Training the educators for Vietnam's future growth

For teachers, learning is also a lifelong process. To keep pace with a fast-changing world, teachers must update their teaching methods and constantly acquire new skills to do their jobs well.

In Vietnam, hundreds of thousands of teachers have stayed ahead of the curve through a World Bank-financed continuous professional development (CPD) initiative. Implemented by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), this initiative –  Enhancing Teacher Education Program (ETEP) – has helped many teachers prepare students with the knowledge and skills they will value and need.

The CPD model started by building capacity at eight lead teacher training universities (LTTUs) and among core teachers in every school across the country. They received training in four areas: research, development and innovation; blended teaching that combines in-person and digital methods for lesson delivery; internal quality assurance; curriculum development and the promotion of new ways of teaching.

During this process, the MOET and the World Bank brought together national and international experts from Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom to develop a monitoring tool called “The Teacher Education Institution Development Index” and build capacity for the LTTUs. The tool helps keep track of the quality and effectiveness of institutional development at the LTTUs.

LTTUs then produced online content programs and trained core teachers. The model connected teachers with communities of practice, both online and face-to-face, within schools, between schools, and nationwide.

Between 2017 and 2022, CPD was expanded to cover the entire country. Over 30,000 core teachers (one per school), principal advisers (one in one school cluster), and over 600,000 teachers and principals – 75 percent of Vietnam’s faculty) across all levels in all 63 provinces and cities participated in the program. Of these, 25 percent were from disadvantaged areas. Placing a core teacher in every school and providing access to online learning meant that any teacher could participate in the training regardless of who they are or where they live. In this way, the model supports equality and equity of access to training opportunities.

The model may be simple, but the gains in teacher quality have been significant. Teacher training began in 2019, and quality measures between 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 showed impressive improvements. Teachers’ performance is evaluated against a set of 15 standards. Over the project intervention period, the ratio of teachers earning “distinguished” score increased across 14 standards.

The model has proven effective because it is school-based and, therefore, brings training and support to where it is needed most – to teachers in schools. In addition, it was designed with evidence-based principles. Teachers are engaged in practical activities related to their classroom and school context, and the content of courses, with a focus on professional standards and the new curriculum, is relevant to what they teach. CPD training is ongoing with teachers being able to access learning at school and online anytime, anywhere. In addition, the model is tailored to meet the needs of individual teachers and schools.  

Over 90 percent of CPD participants surveyed by an independent consultant agreed that the training and support they received were effective. As one teacher of the Tay ethnic minority said: “My digital skills have been greatly enhanced. I can design quizzes using Wordwall and facilitate group work via a messaging app. Using such tech-rich resources in the classroom keeps my students more engaged than rote learning.”

What was encouraging to see from this project was how the Government was adaptative and innovative during the roll-out of the approach. For example, to keep up with the fast-changing technology, the government reached out to private service providers to develop and maintain the technologies needed, including a learning management system and a teacher education management information system. These systems integrate feedback and assessment mechanisms for teachers and courses, allowing them to refine their learning plans continuously.

As Vice Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do noted, another factor contributing to the successful roll-out was the use of performance-based funding for LTTUs. It encouraged LTTUs to innovate and deliver high-quality training programs to the benefit of teachers all around the country. “The project ended, but these professional development programs continue and evolve.”

The results of these efforts are promising for the future. Vietnam now has embraced educational technology fit for the 21st century, intellectual leadership in teacher education, and a cadre of school-based core teachers across the country. There are now more experts, at both university and school levels, capable of delivering high-quality training and support to teachers in the future. More than this, a culture now exists in Vietnam in which teachers expect to be, and are expected to, be active learners and active members of professional learning communities. This is good news for students and society as a whole.