the environment. Also in agreement with an action competence approach was the strong focus in the project on both individual and collective learning. This was partly a result of the process-focused nature of the project, which was related to the learning mandate and commitment to a democratic process with students. The project ran for a number of years with annually changing groups of students, who all had different experiences. The teacher used ‘peer education’ and reflective tools to manage the ‘changeover’ positively, give depth and breadth to learning and ensure the project was truly collaborative. Student learning occurred in all three learning domains and included EfS learning (particularly about aspects of architecture and the built environment), learning about the process of design, and cross-disciplinary learning that included skills such as leadership, teamwork and public speaking. Adult participants also gained from their involvement in the project. The embedding of learning in the project within the New Zealand Curriculum, provided evidence of the flexible and multidisciplinary nature of EfS. Finally, a number of key characteristics were identified as contributing significantly to learning in the project.

year: 2010

title: Adopting a Maori property rights approach to fisheries

authors: Toki, Valmaine

abstract: For Maori, tikanga Maori or custom law not only underpinned the recognition of property rights to their fishery but also their environmental ethics and the sustainable management of that fishery. In comparison, the property right of non-indigenous peoples was sourced from a rights system determined by the State. The nature of these property rights, for Maori, has been acknowledged by legislation. The challenge for Maori is to effectively maintain, develop and manage this allocated resource in a way that will not only sustain the resource but also ensure its longevity both socially and economically for future generations. Among the issues Maori will face are how to balance effective governance and efficient management, together with the requirement to address global issues of over-fishing and property rights, all the while preserving and respecting tradition. Irrespective of these challenges, it is the tikanga, or philosophy, intrinsic to the traditional Maori worldview which will guide Maori through these challenges, and provide a way forward for global issues such as climate change.

text: Adopting a Maori property rights approach to fisheries For Maori, tikanga Maori or custom law not only underpinned the recognition of property rights to their fishery but also their environmental ethics and the sustainable management of that fishery. In comparison, the property right of non-indigenous peoples was sourced from a rights system determined by the State. The nature of these property rights, for Maori, has been acknowledged by legislation. The challenge for Maori is to effectively maintain, develop and manage this allocated resource in a way that will not only sustain the resource but also ensure its longevity both socially and economically for future generations. Among the issues Maori will face are how to balance effective governance and efficient management, together with the requirement to address global issues of over-fishing and property rights, all the while preserving and respecting tradition. Irrespective of these challenges, it is the tikanga, or philosophy, intrinsic to the traditional Maori worldview which will guide Maori through these challenges, and provide a way forward for global issues such as climate change.

year: 2010