Chapter published in:
Expanding Individual Difference Research in the Interaction Approach: Investigating learners, instructors, and other interlocutors
Edited by Laura Gurzynski-Weiss
[AILA Applied Linguistics Series 16] 2017
► pp. 174–199

Vietnamese TESOL teachers’ cognitions and practices

Developing learner-centered learning

| Vietnam National University
| Curtin University
Due to its historical and socio-cultural context, the traditional way of teaching and learning in Vietnam follows Confucian traditions and is characterized by teacher-centeredness and passive student learning. To develop learner autonomy and promote the development of communicative competence, especially in English classrooms, recent policy reforms require a shift from traditional teaching to a learner-centered approach and methods that promote meaningful interaction. This study was undertaken in a tertiary teaching setting in Vietnam where English is taught to speakers of other languages. A total of 36 English language teachers participated with a particular focus, a sub-group of 10. We used open-ended survey questions, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews to explore teacher cognitions and the relationship of these to pedagogical practices. Using thematic analysis, we found that teachers’ cognitions centered on five issues: centrality of student need, the acknowledgement of student characteristics, the cultivation of student autonomy, the development of interpersonal relationships in the classroom, and principled pragmatism. Through classroom observations we found individual variation, but overall a complex, and at times inconsistent, relationship between teacher cognitions and their classroom practices.
Keywords: teacher cognition, L2 classrooms, pedagogical practices, educational policy
Published online: 12 December 2017
https://doi.org/10.1075/aals.16.08chu
References

References

Basturkmen, H., Loewen, S., & Ellis, R.
(2004) Teachers’ stated beliefs about incidental focus on form and their classroom practices. Applied Linguistics, 25(2), 243–272. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Baxter, P., & Jack, S.
(2008) Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544–559.Google Scholar
Bell, D. M.
(2007) Do teachers think that methods are dead? ELT Journal, 61(2), 135–143. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Borg, S.
(2003) Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36(2), 81–109. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2009) Language teacher cognition. In A. Burns & J. C. Richards (Eds.), The Cambridge guide to second language teacher education (pp. 163–171). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Breen, M. P., Hird, B., Milton, M., Oliver, R., & Thwaite, A.
(2001) Making sense of language teaching: Teachers’ principles and classroom practices. Applied Linguistics, 22(4), 470–501. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Brindley, G.
(1989) The role of needs analysis in adult ESL program design. In R. K. Johnson (Ed.), The second language curriculum (pp. 63–78). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Brooks, L., & Swain, M.
(2009) Languaging in collaborative writing: Creation of and response to expertise. In A. Mackey & C. Polio (Eds.), Multiple perspectives on interaction: Second language research in honour of Susan M. Gass (pp. 58–89). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
Brown, K. L.
(2003) From teacher-centered to learner-centered curriculum: Improving learning in diverse classrooms. Education, 124(1), 49–54.Google Scholar
Bryman, A.
(2006) Integrating quantitative and qualitative research: How is it done? Qualitative Research, 6(1), 97–113. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Creswell, J. W.
(2007) Qualitative inquiry and research design. Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Crookes, G.
(2009) Values, philosophies, and beliefs in TESOL: Making a statement. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Crookes, G., & Arakaki, L.
(1999) Teaching idea sources and work conditions in an ESL program. TESOL Journal, 8(1), 15–19.Google Scholar
Cumming, A.
(1989) Student teachers’ conceptions of curriculum: Towards an understanding of language teacher development. TESL Canada Journal, 7(1), 33–51. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Ellis, G.
(1996) How culturally appropriate is the communicative approach? ELT Journal, 50(3), 213–218. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Fang, Z.
(1996) A review of research on teacher beliefs and practices. Educational Research, 38(1), 47–65. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Foss, D. H., & Kleinsasser, R. C.
(1996) Preservice elementary teachers’ views of pedagogical and mathematical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 12(4), 429–442. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Freeman, D., & Richards, J. C.
(1993) Conceptions of teaching and the education of second language teachers. TESOL Quarterly, 27(2), 193–216. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
(2001) Chiến lược phát triển giáo dục 2001–2010. Ban hành kèm theo Quyết định số 201/2001/QĐ-TTg ngày 28 tháng 12 năm 2001 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ. Hà nội: Việt Nam [Strategies for the Development of Education 2001–2010. Promulgated by Decision No. 201/2001/QĐ-TTg of 28/12/2001 by the Prime Minister]. Hanoi: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.Google Scholar
(2012) Chiến lược phát triển giáo dục 2011–2020. Ban hành kèm theo Quyết định số số 711/QĐ-TTg ngày 13 tháng 6 năm 2012 của Thủ tướng Chính phủ. Hà nội: Việt Nam [Strategies for the Development of Education 2011–2020. Promulgated by Decision No. 711/QĐ-TTg of 13/06/2012 by the Prime Minister]. Hanoi: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam.Google Scholar
Gurzynski-Weiss, L.
(2016) Factors influencing Spanish instructors’ in-class feedback. Modern Language Journal, 100(1), 255–275. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Hall, D. R.
(2001) Materials production: Theory and practice. In D. R. Hall & A. Hewings (Eds.), Innovation in English language teaching: A reader (pp. 229–239). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Hanreddy, J., & Whalley, E.
(2007a) Mosaic 1. Listening/ Speaking (Silver ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education.Google Scholar
(2007b) Mosaic 2. Listening/Speaking (Silver ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education.Google Scholar
Hargreaves, A.
(1994) Changing teachers, changing times. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.Google Scholar
Hedge, T.
(2000) Teaching and learning in the language classroom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hewitt-Taylor, J.
(2001) Use of constant comparative analysis in qualitative research. Nursing Standard, 15(42), 39–42. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Hird, B.
(2003) What are language teachers trying to do in their lessons? Babel, 37(3), 24–38.Google Scholar
Hoang, V. V.
(2010) The current situation and issues of the teaching of English in Vietnam. Studies in Language and Culture, 22(1), 7–18.Google Scholar
Humphreys, G., & Wyatt, M.
(2014) Helping Vietnamese university learners to become more autonomous. ELT Journal, 68(1), 52–63. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Junqueira, L., & Kim, Y. J.
(2013) Exploring the relationship between training, beliefs, and teachers’ corrective feedback practices: A case study of a novice and an experienced ESL teacher. Canadian Modern Language Review, 69(2), 181–206. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kamibeppu, T.
(2009) Education reform context and process in Vietnam. In Y. Hirosato & Y. Kitamura (Eds.), The political economy of educational reforms and capacity development in Southeast Asia (pp. 169–189). Dordrecht: Springer. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Kane, R., Sandretto, S., & Heath, C.
(2002) Telling half the story: A critical review of research on the teaching beliefs and practices of university academics. American Educational Research Association, 72(2), 177–228.Google Scholar
Kumaravadivelu, B.
(1994) The postmethod condition: Emerging strategies for second/foreign language teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 28(1), 27–48. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
(2006) TESOL methods: Changing tracks, challenging trends. TESOL Quarterly, 40(1), 59–81. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Little, D.
(2004) Constructing a theory of learner autonomy: Some steps along the way. In K. Makinen, P. Kaikkonen, & V. Kohonen (Eds.), Future perspectives in foreign language education (pp. 15–25). Oulu: Faculty of Education, Oulu University.Google Scholar
Lo Bianco, J.
(1993) Issues and aspects of Vietnam’s language policy: Some reflections after a brief visit. Journal of Vietnamese Studies, 6, 24–32.Google Scholar
London, J. D.
(2007) Schooling in Vietnam. In G. Postiglione & J. Tan (Eds.), Going to school in East Asia: Global schoolroom (pp. 413–443). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.Google Scholar
Long, M. H.
(2005) Overview: A rationale for needs analysis and needs analysis research. In M. H. Long (Ed.), Second language needs analysis (pp. 1–16). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Lortie, D.
(1975) Schoolteacher: A sociological study. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
MacDonald, M., Badger, R., & White, G.
(2001) Changing values: What use are theories of language learning and teaching? Teaching and Teacher Education, 17(8), 949–963. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Mahmoud, A.
(2013) Learner involvement in language development: From course design to performance assessment. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(4), 679–683. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
McCombs, B. L., & Whisler, J. S.
(1997) The learner-centered classroom and school strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.Google Scholar
Merriam, S. B.
(1988) Case study research in education: A qualitative approach. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Google Scholar
(2009) Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.Google Scholar
Miaoa, Y., Badger, R., & Zhen, Y.
(2006) A comparative study of peer and teacher feedback in a Chinese EFL writing class. Journal of Second Language Writing, 15(3), 179–200. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Neuman, W. L.
(2011) Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Google Scholar
Ngoc, K. M., & Iwashita, N.
(2012) A comparison of learners’ and teachers’ attitudes toward communicative language teaching at two universities in Vietnam. University of Sydney Papers in TESOL, 7, 25–49.Google Scholar
Nguyen, K. D., & McInnis, C.
(2002) The possibility of using student evaluations in Vietnamese higher education. Quality in Higher Education, 8(2), 151–158. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Nguyen, T. H.
(2002) Vietnam: Cultural background for ESL/EFL teachers. The Review of Vietnamese Studies, 2(1), 1–6.Google Scholar
Nguyen, T. H. A.
(2002) Cultural effects in learning and teaching English in Vietnam. The Language Teacher Online, 1, 1–5.Google Scholar
Nunan, D.
(1999) Second language teaching and learning. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle Publishers.Google Scholar
(2004) Task-based language teaching. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
O’Neill, G., & McMahon, T.
(2005) Student-centered learning: What does it mean for students and lecturers? In G. O’Neill, S. Moore & B. McMullin (Eds.), Emerging issues in the practice of university learning and teaching (pp. 27–36). Dublin: AISHE.Google Scholar
Oscarson, M.
(1989) Self-assessment of language proficiency: rationale and applications. Language Testing, 6(1), 1–13. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Paris, C., & Combs, B.
(2006) Lived meanings: What teachers mean when they say they are learner-centered. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 12(5), 571–592. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Patton, M. Q.
(2005) Qualitative research. Encyclopedia of Statistics in Behavioral Science, 3, 1633–1636.Google Scholar
Pavlik, C., & Segal, M. K.
(2007) Interactions 2. Writing (Silver ed.). Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education.Google Scholar
Peacock, M.
(1998) Exploring the gap between teachers’ and learners’ beliefs about ‘useful’ activities for EFL. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 8(2), 233–250. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Pham, L. H., & Fry, G. W.
(2004) Education and economic, political, and social change in Vietnam. Educational Research for Policy and Practice, 3(3), 199–222. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Phelps, R., Ha, T. T. N., Graham, A., & Geeves, R.
(2012) But how do we learn? Talking to Vietnamese children about how they learn in and out of school. International Journal of Educational Research, 53, 289–302. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Prabhu, N. S.
(1987) Second language pedagogy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
(1990) There is no best method – Why? TESOL Quarterly, 24(2), 161–176. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Richards, J. C.
(1998) Beyond training: Perspectives on language teacher education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R.
(2007) Teachers, schools, and society. A brief introduction to education. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Shehadeh, A.
(2012) Introduction: Broadening the perspective of task-based language teaching scholarship: The contribution of research in foreign language contexts. In A. Shehadeh & A. C. Coombe (Eds.), Task-based language teaching in foreign language contexts. Research and implementation (pp. 1–20). Amsterdam: John Benjamins. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Simons, H.
(2009) Case study research in practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Tudor, I.
(1996) Learner-centeredness as language education. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., Christensen, A., & Meyer, D. K.
(2009) Teachers’ beliefs about student learning and motivation. In L. J. Saha & A. G. Dworkin (Eds.), International handbook of research on teachers and teaching (pp. 361–371). New York, NY: Springer. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Ulichny, P.
(1996) What’s in a methodology? In D. Freeman & J. C. Richards (Eds.), Teacher learning in language teaching (pp. 178–196). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
White, C.
(2007) Focus on the language learner in an era of globalization: Tensions, positions and practices in technology-mediated language teaching. Language Teaching, 40(4), 321–326. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Wigglesworth, G., & Storch, N.
(2009) Pairs versus individual writing: Effects on fluency, complexity and accuracy. Language Testing, 26(3), 445–466. CrossrefGoogle Scholar
Williams, M., & Burden, R. L.
(1997) Psychology for language teachers. A social constructivist approach. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Yin, R. K.
(2009) Case study research: Design and method (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.Google Scholar