Skip to main content
Log in

The experiences of Vietnamese university faculty in relation to their faculty development

  • Published:
Asia Pacific Education Review Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As Vietnam higher education has explored ways to integrate into the international community, professional development of faculty is becoming a key element. However, there is a significant shortage of faculty development (FD) in Vietnam, resulting in a large gap in quality, quantity, and qualifications between Vietnamese faculty and their colleagues in Southeast Asia. We conducted a phenomenological study to gain insights into the experiences of Vietnamese faculty in their FD. Four themes emerged: faculty’s perceptions of faculty roles, FD activity participation, factors affecting their FD, and FD desires. To improve the quality of FD in Vietnam, we offered a number of recommendations for faculty members, policymakers at different levels, and further research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altbach, P. G. (2013). Advancing the national and global knowledge economy: The role of research universities in developing countries. Studies in Higher Education, 38(3), 316–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amornpipat, I., & McLean, G. N. (2014). Need for faculty development in Thai universities: HRD in higher education. In D. McGuire & T. Garavan (Eds.), Proceedings of the 15th international conference on human resource development research and practice across Europe: HRD: Reflecting upon the past, shaping the future, Edinburgh, Scotland, UFHRD and HRD (Stream 9, 26).

  • Announcement No.1240/TB-BGDDT, Nov.30, 2012. http://thuvienphapluat.vn/archive/Thong-bao-1240-TB-BGDDT-tuyen-sinh-dao-tao-tien-si-o-nuoc-ngoai-theo-De-an-911-vb163882.aspx.

  • Asian Development Bank. (2011). Improving instructional quality: Focus on faculty development. Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.adb.org/publications/series/higher-education-dynamic-asia-study-reports.

  • Austin, A. E., & Sorcinelli, M. D. (2013). The future of faculty development: Where are we going? New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 133, 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caffarella, R. S., & Zinn, L. F. (1999). Professional development for faculty: A conceptual framework of barriers and supports. Innovative Higher Education, 23(4), 241–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2012). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W., Hanson, W. E., Plano, V. L. C., & Morales, A. (2007). Qualitative research designs selection and implementation. The Counseling Psychologist, 35(2), 236–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Janasz, S. C., & Sullivan, S. E. (2004). Multiple mentoring in academe: Developing the professorial network. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 64(2), 263–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeZure, D., Van Note Chism, N., Deane Sorcinelli, M., Cheong, G., Ellozy, A. R., Holley, M., et al. (2012). Building international faculty-development collaborations: The evolving role of American teaching centers. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 44(3), 24–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Do, H. T., & Ho, P. T. M. (2011). Governance reform in higher education of Vietnam. Educational Reform and Change in the Asia Pacific Region, Bangkok. Retrieved from http://www.unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002272/227242e.pdf.

  • Edgar, F., & Geare, A. (2013). Factors influencing university research performance. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 774–792.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, C. T. (2009). Bracketing in qualitative research: Conceptual and practical matters. Psychotherapy Research, 19(4–5), 583–590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hays, D. G., & Singh, A. A. (2011). Qualitative inquiry in clinical and educational settings. New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Higher Education Law (2012). Retrieved May 28, 2016 from http://ulis.vnu.edu.vn/document_dhnn/luan%20giao%20duc%20dai%20hoc%20toan%20van.pdf.

  • Holloway, I. (Ed.). (2005). Qualitative research in health care. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jolly, B (2014). Faculty development for organization change. In Y. Steinert (Ed.), Faculty development in the health procession: A focus on research and practice. (pp. 119–140). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. ISBN 978-94-007-7612-8.

  • Knowles, M. S. (1975). Self-directed learning. New York: Association Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Pearson Education: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, Y. S. (1995). Emerging criteria for quality in qualitative and interpretive research. Qualitative Inquiry, 1(3), 275–289.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Loevinger, J. (1976). Ego development: Conceptions and theories. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, K. A., & Murrell, V. S. (2014). A national study of theories and their importance for faculty development for Online teaching. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 17(2), 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1997(74), 5–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millis, B. J. (1994). Faculty development in the 1990 s: What it is and why we can’t wait. Journal of Counseling and Development, 72(5), 454–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mushayikwa, E., & Lubben, F. (2009). Self-directed professional development: Hope for teachers working in deprived environments? Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(3), 375–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ngo, D. D. (2006). Higher education in Southeast Asia: An overview. Higher education in South-East Asia. Asia-Pacific programme of educational innovation for development, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (pp. 219–250). UNESCO Bangkok: Bangkok, Thailand.

  • Nguyen, T. L. H. (2012). Identifying the training needs of Heads of Department in a newly established university in Vietnam. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 34(3), 309–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nguyen, H. L. (n.d.). Faculty competency development aiming to improve Vietnam higher education institutions in the globalization. Retrieved January 6, 2014, from http://www.cemd.ueh.edu.vn/?q=article/ph%C3%A1t-tri%E1%BB%83n-n%C4%83ng-l%E1%BB%B1c-gi%E1%BA%A3ng-vi%C3%AAn-nh%E1%BA%B1m-n%C3%A2ng-cao-ch%E1%BA%A5t-l%C6%B0%E1%BB%A3ng-gi%C3%A1o-d%E1%BB%A5c-v%C3%A0-%C4%91%C3%A0o-t%E1%BA%A1o-trong-c%C3%A1c-tr%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Dng.

  • Opre, A., Zaharie, M., & Opre, D. (2008). Faculty development: Teaching staff needs, knowledge and priorities. Cognitie, Creier, Comportament/Cognition, Brain, Behavior, 12(1), 29–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peeraer, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2012). The limits of programmed professional development on integration of information and communication technology in education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 28(6), 1039–1056.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phuong, T. T., Duong, H. B., & McLean, G. N. (2015). Faculty development in Southeast Asian higher education: A review of literature. Asia Pacific Education Review, 16(1), 107–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2009). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence of nursing practice. Hangerstown, MD: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorcinelli, M. D., Austin, A. E., Eddy, P. L., & Beach, A. L. (2005). Creating the future of faculty development: Learning from the past, understanding the present. Bolton, MA: Anker.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinert, Y. (2000). Faculty development in the new millennium: Key challenges and future directions. Medical Teacher, 22(1), 44–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steinert, Y (Ed.). (2014). Faculty development in the health procession: A focus on research and practice. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer. ISBN 978-94-007-7612-8.

  • Steinert, Y., Naismith, L., & Mann, K. (2012). Faculty development initiatives designed to promote leadership in medical education. A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 19. Medical Teacher, 34(6), 483–503.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Streubert Speziale H. J., & Carpenter, D. R. (2003). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, J., & Goswami, J. S. (2013). An investment in new tenure-track faculty: A two-year development program. The Journal of Faculty Development, 27(1), 50–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tong, N. T. (2013). Slow reform in Vietnamese higher education. New age: Vietnamese review of studies and discussion, 28, 25–46. Retrieved February, 10, from http://www.tapchithoidai.org/ThoiDai28/201328_NTTong.pdf.

  • Tran, L., Marginson, S., Do, H., Do, Q., Le, T., Nguyen, N., et al. (2014). Higher education in Vietnam: Flexibility, mobility and practicality in the global knowledge economy. Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vallely, T. J., & Wilkinson, B. (2008). Vietnamese higher education: Crisis and response. Memorandum: Higher education task force, Harvard Kennedy School. Retrieved July 18, 2014, from http://www.hks.harvard.edu/innovations/asia/Documents/HigherEducationOverview112008.pdf.

  • van Manen, M. (1990). Researching lived experience: Human science for an action sensitive pedagogy. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vo, L. T., & Nguyen, H. T. M. (2010). Critical friends group for EFL teacher professional development. ELT Journal, 64(2), 205–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkerson, L., & Irby, D. M. (1998). Strategies for improving teaching practices: A comprehensive approach to faculty development. Academic Medicine, 73(4), 387–396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank. (2008). Vietnam: Higher education and skills for growth. Washington, DC: The World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/06/10988339/vietnam-higher-education-skills-growth.

  • Worthen, V., & McNeill, B. W. (1996). A phenomenological investigation of “good” supervision events. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43(1), 25–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tam T. Phuong.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Phuong, T.T., McLean, G.N. The experiences of Vietnamese university faculty in relation to their faculty development. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 17, 599–608 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-016-9454-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-016-9454-5

Keywords

Navigation