Perceived Effectiveness of the Basic English Curriculum: Vietnamese University Graduates’ Perspectives

2016 ◽  
pp. 101-115
Author(s):  
Thuy Thi Bich Thuy Tran
Keyword(s):  
University Graduates ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Basic English

scholarly journals The role of leadership in promoting and supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two Vietnamese universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thuy Thi Bich Tran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Basic English

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore the role of leadership in supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two selected Vietnamese non-language major universities specialising in Finance and Accounting. Studies on academic leadership and distributed leadership in higher education are well documented in Western literature (Bolden, Gosling, O’Brien, Peters and Haslam, 2012; Bryman, 2007; Cardno, 2012); however leadership in higher education is largely under-researched in developing countries like Vietnam. Moreover, curriculum design impacts on the wellbeing and effectiveness of higher education (Barnett & Coate, 2005). Leadership is necessary to effect change (Oliver & Huyn, 2010) and therefore potentially to impact on curriculum design and delivery. The role of leadership in making the Basic English curriculum more relevant for graduate students and ensuring that they are better prepared for the workplace is of particular interest in the Vietnamese university context.  This qualitatively-focused case study design, with a small quantitative component, guided by an interpretivist/ constructivist theoretical framework aimed to explore how academic leaders promote the Basic English curriculum design and delivery in the Vietnamese university context. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with senior academic leaders and company directors, focus group interviews with English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers, observations of a curriculum meeting, and an online survey by graduates from the two selected universities. The study employed thematic data analysis techniques. Research shows that the curriculum framework in Vietnamese universities promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) results in heavy workloads for academic staff (Gropello, Thomas, Yemenez, Chchibber, & Adams, 2008; Van, 2011). This negatively affects their wellbeing and may reduce their effectiveness as teachers and researchers.  The findings from the study provided evidence that leadership practices in Vietnam were influenced by Confucian values. It also showed that the personal barriers academic leaders and EFL lecturers face vary according to gender. However, academic leadership in Vietnamese higher education contexts in this study reveals a mixture of distributed and collaborative leadership in curriculum design and delivery which can provide insights for other Vietnamese universities. It also revealed that senior leaders and EFL lecturers appear to work collaboratively to solve the issue of curriculum design and delivery.  The findings have implications for policy development and practice. Suggestions made by employers and graduates to institutional leaders, curriculum developers and lecturers are to consider redesigning the curriculum to have a more communicative focus and more oral practice to ensure graduates are better prepared for work. The study has brought insights for senior leaders on how to create successful collaboration with their colleagues and partners in curriculum design and renewal and provided guidance on the enhancement of educational leadership practices in the two chosen universities. The results of this study have contributed to closing the current gaps in understanding how leadership at all levels in higher education impact on curriculum design and delivery. This study will be useful not only in the Vietnamese context but also in other countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language.</p>

scholarly journals The role of leadership in promoting and supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two Vietnamese universities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thuy Thi Bich Tran
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Basic English

<p>The purpose of this research study was to explore the role of leadership in supporting the Basic English curriculum design and delivery at two selected Vietnamese non-language major universities specialising in Finance and Accounting. Studies on academic leadership and distributed leadership in higher education are well documented in Western literature (Bolden, Gosling, O’Brien, Peters and Haslam, 2012; Bryman, 2007; Cardno, 2012); however leadership in higher education is largely under-researched in developing countries like Vietnam. Moreover, curriculum design impacts on the wellbeing and effectiveness of higher education (Barnett & Coate, 2005). Leadership is necessary to effect change (Oliver & Huyn, 2010) and therefore potentially to impact on curriculum design and delivery. The role of leadership in making the Basic English curriculum more relevant for graduate students and ensuring that they are better prepared for the workplace is of particular interest in the Vietnamese university context.  This qualitatively-focused case study design, with a small quantitative component, guided by an interpretivist/ constructivist theoretical framework aimed to explore how academic leaders promote the Basic English curriculum design and delivery in the Vietnamese university context. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews with senior academic leaders and company directors, focus group interviews with English as a foreign language (EFL) lecturers, observations of a curriculum meeting, and an online survey by graduates from the two selected universities. The study employed thematic data analysis techniques. Research shows that the curriculum framework in Vietnamese universities promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) results in heavy workloads for academic staff (Gropello, Thomas, Yemenez, Chchibber, & Adams, 2008; Van, 2011). This negatively affects their wellbeing and may reduce their effectiveness as teachers and researchers.  The findings from the study provided evidence that leadership practices in Vietnam were influenced by Confucian values. It also showed that the personal barriers academic leaders and EFL lecturers face vary according to gender. However, academic leadership in Vietnamese higher education contexts in this study reveals a mixture of distributed and collaborative leadership in curriculum design and delivery which can provide insights for other Vietnamese universities. It also revealed that senior leaders and EFL lecturers appear to work collaboratively to solve the issue of curriculum design and delivery.  The findings have implications for policy development and practice. Suggestions made by employers and graduates to institutional leaders, curriculum developers and lecturers are to consider redesigning the curriculum to have a more communicative focus and more oral practice to ensure graduates are better prepared for work. The study has brought insights for senior leaders on how to create successful collaboration with their colleagues and partners in curriculum design and renewal and provided guidance on the enhancement of educational leadership practices in the two chosen universities. The results of this study have contributed to closing the current gaps in understanding how leadership at all levels in higher education impact on curriculum design and delivery. This study will be useful not only in the Vietnamese context but also in other countries where English is taught as a second or foreign language.</p>

scholarly journals Evaluating the Reality of Iraqi EFL In-service Teacher Training Courses from the Perspective of Trainees

2018 ◽  
Vol 218 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-56
Author(s):  
Inst. Fakhir Muhi Mahmood Ph.D.
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Training ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Training Process ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Efl Teachers ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Training Courses ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Basic English ◽  
Academic Year

   The current research intends to evaluate the reality of Iraqi EFL teachers' in-service teacher training courses from the perspective of trainees. Forty nine English teachers working in the secondary schools of the General Directorate of Education in Baghdad- Al-Karkh/1 who had attended the training courses during the academic year 2014-2015 were the subject of the research. Data were collected through a questionnaire that consists of three domains. The responses were analyzed by using the proper statistics. The research findings indicate that although the trainees’ attitudes are positive towards the courses they attended in general, but in terms of improving the basic English knowledge as the most important aspect for teaching new English curriculum still not effective yet, as well as the courses have limitations especially in terms of their planning, evaluation phases, and their impact on teachers’ practices. Finally, some recommendations and suggestions are presented by the researcher to enhance the training process in Iraq. 

Perceived Effectiveness of Random Testing for Alcohol and Drugs in the Australian Aviation Community

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-81
Author(s):  
Christina M. Rudin-Brown ◽  
Eve Mitsopoulos-Rubens ◽  
Michael G. Lenné
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Random Testing ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Student Pilots ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
One Year ◽  
Alcohol And Other Drugs

Random testing for alcohol and other drugs (AODs) in individuals who perform safety-sensitive activities as part of their aviation role was introduced in Australia in April 2009. One year later, an online survey (N = 2,226) was conducted to investigate attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge regarding random testing and to gauge perceptions regarding its effectiveness. Private, recreational, and student pilots were less likely than industry personnel to report being aware of the requirement (86.5% versus 97.1%), to have undergone testing (76.5% versus 96.1%), and to know of others who had undergone testing (39.9% versus 84.3%), and they had more positive attitudes toward random testing than industry personnel. However, logistic regression analyses indicated that random testing is more effective at deterring AOD use among industry personnel.

Perceived Effectiveness of 'No Turn on Red' Traffic Signs

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate I. Podany ◽  
Michael S. Wogalter ◽  
Christopher B. Mayhorn
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Traffic Signs ◽  
Turn On

Problems Facing the Arab Pharmaceutical Industry: A Case Study from Yemen

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 234-241
Author(s):  
Mohammed Al-Shakka ◽  
Ebtesam Abood ◽  
Adel Al-Dhubhany ◽  
Sami Abdo Radman Aldubai ◽  
Khaled Said ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pharmaceutical Products ◽  
Domestic Market ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Pharmaceutical Manufacturer ◽  
University Graduates ◽  
Pharmaceutical Drugs

Because of the almost-instant connection with the welfare and well-being of individuals, pharmaceutical industry stands prominently as a very important factor for the improvement and progress of a healthy productive nation. These days, pharmaceutical industry thrives as one of the largest and exponentially expanding global industries. Nonetheless, millions of people in low income developing countries, have to suffer from the fatal consequences of the inaccessibility and non-availability of essential drugs. This is also happening in Yemen, where the pharmaceutical manufacturers sector have to face up to many challenges. The Yemen Drug Company (YEDCO) was founded in 1964 by the Yemeni government as it collaborated with private investors. It was endorsed as a company with the expertise in the medicinal drug marketing. YEDCO started its work by taking in drugs from foreign companies and then locally marketing and distributing them. In 1982, YEDCO built the first medicinal factory for drugs in Sana’a. Since then, seven companies were set up to manufacture medicines in Yemen. The expanding population has led to the need to have more pharmaceutical products. It may be understandable that pharmaceutical manufacturer companies are also hit by the political crisis in the country. Inadequate amount of fuel and raw material as well as low security status were some of the underlying factors behind these ill-effects in Yemen. Imported drugs make up about nearly 90% % of the pharmaceutical market compared to 10% drugs from the domestic market. This situation has led to an additional burden being shouldered by the national economy, where Yemen spends about US$263 million annually on pharmaceutical drugs, in reference to the national Supreme Drugs Authority. Although there is a very quick growth in the population and drugs consumption, the pharmaceutical industry has not been very active, where global pharmaceutical products play their role dominantly on the domestic market. The pharmaceutical production necessitates skilled human resources like university graduates. By contrast, the government and the private sector should also motivate the pharmaceutical industry and make use of the local employment

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