EFL TEACHERS’ STRATEGIES AND CHALLENGES IN PROMOTING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS’ AUTONOMY IN VOCABULARY LEARNING

Learner autonomy is now regarded as a desirable objective in language teaching. The objective of the study was to identify ELT teachers’ strategies in promoting EFL high school students’ autonomy in vocabulary learning. Besides, this research attempts to find out the challenges that ELT high school teachers employ in promoting EFL students’ autonomy in vocabulary learning. A questionnaire and an interview were used in this study to find out the strategies adopted by the teachers in the current research as well as the challenges they face. The findings of this study revealed that English language teachers frequently promoted autonomous learners in their classrooms. They usually implemented different teaching strategies, which can be categorized into three groups involving students in a student-centered atmosphere; playing various roles in the classroom; and equipping students with the strategies to learn vocabulary. Additionally, the results demonstrated that teachers faced challenges such as learners' lack of independent learning abilities, rules and regulations implemented in schools, and teachers' lack of fundamental ways to promote autonomous learning. Finally, it is hoped that the proposed pedagogical implications will contribute to the innovation of promoting learner autonomy in vocabulary learning in the context of high school in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.  Article visualizations

The pedagogical training management of gifted high school teachers in the region of Red River Delta based on a competency approach

Pedagogical training for teachers is always an important issue of every education system. Teachers impart knowledge, give academic advice to students, and assist students in applying knowledge to develop society. This study investigated the gifted high school teacher pedagogical training management in the region of the Red River Delta according to the competency approach. Based on the available data, the research indicated three main things: (i) Professional pedagogical competence of gifted high school teachers; (ii) Pedagogical training activities for gifted high school teachers; (iii) Management of pedagogical training activities for gifted high school teachers. This study conducted a survey of 547 departmental and school managers in gifted high school teachers in nine provinces in Red River Delta, including Hanoi, Ha Nam, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh, Quang Ninh, and Vinh Phuc. These findings are only preliminary research, and they will be an important basis for proposing management solutions to improve the effectiveness of pedagogical training activities for gifted high school teachers

Academic Anxiety of Vietnamese Secondary School Students as a Reason for Applying Online Learning

Academic anxiety is one of the major problems in student psychology across the world. It applies equally to students of all ages, from elementary school to college and university students. Research shows that learning online is an effective way to defuse feelings of academic anxiety. Elimination of anxiety is clearly visible regardless of age, gender, or prior online learning experience. The study aims to identify academic anxiety as one of the most important reasons for moving to online learning or blended learning in secondary school. The study investigated academic anxiety among secondary school students in Vietnam. After surveying 677 students in classroom learning, the results showed that 13.7% of secondary students suffered from frequent anxiety, and 3.0% of them suffered from very frequent anxiety. Lower anxiety was observed among students actively participated in-class activities, and students with excellent academic performance. These factors can be optimally enhanced through blended and online learning. There were no differences in academic anxiety among male and female students, urban and rural students. There was a moderate correlation between a student's anxiety level and pressure of the school, parental expectations, students' motivation for high performance, and especially, among students who have the melancholic temperament. And the influence of these negative factors can also be optimally reduced with the help of online learning. Regression model could provide useful suggestions for parents, teachers and students in reducing academic anxiety for students, including the use of full or blended online learning

The politics of numbers and additionality governing the national Payment for Forest Environmental Services scheme in Vietnam: A case study from Son La province

Payments for forest environmental services (PFES) is a major breakthrough policy in the Vietnamese forestry sector because it contributes 25% of the total investments in the forestry sector and serves as the first market-based instrument employed to protect forests. However, there is little empirical evidence of its effectiveness. Is the policy meeting the core objectives of improving forest cover and forest quality and is it also achieving its claims of supporting local livelihoods? This paper analyses the environmental, social, and economic impacts of PFES in Son La province, the longest standing implementation of a PFES scheme in Vietnam. Our study uses a sampling method that incorporates pre-matching and a before-after-control-intervention approach. Data was collected from government statistics, remote sensing analysis, focus group discussions involving 236 people, surveys with a total of 240 households, and key informant interviews with 45 people. Our findings show that additionality of PFES in Son La is controversial and depends on who collects the data and what data is used to evaluate the impacts of PFES. Data collection is also politicized to serve central, provincial and district government interests. Evidence shows that PFES has provided little additional income to individual villagers to protect forests in Son La. However, total PFES revenue paid to communities generates significant income for village communities. Moreover, not all villagers can receive continuous payments from PFES, meaning that PFES has not become a stable source of income, rendering the permanence of PFES limited. Improving monitoring and evaluation policies coupled with transparent, inclusive, independent mechanisms are essential to providing a more accurate reflection of impacts from PFES in Vietnam

Extracting Conditions Optimization and Bioactivity of Polysaccharides from the Pods of Haricot Vert

Polysaccharides from the pods of haricot vert (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were extracted using a simple heating method, by varying extracting temperature, heating time, solid-to-liquid ratio, and solvent compositions. The obtained results were processed using statistical analysis that helped to identify the optimal conditions for the polysaccharides’ extraction process. This study represents a promising production method of bioactive polysaccharides extract in the food and pharmaceutical industry

Stimulation of shoot regeneration through leaf thin cell layer culture of Passiflora edulis Sims.

Passiflora edulis Sims. belonged to the genus Passiflora, is one of the important economic crops of the world as well as Vietnam. Nowadays, the commercial P. edulis is mainly propagated by seeds, cuttings and grafting; however, these methods still have some limitations such as genetic degradation and heterogeneity and the spread of pathogenic viruses. Micro-propagation has been used for clonal breeding and disease-free plant breeding, as well as providing a source of materials for Passiflora breeding. In this study, leaf explants of P. edulis Sims. (2.0-month-old) excised from the in vitro culture of ex vitro axillary buds cut longitudinally and transversally into thin cell layers (lTCL and tTCL) were used as plant materials to evaluate the shoot regeneration. In addition, the effects of explant age and lighting condition on shoot regeneration were also investigated. After 8 weeks of culture, the results showed that shoot regeneration rate (100%) and shoot multiplication coefficient (13.33) of the in vitro leaf-tTCL-4 were higher than those of other treatments and control. The shoot regeneration rate of P. edulis Sims. also varied with the change of explant age. The highest shoot regeneration rate (100%) was obtained from leaf explants of 1.5-month-old shoots after 8 weeks of culture. Moreover, the light (fluorescent lamps with photoperiod of 16 hours/day and lighting intensity of 40 - 45 μmol.m-2.s-1) improved not only morphogenesis rate, but also shoot regeneration rate (100%) of leaf explants after 8 weeks of culture. This study provided a novel method for rapid micro-propagation of P. edulis Sims

GC-MS analysis and cytotoxic activity of the n-hexane fraction from Curcuma sahuynhensis Škornick. & N.S.Lý leaves collected in Vietnam

Curcuma sahuynhensis Škornick. & N.S.Lý is an endemic plant in Vietnam that has been used by the Sa Huynh people as a spice and medicine to cure illnesses linked to digestive disorders. Very little information is available so far about the chemical composition and biological effects of C. sahuynhensis. To find new pharmaceutical ingredients, the in vitro cytotoxic effect and the chemical profile of C. sahuynhensis leaf extract were investigated. In this study, the percolation method and liquid-liquid dispersion technique were used to extract dry sample powder. The chemical composition was detected by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The Sulforhodamine B and MTT methods were used to determine the cytotoxic activity. The chemical composition analysis showed that the leaf extract contained 14 components. The major components in the n-hexane extract were 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one, phytol, 1-ethylbutyl hydroperoxide, isoborneol, 1-methylpentyl hydroperoxide, and neophytadiene. On human cancer cell lines, namely MFC-7, SK-LU-1, Hela, MKN-7, and HL-60, the leaf extract showed dose-dependent cytotoxic activity, with IC50 values ranging from 221.70±10.24 to 369.42±10.60 ?g/mL. The present study provides significant information on the chemical components and cytotoxic effects of the n-hexane extract from C. sahuynhensis leaves. The findings will continue to be crucial in future research on the evaluation of secondary metabolite compound analysis for cancer therapeutic effects

Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of anal fistulas with scrotal extension: a retrospective study

IntroductionThis study aimed to elucidate the magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics of anal fistulas extending to the scrotum, and the applicable rules, and to correlate MR features with surgical findings.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study in 150 consecutive patients with anal fistulas extending into the scrotum, who were diagnosed and underwent surgery at University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City between January 2017 and April 2022. MR findings were evaluated and compared with surgical findings using Cohens kappa coefficient (k) with a 95% confidence interval.Results150 patients (mean age 37.6 ± 10.9 years) with 166 fistulas, including 150 anal fistulas with scrotal extension. Most fistulas were low transsphincteric (80.0%, 120/150 patients). There was a strong agreement for primary tract classification and detecting the location of internal openings between MRI and surgical findings with k = 0.83 (0.780.87) and k = 0.89 (0.85 0.93) (p<0.001), respectively. There is a significant correlation between the location of internal openings and the type of fistula (p<0.05). Low transsphincteric fistulas were predominant in the anterior group (103/122 patients vs. 10/19 patients), while in the posterior group, it was more common in the high transsphincteric fistulas (7/19 patients vs. 14/122 patients), and the intersphincteric fistulas (1/19 patients vs. 5/122 patients); and the suprasphincteric fistulas were only seen in the posterior group (1 patient).ConclusionAnal fistulas with scrotal extension are exceptions to Goodsalls rule. Albeit long-tract fistulas, most are low transsphincteric and have anterior internal openings

Information searching behaviors among Vietnamese students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to describe the COVID-19 related information searching behaviors and the relationship between those behaviors and the satisfaction with the COVID-19 related information searched on the Internet among university students during first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam

Teaching practicum: The impacts on classroom management skills of novice lecturers

This research investigates the perspectives of the novice lecturers in the Faculty of English Language Teacher Education (FELTE) regarding Teaching Practicum’s impacts on their classroom management skills. Using survey research, data was gathered through questionnaires distributed among the whole population of 29 participants, followed by semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper insight into participants’ experience. The study’s results showed that novice lecturers generally made considerable progress in classroom management skills, especially in attention-drawing and response encouragement, creation of a motivating environment as well as physical and emotional interactions with students. On the other hand, it was discovered that inadequate duration and inappropriate timing generally impeded novice lecturers’ gains during their Teaching Practicum. However, some challenges related to supervisor and school choice turned out to be significant factors from which participants could derive considerable benefits, which is opposed to previous research. At the end of the study, some recommendations were suggested for future research on this topic