The implementation of generic skills in Vietnamese universities: facilitators and inhibitors

© 2016 Dr. Le Huu Nghia TranThis study investigated the question, What factors influenced the implementation of generic skills (GS) in Vietnamese universities? taking into account the perspectives and experiences of university leaders and academics. The Business Administration programs of six diverse Vietnamese universities were used as case studies to examine this question. This study is significant because it examined GS implementation in a developing non-English speaking country with different higher education (HE) contexts and values, whereas most studies about GS implementation derive from Western countries. Thus, it expands our understandings about GS implementation in different HE contexts. It also points out implications for Vietnamese universities to move forward with developing GS. The study employed a multiple qualitative case study approach to capture diverse institutional perspectives on GS implementation processes within the Business schools. There were 69 interviews conducted with university and school leaders, disciplinary and general skills teachers, and staff members within the Youth Union and its associates (YUA). Additionally, relevant information from the universities’ websites, documents collected from participants, and field notes were used. First, data were analysed for each case study using a content analysis approach. Then a cross-case analysis was conducted to highlight similarities and differences in GS implementation among the universities, which also revealed major factors influencing the implementation. The study found that contextual factors significantly influenced GS implementation in the investigated Vietnamese universities. At the national level, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) instigated several concurrently-occurring reforms during and prior to this study. In most of the case studies, the other reforms were regulated by the MOET and linked to institutional privileges once completed, whereas GS implementation was not. This led to university leaders focusing on other reforms and delaying or not prioritising GS implementation. Second, university and school leaders found the MOET’s regulations of credits for a program an obstacle for integrating the selected GS into the curriculum. Hence, they involved the YUA extra-curricular activities as an integral component of GS implementation strategy, to compensate for the lack of curriculum autonomy. Third, GS were largely conceived as developing work-readiness skills for students, which is consistent with the industrial training focus of Vietnamese HE. This meant that in the School of Business of the six universities, developing GS for students occurred primarily in work-integrated learning. However, according to many participants, a lack of disciplinary teacher engagement and connection with industries reduced the effectiveness of work-integrated learning. The lack of connection with industries also affected the skills development activities that the YUA offered students. University D stood out in this study as a successful university in developing GS. This was due to their leadership that effectively built teacher capacity and actively supported teachers to engage with GS development in their classes. Linkages with industries, institutional culture that made GS a priority, and the curriculum autonomy granted by the MOET, which were not evident in the other five universities at the time of research, also enabled the progress of GS implementation in this university. This thesis argues that curriculum autonomy, institutional leadership and university-industry linkages are important for the successful implementation of GS in Vietnamese universities