A Decade of Researching on Professional Development in a Graduate Program: A Systematic Review

This paper aims to provide a logical and comprehensive systematic review of MA students’ theses related to professional development (PD) in an educational institution in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. This systematic review used a qualitative method to analyze 28 unpublished PD theses (2010 – 2020) in a graduate program of a public tertiary institution in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. There were four main research concerns, including (1) research aims, (2) research methodology, (3) findings, and (4) limitations of the theses. After the review, a list of strengths and weaknesses of these studies is found, evaluated, and presented in this article. The review shows that these studies did contribute diverse knowledge and practices of PD in the educational system of Vietnam, particularly in the Mekong Delta. On the other hand, the data collection instruments and research designs needed improvement to a certain extent. Specifically, observations were not used much in the theses. Besides, the candidate researchers overused a descriptive research design for their theses. Thanks to the analysis, some implications and new ideas for further research in PD are discussed at the end of this paper.

EFL HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS’ RESPONSES TO ELT PEDAGOGICAL REFORMS IN THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM

In the era of globalization and internationalization, educational change, specifically English language teaching (ELT) pedagogical reforms, has been paid more attention to by language researchers. In Vietnam, ELT pedagogical reforms or educational change has been considered as an essential area. How the teachers respond to the reforms is very important; therefore, this study was conducted to investigate this issue. Questionnaire and interviewing were used to collect data from 102 English foreign language (EFL) teachers working in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. The study was aimed to investigate teachers’ responses to 15 types of ELT pedagogical reforms, introduced by the Ministry of Education. The data, analyzed by Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0, showed that the teachers accepted the ELT pedagogical reforms in their teaching. Specifically, adapting teaching materials from different sources was supported most. However, some types were resisted, especially designing tests based on the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP) framework.  Article visualizations

University Students’ Preferable Types of Teacher Humor in English Classes

The current study aimed to explore what types of teacher humor EFL students prefer in their classes. The study was designed as a mixed-method approach, using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data in two different Vietnamese universities. One hundred fifty-eight university students responded to the survey, and eight out of them were recruited as the participants for the interviews. The study results revealed that the types of jokes (M=4.41), riddles (M=4.08), and language play (M=4.15) were most favored. Besides, the participants' demographic information, including their gender and majors, affected their preferable types of teacher humor. Specifically, males showed more positive attitudes towards teacher humor than their counterparts. In terms of students’ majors, there were differences between non-English majors and English-majored students’ perceptions of irony, teasing, language play, visual and physical humor. Regarding the students’ positive attitudes towards teacher humor, EFL teachers should learn more about valuable strategies for using teacher humor in their classes due to the fact that they do not need to have a sense of humor to use it effectively

An Analysis of EFL Teachers’ Fear of Failure as Their Motivation for Pursuing Graduate Studies

Many studies have been conducted to clarify the impact of teachers’ motivation for participating in TPD activities; nevertheless, none of them has viewed teachers’ fear of failure as their motivation for TPD, especially for pursuing graduate programs in the Vietnamese context. That explains why this current qualitative study with the participation of nine EFL teacher interviewees was administered to fill in the abovementioned gap. Moreover, the study was conducted in a tertiary institution in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. Based on the data analysis, several teachers’ fears of failure as their motivation for following graduate programs were detected. Their fears included self-perceived inadequate qualifications in TEFL which resulted in their ineffective teaching performances. Participants were also much concerned about losing a job, failing to have opportunities to further their education and losing momentum for work due to routinized teaching.  Mid- age job crisis, negative effects of lacking role models on the growth of children and other younger people, lack of collegial support, and low self-confidence were found to be motivating fears which stimulated participants to make them pursue higher degree programs. The paper ends with discussions of the findings and pedagogical implication

The Contributions of Teacher Humor in EFL Classes in Vietnam: University Students’ Perspectives

According to several studies on English teaching and learning, English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers tend to avoid humor in their classrooms. However, many studies have shown that teachers’ sense of humor plays an essential role in EFL students’ learning process. Therefore, this study utilizing a mixed-method design was conducted to determine students’ perceptions of the impact of teachers’ humor (TH) on their learning. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale comprising twenty-one items and semi-structured interviews. The study involved 158 university students in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed by using SPSS 20.0, and data from the interviews were analyzed according to themes. The survey results revealed that the students showed positive attitudes toward the effects of TH in EFL classrooms, especially reducing boredom (M=4.59), strengthening teacher-student rapport (M=4.53), decreasing sleepiness (M=4.47), promoting students’ cheerfulness (M=4.47), increasing students’ consciousness (M=4.46), and solving conflicts in classrooms (M=4.42). Additionally, non-majored students were appreciated for TH more than their counterparts. Moreover, students’ perceptions positively correlated with their gender. The interviews also showed that cultural factors affected the effectiveness of TH in EFL classes. EFL teachers are encouraged to use TH in their classes in order to foster its benefits. However, careful consideration should be taken before using TH in teaching different students with different learning styles or characteristics

Exploring Digital Empathy in Vietnamese Tertiary EFL Education: Perspectives of Teachers across Career Stages

This qualitative study investigates the roles of learners’ digital empathy in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education, focusing on the perspectives of Vietnamese tertiary EFL teachers. Amidst the increasing integration of digital tools in education, understanding the impact of digital empathy—empathetic engagement facilitated by digital platforms—becomes crucial, especially in language learning contexts. The study utilized semi-structured interviews with nine Vietnamese EFL teachers, who represented different career stages (novice, mid-career, and near-end), from two tertiary institutions. Thematic analysis revealed that digital empathy significantly enhances student engagement and the effectiveness of language learning. Teachers at all career stages emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing students’ emotional needs in digital environments. The study contributes to the existing literature by providing insights into the integration of digital empathy in EFL teaching, highlighting its importance across various teaching experiences

The Contributions of Teacher Humor in EFL Classes in Vietnam: University Students’ Perspectives

According to several studies on English teaching and learning, English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers tend to avoid humor in their classrooms. However, many studies have shown that teachers’ sense of humor plays an essential role in EFL students’ learning process. Therefore, this study utilizing a mixed-method design was conducted to determine students’ perceptions of the impact of teachers’ humor (TH) on their learning. Data were collected through a questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale comprising twenty-one items and semi-structured interviews. The study involved 158 university students in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed by using SPSS 20.0, and data from the interviews were analyzed according to themes. The survey results revealed that the students showed positive attitudes toward the effects of TH in EFL classrooms, especially reducing boredom (M=4.59), strengthening teacher-student rapport (M=4.53), decreasing sleepiness (M=4.47), promoting students’ cheerfulness (M=4.47), increasing students’ consciousness (M=4.46), and solving conflicts in classrooms (M=4.42). Additionally, non-majored students were appreciated for TH more than their counterparts. Moreover, students’ perceptions positively correlated with their gender. The interviews also showed that cultural factors affected the effectiveness of TH in EFL classes. EFL teachers are encouraged to use TH in their classes in order to foster its benefits. However, careful consideration should be taken before using TH in teaching different students with different learning styles or characteristics

Isolation and Selection of Antagonistic Bacteria against Cercospora arachidicola Causing Brown Spot on Peanut

This study was conducted with the aim to isolation bacterial strains capable of antagonism to Cercospora arachidicola (Passalora arachidicola) causing brown spot in peanut. From 3 soil samples collected in the rhizosphere of peanut grown in Tay Ninh province, Vietnam, 10 bacterial strains were found having antagonistic action with Cercospora arachidicola. After 5 days of testing, the antagonistic efficiency of all isolates ranged from 33.33±1.28 to 60.183±0.927%. Studying the antagonistic mechanism showed that 5/10 isolates produced siderophore, 5/10 isolates were capable of decomposing chitin, 7/10 isolates capable of decomposing cellulase and 8/10 isolates proteolytic. Basing on the results of 16S rRNA gene sequence combined with morphological and biochemical characteristics, TN-TB 4, TN-TB 6 and TN-TB 12 were identified as Bacillus, representing the genera Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus pasterurii, and Bacillus velezensis, respectively. These strains of antagonistic bacteria have the potential to produce probiotics

ENGLISH TEACHERS’ SATISFACTION WITH THE QUALITY OF GENERAL ENGLISH PROFICIENCY TRAINING PROGRAM: THE CASE OF THE MEKONG DELTA, VIETNAM

Many policy changes in teaching and learning English in Vietnam have been implemented. To make those changes successful, the quality of English teachers is paid remarkable attention to by stakeholders. In particular, the quality of their teaching is said to be the determining factor in the success or failure of the changes. Since then, many professional development programs for English teachers have been implemented in Vietnam. This research explores Vietnamese teachers’ satisfaction with the effectiveness of a large-scale general English proficiency training program provided by MOET’s National Foreign Languages Project for school teachers in the Mekong Delta. Employing questionnaires with 174 school teachers in the Mekong Delta, the study sheds light on the main factors that these teachers perceive as crucial factors that influence the quality of the training program and their satisfaction. Findings from the survey reveal that the teachers were highly satisfied with the training program, and the critical factors impacting the training effectiveness included training materials, training duration, teaching and learning facilities, qualified trainers, and support from management. These findings provide a solid foundation for proposing an efficient model training program to effectively support English language teachers in the Mekong Delta to accomplish the required English proficiency level.  Article visualizations

TEACHERS’ CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK ON ENGLISH STUDENTS’ WRITING

This investigates the participants’ attitudes towards corrective feedback as well as the types of corrective feedback on learners’ performance by questionnaires for both students and teachers. Fifty–eight 2nd-year students and 5 teachers of English at a university in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam participated in the study. The results indicated that students had a positive attitude towards teachers’ corrective feedback. Besides, with the analyzed data, correction with comments and teacher correction was considered as the most useful strategy when giving feedback in the learners’ performance. The outcomes of the study suggest a widespread employment of corrective feedback in teaching writing at universities and colleges in the region.   Article visualizations