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Journal of Education for Business
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Viewpoint: Pedagogical Suggestions for Teaching
Business and Economics in Vietnam
Dennis C. McCornac & Phan Thuy Chi
To cite this article: Dennis C. McCornac & Phan Thuy Chi (2005) Viewpoint: Pedagogical Suggestions for Teaching Business and Economics in Vietnam, Journal of Education for Business, 81:2, 81-84, DOI: 10.3200/JOEB.81.2.81-84
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/JOEB.81.2.81-84
Published online: 07 Aug 2010.
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ABSTRACT. Given the overwhelming
need for foreign faculty to assist Vietnam in
its transition to a market economy, there
will be opportunities for economics and
business educators to teach at various
insti-tutions in that country. In this article, the
authors provide a top-10 list of suggestions
regarding pedagogical approaches and
tech-niques for teaching in Vietnam based on a
number of offered propositions to enable
instructors to better cope with cultural
fac-tors and challenges that may be faced.
Copyright © 2005 Heldref Publications
Viewpoint
Pedagogical Suggestions for Teaching
Business and Economics in Vietnam
DENNIS C. MCCORNAC PHAN THUY CHI
KALAMAZOO COLLEGE NATIONAL ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN HANOI, VIETNAM
Virtuous and talented men are state sus-taining elements: The strength and the prosperity of a state depend on its vitality and it becomes weaker as such vitality fails. That is why all the Saint Emperors and clear-sighted Kings didn’t fail in see-ing to the formation of men of talent and the employment of literati to develop this vitality.
Nien Hieu Dai Bao, 1442
here is no doubt that Vietnam’s transition to a market economy has fostered major changes in its social and economic institutions. The policy of
doi moi, generally translated as eco-nomic renovation, has helped to drasti-cally improve the production capabili-ties of the economy and improve the living standards of the population. Over the past 2 years, Vietnam’s macroeco-nomic performance has been nothing short of impressive; Vietnam has one of the world’s fastest growing economies and a record consistent with the seven plus growth rates of the prior decade (Binh & Pham, 2002).
The development of the educational system, however, has not kept pace with the economy, particularly in the fields of business and economics. Although significant progress has been made, instruction and training in these fields have not lived up to the lofty goals of the prophetic words quoted earlier, inscribed on a plaque hanging inside Hanoi’s Temple of Lit-erature, the first university in Vietnam
and for centuries the principal center of learning.
In an earlier study on the state of economics education in Vietnam (Gottschang, McCornac, & Westbrook, 1996), the authors showed that the edu-cational system of Vietnam prior to eco-nomic renovation was severely skewed toward socialist and Marxist economic thought. The consequences of such a narrow focus resulted in a scarcity of individuals with the skills necessary to function properly in a market economy. Gottschang et al. concluded that for Vietnam to continue on the path toward a full-fledged market economy, it was mandatory that the education system be expanded and reorganized to accommo-date this movement.
Vietnam’s educational sector is beset with many serious problems. First and foremost is the severe dis-crepancy in supply and demand. Increasing enrollments are putting strains on universities already limited in both human and physical resources. Almost all higher education institu-tions are running at overcapacity and the low salaries of instructors have forced many, particularly in the field of business, to move to more lucrative careers (Kelly, 2000).
Achieving an international standard education system in Vietnam is a process that will require substantial financial and human resources, both from domestic
T
and international sources. Thus, there is a continuing and increasing need for for-eign faculty with expertise in market eco-nomics and business skills to offer cours-es and assist local faculty in busincours-ess and economics education.
With these circumstances in mind, our first purpose in this article is to offer a set of propositions to suggest pedagogical strategies and techniques for individuals who may have the opportunity to teach in Vietnam. These propositions are an adaptation of those offered in a study by Aguinis and Roth (2003), who describe how cultural dif-ferences between the United States and China make teaching particularly chal-lenging for foreign instructors in China. Although there appear to be some similarities between teaching in China and Vietnam, it is necessary to consider each in its own light. Thus, the propositions are modified for the Vietnamese context. Our second pur-pose in this article is to offer a top-10 list of suggestions regarding pedagogi-cal approaches and techniques for teaching in Vietnam. These are based on the authors’ more than 10 years of combined experience in business and economic education in Vietnam as well as interviews and discussions with both Vietnamese and foreign faculty involved in education in Vietnam.
Propositions
Vietnam is a country strongly commit-ted to higher education, dating back to its Confucian roots (Jamieson, 1994; Kelly, 2000). Despite the economic, political, and social upheaval experienced by Viet-nam over the past millennium, Confucian beliefs are still quite evident in Viet-namese culture and the sense of commu-nity remains strong (Le, 2002).
The Vietnamese term tinh cong dong nguoi Viet, for example, means “the communal spirit of the Vietnamese,” which can be understood as the nation-al spirit or the attachment and loynation-alty to the national community. The term can also be translated as a concept of cultural and social anthropology: col-lectivism as opposed to individualism, which is consistent with Confucian thought (Huu, 2004). Thus, we offer the following proposition:
Because of collectivistic orientation, stu-dents in Vietnam are less likely than are students in Western institutions to express their opinions, beliefs, and feelings open-ly and directopen-ly.
As with many other Asian cultures, the Vietnamese place a great deal of importance on saving face (Fahey, 2000; Smith & Pham, 1996). Viet-namese people tend not to state opin-ions or give information in case they are incorrect. In fact, indirectness is seen as subtle and sophisticated and, by contrast, directness can be seen as crass and unsophisticated. We believe this demeanor will affect the interac-tion between instructors and students and propose the following:
Because of the fear of losing face or mak-ing the instructor lose face, students in Vietnam are less likely than are students in Western cultures to ask questions and participate in class.
Confucianism, along with Taoism and Buddhism, also affects Vietnamese culture through the concept of filial piety. In Vietnam, the role of the indi-vidual is subjugated to the needs of the group, which is usually the extend-ed family. Basextend-ed on this practice, teachers, regardless of their age or sex, enjoy great respect and prestige in Vietnamese society. The student– teacher relationship retains much of the quality of a son’s respect for his father’s wisdom and of a father’s con-cern for his son’s welfare (Te, 1998). In Vietnam, for example, November 20 is Teacher’s Day and is designated as a public holiday.
However, in recent years, a gradual erosion of generational differences and the concept of filial piety has taken place. The rapid population growth over the past decades has resulted in a relatively young population. The bene-fits of the changing economic structure find younger people, particularly in the urban areas, taking more control of their lives. As the incomes of this group outstrip those of their parents, and they become more influenced by Western thinking, there is a tendency for younger people to show less respect toward the older generation (Fahey, 2000). This led us to form the following proposition:
Because of the perception of indigenous filial piety and authoritarian moral values, students in Vietnam are more likely (but not always likely) than are students in Western cultures to accept a professor’s instructions and rules without question and give instructors more deference.
In addition, emphasis continues to be placed on the rote learning method of education because the roots of this methodology go back centuries and tend to change slowly. Rote learning still exists in most universities and is espe-cially prevalent in high schools. Much of this can be attributed to the educational system’s reliance on entrance and gradu-ation examingradu-ations, thus making students passive learners and passive recorders (Nguyen, 2002, p. 5). As a result, teach-ers do not emphasize critical thinking.
Although there is a movement in Vietnam to change teaching method-ologies, the process is difficult because of the lack of qualified faculty, facili-ties, and materials. This explains why the traditional lecturing style still plays a major role (Nguyen, 2002). Plagia-rism also appears to exist because stu-dents have never been taught the prop-er method of conducting research.
Despite the changes over the past decade, characterizing the country’s system of higher education today is not as straightforward a task as one might assume (Tran, 1999). Although a num-ber of aspects of university patterns follow that of the United States and the United Kingdom, Vietnam still pursues Marxism-Leninism, and universities are still called upon to instill this phi-losophy in their students. The above led us to make the last proposition:
Students in Vietnam are more likely than are Western students to (a) resort to rote memorization of course materials, (b) engage in behaviors defined as plagiarism in Western countries, and (c) focus on the examinations. As a result, students in Vietnam also are more likely than are stu-dents in Western cultures to be less aware of the process of critical thinking.
Pedagogical Suggestions: A Top-10 List
Based on the previously defined propositions and the results of research and participation in economic and busi-ness education in Vietnam, we offer the
following pedagogical suggestions to foreign educators in Vietnam. Domestic faculty should take note of some of these points.
10. Do not assume that everyone speaks English with native-level fluen-cy. Be prepared to explain a concept in various ways and be careful to avoid colloquial English.Teachers in Vietnam should always keep in mind that the stu-dents and participants in their courses are learning in a second language and that most have not learned English from native speakers. Vietnamese teachers often teach by the translation method, which severely impacts the listening and speaking aspects of second lan-guage acquisition.
9. Provide as many handouts as pos-sible and make frequent use of white-boards, overheads, slides, etc. Provid-ing visual aids is important to compensate for language difficulties and avoid an excess concern for note-taking. Because students’ listening skills may be somewhat lacking, they have a tendency to write down every-thing the instructor says. Having the notes available prior to the lecture, however, enables the learners to focus on both what the material is and how it is being presented. This can foster an active learning environment.
8. Engage the students and partici-pants in conversation and discussion, but be careful not to associate language skills with intelligence. Getting mem-bers of the class to speak up is often one of the more difficult tasks an instructor in Vietnam faces. Although this can be contributed to cultural factors, it is often the simple result of students not being confident enough in their ability to speak English. A good instructor must not only be an articulate speaker, but also must be a good listener. Avoid say-ing, “I can’t understand you.”
7. Do not assume students are always familiar with basic concepts. Things that individuals take for granted in Western cultures are often new concepts in Viet-nam. The workings of the market econo-my are a relatively new phenomenon. The stock market, for example, has been in existence in Vietnam for less than 5 years. Teachers should not take for grant-ed that all individuals have the belief that
the goal of the firm is profit maximiza-tion and the firm should be beholden to the shareholder. Similarly, the concept of labor as just another input will have to be carefully explained.
6. Use examples from Vietnam and understand there is interest in not only the economy of the United States, but also in the economies of Asia.Teachers should investigate the economic situa-tion in Vietnam (and the regional economies) and use local examples in class. This helps the participants relate the material to the “real world.” It is important to realize that the “real world” in Vietnam can be much differ-ent than that found in the United States or other Western countries.
5. Be careful not to criticize the gov-ernment. In Vietnam, the concepts of academic freedom and freedom of speech do not apply at the same level as they would in many other countries.
4. Clearly state the rules and regula-tions regarding plagiarism, cheating, and course requirements; do not assume that there is an “honor code.”The prob-lem of cheating is one area that must be addressed at the very beginning of any course. Quite often the extent to which cheating occurs depends on the type of educational program and the degrees to which the program administrators toler-ate the situation. An investigative report by the National Assembly Standing Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, for example, has reported that cheating is widespread in “every locality and education level.” (Manh, 2004, p. 26). Officials have stat-ed that “students cheating in exams and bribing teachers for passing grades, once considered a disgrace, have now become a ‘norm’ to many people” (Manh, p. 26,sic).
Discussions with a number of both local and foreign faculty indicate that cheating is particularly rampant in short-term training programs. One explanation is that such courses are often mandatory and are not perceived as important as degree-granting pro-grams. These programs also may not consider cheating to be a particularly serious offense.
3. Avoid using the terms we and you.
Foreign lecturers tend to use the term we when talking about their own countries
and you when referring to the countries in which they teach. An American instructor, for example, may preface an explanation with “This is the way we do it in America.” The first problem with such a statement is that it implies that all people in America do things the same way. The second problem is that it con-tributes to a mentality that Vietnamese behavior is completely separate from that of other countries. Although there is no doubt certain differences in the way of thinking occur and must be recognized, emphasizing that Westerners think and do things one way and Vietnamese think and do things another way should be dis-couraged. It is also important for foreign faculty members not to have the mentali-ty that they are in Vietnam to show the Vietnamese how things should be done. This is particularly relevant in situations involving team-teaching with a Viet-namese counterpart.
2. Be flexible.The need to be flexi-ble applies not only to teaching situa-tions, but also to living and working in Vietnam. Often the teaching facilities are not held to the same standard that would be expected in more developed countries. Thus, foreign instructors in Vietnam should be prepared for occa-sional power outages, non-air-condi-tioned classrooms, and equipment problems. There is also a tendency for last minute changes to occur in such things as the schedule and courses.
1. Pay attention to students’ reactions and try to gauge the extent to which they understand the material.The reluctance of participants to speak up in class or ask questions makes it difficult to gauge the extent to which they understand the material. Although examinations solve part of this problem, it is important to make sure understanding occurs during the teaching process.
Quite often students confuse memo-rizing with understanding the material. It has been observed, for example, that students are often more concerned with how to “plug the numbers into the equation,” rather than understanding the reason and theory behind the equa-tion. One technique that has been rec-ommended is to pay particular atten-tion to students’ reacatten-tions during the lectures. Often certain quirks can be
picked up to indicate confusion or lack of understanding of the concepts.
Conclusion
If Vietnam desires to develop and sup-port internationally respected economics and business education programs, it will require the assistance of foreign faculty in a number of areas. Instructors who have the opportunity to teach in Vietnam will find it challenging, but extremely rewarding. However, better understand-ing the various cultural factors that come into play in such an endeavor will make the experience all the more worthwhile for all parties involved.
NOTES
Dennis C. McCornac first went to Vietnam in 1994 to participate in the Ford Foundation-Amer-ican Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) market economics training program at the National Eco-nomics University (NEU). He returned in 1995–1996 to work both in the Ford Founda-tion–ACLS program and the Swedish Internation-al Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)-sponsored MBA program at NEU. From
1998–2002, the author lived in Vietnam and taught once again at the NEU Business School, the Fulbright Economics Teaching Program in Ho Chi Minh City and a Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)-funded financial development project at the Ministry of Finance. During the summer of 2004, he taught economics in the NEU-Washington State University (WSU) MBA program. Phan Thuy Chi is currently the Director of the NEU-WSU MBA Program.
Correspondence concerning this article should be directed to Dennis C. McCornac, Visiting Associate Professor of Economics, Kalamazoo College, 1200 Academy Street, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 49006. E-mail: dennis@dcmccornac. com
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