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>

Leadership in Higher Education — Its Evolution and Potential

2006 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan L. Smith ◽  
Aaron W. Hughey
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Student Affairs ◽  
Colleges And Universities ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Student Affairs Administration ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education

Leadership is a key ingredient in the ultimate success or failure of any organization. In this article the authors review the research on leadership in general and then focus on how leadership in the academic world is similar to, yet distinct from, leadership in the private sector. Included in this discussion are a description of how leadership in colleges and universities has evolved, the characteristics that are unique to higher education together with their implications for effective leadership, and consideration of the immense challenges academic leaders face as they attempt to keep higher education responsive to the needs of business and industry. The authors also address the emergence of student affairs administration and the current crisis in academic leadership.

Leadership in Higher Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 137-150
Author(s):  
Ülkühan Bike Esen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
Academic Environments ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
Success In Higher Education

The undeniable effect of education on economic development has also increased the importance of the success in higher education. The success of a higher education institution depends not only on the success of the academics it has, but also its leaders. These leaders in higher education institutions are referred as “academic leaders.”.Academic leaders are leaders who motivate academics in universities, faculties, or departments and provide challenging opportunities as well as creating appropriate academic environments for academics to improve themselves. Academic leaders have more responsibilities than business leaders. Because their success or failure affects not only a business but also the whole society, this broad influence of academic leaders requires further examination of the issue. This requirement is the basis of this chapter. The aim of this chapter is firstly to define academic leadership and then to emphasize the strategies that can be applied to the success of academic leadership.

Can-Do descriptors – Realigning English Language Curriculum at Higher Education Institution to CEFR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Erda Wati Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Proficiency ◽  
English Language ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
The Common ◽  
The University

The Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) has become the standard used to describe and evaluate students’ command of a second or foreign language. It is an internationally acknowledged standard language proficiency framework which many countries have adopted such as China, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan. Malaysia Ministry of Education is aware and realise the need for the current English language curriculum to be validated as to reach the international standard as prescribed by the CEFR. The implementation of CEFR has begun at primary and secondary level since 2017 and now higher education institutions are urged to align their English Language Curriculum to CEFR as part of preparation in receiving students who have been taught using CEFR-aligned curriculum at schools by year 2022. This critical reflection article elucidates the meticulous processes that we have embarked on in re-aligning our English Language Curriculum to the standard and requirements of CEFR. The paper concludes with a remark that the alignment of the English curriculum at the university needs full support from the management in ensuring that all the stakeholders are fully prepared, informed and familiar with the framework.

scholarly journals Understanding race and educational leadership in higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Arday
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Senior Leadership ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Career Trajectory ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Organizational Barriers ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Leadership In Higher Education ◽  
The Uk

The dearth of representation regarding Black and Ethnic Minorities (BME) in senior educational leadership roles within higher education (HE) has become a salient issue as egalitarian notions associated with equality and diversity continue to be contradicted by university institutions, despite increased calls for greater diversification. Educational leadership in higher education within the United Kingdom (UK), particularly when aligned to the primacy of race, remains oblivious to some of the organizational barriers encountered by BME academics attempting to navigate a career trajectory towards senior leadership. The diversification of senior leaders within the Academy in the UK has increasingly become an issue that, although prevalent, has stagnated owing to the lack of visible BME senior leaders and penetrative change to address the disparity regarding recruitment and promotion of more BME academics to leadership hierarchies. This article draws on a collective biography methodology, which will utilize narratives from three BME academics in senior leadership positions within higher education in the UK, in an attempt to illuminate the challenges that saturate the Academy, concerning leadership opportunities and career pathways for BME academics. The issues drawn upon identify synergies between constructions of race and leadership, whilst considering the interplay between these two vehicles when situated within a higher education context.

scholarly journals THE ISSUE OF EDUCATION AT A HIGHER ESTABLISHMENT AND SIMULTANEOUS LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

2021 ◽  
pp. 54-63
Author(s):  
Veronika Dmytruk ◽  
Halyna Shevchyk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Information Management ◽  
English Language ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Language Training ◽  
Management Information ◽  
Factors Influencing

The article is devoted to the psychological and pedagogical substantiation of the expediency of learning foreign languages while studying in the institution of higher education. The authors analyse the current educational process in Ukrainian and identify the most important factors influencing the formation of qualified professionals and establish the role of foreign language in each of these factors. It was found that studying can be extremely intensified due to learning a foreign language. It is established that learning foreign languages increases a person’s ability to develop intellectually. Keywords: pedagogical psychology; institution of higher education; foreign language; English language; training intensification; motivation; information management; information gathering; information processing.

scholarly journals ROLE OF INTERCULTURAL PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN TRAINING OF FURTURE MASTERS OF PEDAGOGY OF HIGHER SCHOOL

2016 ◽  
pp. 114-122
Author(s):  
Julia Khalemendyk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Theoretical Analysis ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Informal Education ◽  
Professional Competence ◽  
Professional Activities ◽  
School Competence ◽  
The Government ◽  
Ministry Of Higher Education

Higher Education in our country is changing in accordance to the processes of Europian integration that is supported by the government of Ukraine and the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The urgency of the problem is enhanced by contradictions between: the objective need of society for teachers and researchers able to solve the problems of professional activities in Higher School institutions at the international level that are associated with modern trends of European nations to make in future a unified system of multilevel Higher Education, the need for close collaboration with foreign colleagues and the real situation with willingness of up-to date teachers and researchers for foreign language professional collaboration. The Purpose of the article – theoretical analysis of the role of intercultural professional competence in the training of future masters of Pedagogy of Higher School.Intercultural professional competence of future masters of Pedagogy of Higher School is considered to be the integrated personal and professional activities which refers to psycho-pedagogical willingness of an adult to perform professional activities successfully, productively and efficiently, using the foreign language or foreign culture and interact effectively in a foreign professional environments.According to the results of the theoretical analysis we note that the constituent components of the intercultural professional competence of future masters of Pedagogy of Higher School competence is formed on the basis of the interconnected socio-cultural, socio-linguistic and language development due to their age and psychophysical characteristics and due to their professional and personal interests on each stage of the intercultural professional competence of the masters. One of the main parts of intercultural professional competence is its connection with professional awareness of masters, their professional value, since it is about degree of formation of the level and style of communication of future teachers and researchers while conducting different professional activities. Further we considered learning of pedagogical conditions for the development of intercultural professional competence of future masters of Pedagogy of Higher School in formal and informal education.

Designing an English Curriculum for Everyone

2018 ◽  
pp. 87-108
Author(s):  
Angela Bailey ◽  
Nayibe Rosado ◽  
Lourdes Rey
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Broad Spectrum ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Policies ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
Foreign Language Curriculum

In this chapter, the authors demonstrate a practical view of a foreign language curriculum development in Colombia. Within the chapter, they give a brief description of language policies that guided the curriculum; a discussion of the research framework, methods, and data collection; and a reflection of the choices made with regard to education, language, and language learning. By triangulating existing policies, contextual and conceptual needs analyses, and existing classroom practices, the authors demonstrate a collaborative and flexible means of meeting foreign language teaching across a broad spectrum of inconsistencies. Conclusions review and discuss the importance of maintaining an open and adaptable perspective throughout foreign language curriculum design while establishing and creating a working, flexible English language curriculum.

Overcoming Complacency Through Quality Intelligence in Greek Higher Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 121-140
Author(s):  
Loukas Anninos
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Performance Evaluation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
The State ◽  
Academic Leadership ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Institutional Improvement ◽  
University Performance ◽  
Institutional Initiatives

During the last decade, an intensification of evaluation at the Greek universities has been noted, encouraged by the state and institutional initiatives aiming to reform, modernize, and cultivate a culture of excellence. The progress that has been reported was facilitated by global developments that gradually strengthened the cultural and scientific foundations of university performance evaluation and set the foundations for continuous institutional improvement and transformation. However, the role of academic leadership is crucial if universities wish to fully embrace the concept of excellence in their operations and services not from an obligatory, but from an evolutionary perspective that would allow them to learn and improve. As Greek universities are currently in the process of quality accreditation, the chapter briefly presents the framework for quality accreditation in Greek universities and underlines the critical role of academic leadership for achieving accreditation and establishing a culture for sustainable excellence.

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