Bachelor of Education course changes

New students enrol in EU each year in September. One academic year comprises two semesters: the first occurs from mid-August for continuing students to the end of December; the second starts in January and ends in early June. Some faculties at EU provide two types of classes for students: advanced and non-advanced.

An advanced model has been used at certain universities in Vietnam for over 15 years. In EU, this model has been applied since 1998 in order to train high quality teachers in the fields of mathematics, literature, history, biology, geography, physics and chemistry (FoH, 2013). These classes are small in size with around 20 students. Students who study in advanced classes are high achievers at school or have gained awards in provincial or national competitions. To gain entry into advanced classes, students must obtain high marks at entrance exams to EU and compete with other outstanding students in an exam. Advanced classes provide “both benefits and challenges” for students, as two students said:

Students in the advanced class are required to study specialised subjects more

intensely with additional books and documents in both Vietnamese and English.

As there are many outstanding students in this class, every student has to

try their best to study. We often put high pressure on ourselves and set up goals to achieve (Nam). (FG, post L3)

Statements from students reveal that advanced students are taught by experienced lecturers with a more challenging curriculum. Further, a class with capable students may create a learning environment that is positive, cooperative and competitive and these conditions will assist students to learn from each other and to strive in their learning. After graduation, the students with the highest results are often invited to become lecturers at EU, while others may have improved employment opportunities. Conversely, students in the advanced classes are put under immense pressure. For the first two years, they need to gain high scores to remain in these classes. If these students fail to maintain high grades, they are required to participate in an exam to compete with other excellent students from non-advanced classes. Achieving high scores is a goal for students in advanced classes. Additionally, lecturers teaching the advanced classes have high expectations of these students, including high quality accomplishment of learning tasks. This requires students to work diligently and autonomously to succeed.

In contrast, non-advanced classes are common classes applied for all faculties in EU. Compared to the advanced class, these classes usually have a large number of students with around 50, and include students with range of results. Students in non- advanced classes study with a general standard curriculum without the pressure of gaining high marks to continue.

Since 2009, students in EU have been required to attain 130 credits over four years to graduate, except for students in advanced classes, who are required to attain 140 credits. These credits can be awarded through completion of three categories of subjects: core, general, and elective subjects. To support students’ professional skill formation, they are required to participate in two internships at schools. The first occurs for one month in the third year and the other for one and a half months in the fourth year. During internships, students observe teaching practices at schools and practise their own teaching under a supervising teacher.

Under a credit-based training system, students in EU usually participate in two kinds of classes: core units and electives. The core units are offered when students all enrol in the same specialisation in their faculty. Core units continue until all students

graduate. In contrast, the general and elective subjects are generated each semester and include students from different faculties, who register for the same subject with the same lecturer. The elective classes usually take place over the period of one semester.

Core unit classes are always highly structured and organised. In these classes, students’ learning and extracurricular activities are normally directed by both a lecturer working as teacher-in-charge and also the student faculty association. Some active students with high academic results are nominated by their classmates each academic year to act as class president, vice class president, general secretary, and vice-general secretary. These students assist the teacher-in-charge and the student association with the organisation of learning and extracurricular activities in their classes. In contrast, lecturers teaching in elective classes are responsible for choosing an active student to be the class president. This student supports the lecturer in monitoring students’ attendance and guiding study in the class.

In comparison with a core unit, an elective class is often large, incorporating students from different faculties with fewer interactions between the lecturer and students and amongst students. This characteristic of an elective class often creates obstacles for lecturers who wish to engage students in more classroom activities. Levels of interaction in an elective class were described specifically in the following interview excerpt with Ly:

Many students come to class without knowing and remembering the name of their lecturer. In general, there is “little interaction” between the lecturer

and students. Some lecturers only focus on transmitting and then leave the

class without caring how their students are learning (TTL, post L1).

This lecturer’s statement revealed that with “little interaction” occurring between lecturer-student and amongst students, then the mode of delivery for these classes places lecturers in the authoritative position of knowledge provider.