Developmnent of a Model to Enhance Effective Change Management In Higher Education Institutions: A Case Study In Can Tho University, Vietnam

Change management (management of change), is known to be a significant model based on theories and practices from educational experts, educators, professors, school administrators and even scientists. Like other higher education institutions in Vietnam, Can Tho University (CTU) is a change management type organization. Its educational decentralization from the Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training has allowed step-by-step management of change implementation but is not yet effective. And it is likely that CTU organizational change with participation of change agents really may need new ingredients. In this research a model is proposed to enhance the effectiveness of change management in a higher education institution, particularly in CTU, Can Tho City, South Vietnam: Where the change process has been implemented for about 10 years. This is in the context of wider change following on 30 years after the Vietnam War conclusion in 1975. Thus, the paper aims (1) to construct a hypothetical model for enhancing effective change management in universities, (2) to verify the model for enhancing effective change management in universities, and (3) to propose the model towards the effectiveness of change management in CTU, Vietnam. The findings of this paper utilized a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) - through documents, email discussions, self-made questionnaires, structured interviews, and observations from the international experts (5 from Thailand, 5 from Asia and 5 from Europe and North America), CTU administrators (70), teachers (70), office staff (30) and students (30). The evaluation of the applicability of the model was judged by experts using a focus group of 11 members from CTU, Vietnam. In addition, there were descriptive reports and data collection that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, mean and standard deviation tools. The concepts brought forth and feasibility of this study could bring those interested in change management to have a better understanding regarding change management theories: Especially models implemented in higher education institutions around the world including CTU regarding ways of practicing change management. Moreover, it would be a useful reference for educational administrators and a strong impetus for researchers to engage in a comparative study among levels of education beyond ones borders in the regionally and globally sensitized educational environment

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES ON LEARNING STRATEGIES TOWARDS ESP FOR TOURISM AT SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES, CAN THO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

Learning strategies are determined as an effective approach to learning ESP. To implement more useful learning strategies, it is essential to understand the extent of practice toward learning strategies. The study focused on six (6) learning strategies, including (1) Memorization, (2) Cognitive, (3) Metacognitive, (4) Compensation, (5) Affective, and (6) Social, which were applied in four English skills belonging to English for Tourism courses. A hundred-item questionnaire was administered to investigate the perception and practice of learning strategies and interviews for students and teachers were employed to examine students’ practice of their involvement in learning strategies activities and discover teachers’ observations of students’ practice in their class. The study sample consists of 70 EFL (English as a foreign language) students who have taken the three courses of English for Tourism 1, 2, and 3 in their curriculum. The findings revealed that students had a positive attitude to a significant extent and students had positive perception toward their learning strategies performances. There found a medium correlation between the extent of perception impacts on students' practice that points out two hypotheses: (1) The higher the student's perception, the higher the extent of practice; (2) Students have good perception but the extent of practice does not depend on their perception. The findings may contribute to the discipline of ESP (English for Specific Purposes) since they not only help students understand the significance of learning strategies in learning ESP but also help ESP teachers understand students’ perceptions, from which teachers can generate more effective and appropriate learning strategies in classes for enhancing students’ productivity in learning ESP for Tourism.  Article visualizations

THE EFFECTS OF USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS AUTHENTIC LEARNING MATERIALS ON ENCOURAGING EFL STUDENTS’ SPEAKING MOTIVATION: A CASE AT SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES, CAN THO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

With the advancement of technology, social media has been a great learning source in the field of education. This use of social media helps facilitate the exchange of ideas, insights, and knowledge, fostering a dynamic and stimulating academic environment. It is a great means in the process of EFL learners’ language skill development, especially in speaking. Understanding the impact of social media on students' speaking motivation is essential, therefore, to make the speaking learning process more engaging in the lesson. The study focused on four popular platforms (1) YouTube, (2) TikTok, (3) Facebook and (4) Instagram. The author designed a questionnaire of forty-five items to explore students' perceptions of using social media as authentic learning materials to encourage their speaking motivation. At the same time, the author interviewed students to confirm the students' frequency of using these platforms in their learning process. The study sample consists of 90 EFL students who have taken the six courses from Listening - Speaking B1 to English Public Speaking Courses. The findings revealed that students use social media as authentic learning materials to a significant extent and students had positive perceptions toward their speaking motivation encouragement. It was found a medium correlation between the extent of social media as authentic learning materials impact on students' involvement and students’ perceptions of their involvement. The findings may contribute to the discipline of the speaking method since they not only help students understand the significance of using social media in their speaking motivation encouragement but also help teachers understand students’ perceptions, from which teachers can generate more effective and appropriate social media-based activities in classes for enhancing students’ motivation in speaking.  Article visualizations

MANAGEMENT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN VINH LONG CITY, VINH LONG PROVINCE, VIETNAM

The study with the questionnaires investigated the present status of professional development management at three primary schools in Vinh Long City, Vinh Long Province, in the Mekong Delta region, South Vietnam including Chu Van An, Nguyen Hue, and Le Loi with 140 respondents, including 8 school managers and 132 teachers. This research aimed to survey the current situation of management of professional development (PD) training activities for teachers in primary schools in Vinh Long City, Vinh Long Province and to propose measures to manage professional training activities for teachers. The finding revealed that managing professional training activities for primary teachers needs in Vinh Long City, to ensure that the activities are both scientific and artistic. It needed to be carried out toward set plans and systems, ensuring proper implementation of principles, functions and timely and scientific inspection, evaluation and adjustment. It also requires skillful and flexible application of experience and accumulated knowledge in human-to-human relationships, which helps teachers have full knowledge and professional skills to perform well teaching and education work.  Article visualizations

MANAGING ETHICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS’ STUDENTS IN CAI RANG DISTRICT, CAN THO CITY, VIETNAM

The study has systematized the theoretical basis for ethical or moral education for students in primary schools on the current status of ethical education for students in public primary schools in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City, then proposed some measures to manage ethical education activities for students in primary schools in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City. Based on theoretical research and practical surveys, the researchers would pose 6 specific suggestions to manage moral education activities for students in primary schools in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City. Two hundred and ninety-six respondents participated in the questionnaires, among of whom were school managers, teachers, and representative boards of students' parents from 4 public primary schools in Can Rang District, Can Tho City. The proposed measures would impact all subjects and stages of the management process from the stage of raising the needs, planning, organizing, and directing to inspection and evaluation, the elements of managing moral education activities for students at public elementary schools, such as developing selection plans, assigning use, fostering, stimulating and motivating teaching and creating a favorable environment for the management of moral education activities for students in primary schools in Cai Rang District, Can Tho City. Each proposed suggestion has different goals, tasks and implementation methods, but in general, they are closely related, interactive and complementary. Therefore, those measures must be implemented in a synchronous, unified, flexible and flexible manner to achieve high results, meeting the requirements of improving the quality of public primary education in the current period.  Article visualizations

A STUDY ON DUOLINGO MOBILE APPLICATIONS TO IMPROVE EFL STUDENTS' LISTENING COMPREHENSION PERFORMANCES

The significance of listening comprehension in learning English as a foreign language cannot be denied, as it forms a foundational basis for effective communication and language skill development. Proficient listening skills are essential not only for understanding spoken language but also for meaningful communication, grasping nuances, and interpreting contextual cues. Furthermore, listening comprehension serves as a cornerstone for vocabulary acquisition, grammar understanding, and cultural awareness, making it one of the most crucial aspects of language learning. This study investigates the effectiveness of the Duolingo mobile application in enhancing EFL students' listening comprehension within the evolving landscape of educational methods. Data collected from 39 third-year English major students at the School of Foreign Languages, Can Tho University, Vietnam, through comprehensive surveys and structured interviews highlighted the students' high appreciation for Duolingo's impact on their listening abilities within the Vietnamese educational context. Students emphasized the flexibility and engaging nature of Duolingo's listening features, which immerse learners in diverse real-life situations and provide opportunities for repetitive practice. Regular engagement in these exercises was considered essential for expanding vocabulary, improving grammar, and achieving deeper language comprehension in real-world contexts. Despite receiving positive evaluations, participants identified areas for improvement, particularly emphasizing the need for diversity in pronunciation and contexts within Duolingo's listening exercises to enhance effective communication. Moreover, they suggested improvements in feedback mechanisms to provide timely and useful feedback for language learning progression. In conclusion, while the Duolingo mobile application offers promising opportunities for enhancing EFL students' listening comprehension, addressing current limitations is crucial to optimizing their effectiveness. This study underscores the importance of using mobile language learning tools like Duolingo to meet the evolving needs of language learners in an education landscape increasingly driven by technology, where listening comprehension plays a vital role in the learning and language proficiency enhancement process

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES TOWARDS WATCHING ENGLISH MOVIES IN LISTENING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

This study explored the challenges associated with incorporating English movies into the development of listening skills among second-year English studies majors at a school of a university in the Mekong Delta region, South Vietnam. The target audience was 70 English studies majors who had undergone listening courses. Data collection methods included a questionnaire and interviews conducted with eight students. A questionnaire was utilized to gather quantitative data, while interviews provided qualitative insights. The study was also to identify students' difficulties in this regard, with the ultimate goal of proposing solutions to enhance the effectiveness of utilizing English movies in listening skill development strategies.  Article visualizations

EFL STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS AND PRACTICES ON LEARNING STRATEGIES TOWARDS ESP FOR POLITICAL EDUCATION: A CASE AT SCHOOL OF POLITICAL SCIENCES, CAN THO UNIVERSITY, VIETNAM

This study investigates the perceptions and practices of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students regarding learning strategies for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in the context of Political Education. The study focuses on six (6) learning strategies of Oxford (1990)'s classification, including (1) memorization strategies, (2) cognitive strategies, (3) compensation strategies, (4) metacognitive strategies, (5) affective strategies, and (6) social strategies. A mixed-methods approach is employed, including questionnaire and interviews. First, 101 items for the questionnaire are administered to investigate the perception and practice of students on learning strategies. Then interviews with students and teachers are employed to capture more details about the participants’ perception and practice on learning strategies towards ESP for Political Education. The study sample consists of 187 EFL students from School of Political Sciences, Can Tho University, Vietnam who are currently participating in ESP for Political Education course named "Specialized English for Political Education Course 2". The findings reveal that the majority of students have positive perceptions of ESP and recognize the importance of learning strategies in mastering this area.  Article visualizations

MANAGEMENT OF TEACHING ENGLISH ACTIVITIES OF GRADE 10 OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN NINH KIEU DISTRICT, CAN THO CITY, VIETNAM

Managing English teaching activities for Grade 10 in high schools is one of the most important tasks and activities because it plays a decisive role in the success of teaching and the improvement of teaching quality for Grade 10 in high schools. This activity shows not only the results and quality of the students’ study but also the education management of managers and teaching activities of teachers in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam. The study was conducted at 4 high schools in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, namely Phan Ngoc Hien High School, Chau Van Liem High School, An Khanh High School, and Nguyen Viet Hong High School. Participants in the survey by questionnaires were school managers (n = 4), English teachers (n = 17) and 10th Graders (n = 456). And the findings showed that to achieve the desired effect in the management of teaching activities of 10th Grade English at a high school in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, the administrator or the school leader needs to have appropriate management measures and implement those measures in a synchronous and unified manner. Besides, through the use of measures, school leaders can recognize the positive aspects as well as the limitations of the situation. From there, management staff can continue to promote strengths and overcome existing weaknesses and limitations, and make adjustments in a timely manner. Some measures can be mentioned as follows: organizing activities to raise awareness about the importance of teaching 10th Grade English; organizing professional and professional training activities for 10th Grade English teachers; strengthening the management of the content and curriculum development of 10th Grade English subjects; directing the renewal of teaching methods and forms of organization of teaching activities in Grade 10 English; directing the renewal of forms and methods of studying English for 10th Grade students; directing the renewal of the form of examination and assessment of students' learning results in English 10; strengthening facilities and equipment to serve the teaching of 10th Grade English in high schools.  Article visualizations

MANAGING DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING STAFF IN HIGH SCHOOLS IN NINH KIEU DISTRICT, CAN THO CITY, VIETNAM

In the context of the ongoing implementation of the general education program, especially in primary education, effectively managing the development of high school teaching staff is crucial for achieving comprehensive educational reforms. This study focuses on the current state of development of teaching staff in high schools in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City, Vietnam and aims to identify the challenges, advantages, and influencing factors. The study was conducted using a survey from a questionnaire of 216 respondents, including school managers and teachers of 03 high schools in Can Tho City, including An Khanh, Chau Van Liem, and Nguyen Viet Hong. Various obstacles hinder the effective development of teaching staff, namely resource limitations, inadequate training programs, and insufficient support mechanisms. Some suggested solutions might be implemented synchronously, considering specific conditions and timeframes. The prioritization of measures based on feasibility and impact is essential to maximize effectiveness. And the proposed measures aim to address various aspects of management and teaching staff, fostering an environment conducive to the development of high school teachers. By doing so, these measures will contribute to meeting the requirements of the 2018 General Education Program by the Vietnamese Education and Training, thereby enhancing the overall quality of education in Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City as well.  Article visualizations