Tạp chí Khoa học Đại học Đồng Tháp

Applying TDI index in assessing teacher development at public universities in the Mekong Delta

Dang Thi Thu Lieu

This study applies the Teacher Development Index (TDI) to evaluate the level of faculty development at public universities in the Mekong Delta region based on indicators of training, finance, age, and teaching quality. The results show significant differences between universities in component indicators. Thereby, the study suggests appropriate human resource development strategies for each school.

TESOL graduates' views on the impacts and ethical aspects of ChatGPT in academic writing

Vo Phan Thu Ngan

The integration of ChatGPT into education is gaining global attention from researchers. Several studies have explored this issue in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam; however, further graduate research is needed to fully understand its impacts. Therefore, this research was conducted at one of the universities in the Mekong Delta to investigate TESOL graduates’ views regarding the benefits, challenges and ethical considerations of using this tool in supporting their academic writing. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving surveying 68 students and interviewing 9 participants. Findings indicate that students find ChatGPT helpful for their academic writing such as proofreading, improving coherence and paraphrasing. However, there exist certain limitations like potential plagiarism, data accuracy and reliability and learners’ passivity. The study suggests the necessity for clear guidelines and training to maximize ChatGPT's benefits while maintaining academic honesty. These insights highlight the importance of balanced AI integration in education to foster students' critical thinking and writing skills.

An investigation into EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of using mind-mapping in writing classes

Bùi Thanh Loan

The objective of this study was to investigate the perceptions and instructional practices of English teachers regarding the use of Mind-mapping in teaching writing skills. Data were gathered from a sample of 96 teachers who employed Mind-mapping as a pedagogical tool in Vietnam. A mixed-methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, was utilized for data collection. The findings indicated that the participating teachers recognized the potential benefits of Mind-mapping in enhancing writing instruction. Additionally, the involved teachers emphasized the importance of ensuring clarity and comprehensiveness in the implementation of Mind-mapping within educational contexts. By effectively optimizing the use of Mind-mapping, educators can foster more engaging and supportive learning environments that facilitate the development of students' writing skills. The outcomes of this study offer foundational insights and recommendations aimed at improving the quality of writing instruction for students in the future.

EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices of communities of practice for continuing professional development: A narrative overview

Tran Van Ngan

This study examined EFL teachers’ perceptions and practices regarding communities of practice for their continuing professional development. The narrative overview approach was employed to delve into related studies on the concerned topic within the fields of education and English language teaching. The results suggested teachers positively perceived communities of practice as a means to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and reflective practice among members. Furthermore, the results highlighted the alignment between the teachers’ practices of their communities of practice and Wenger’s (1998) dimensions of communities of practice. Besides its contribution to the literature, this overview study revealed a research gap in EFL teachers’ perceptions and their practices of communities of practice in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, thereby making it significant to investigate the research problems in this context.

Impacts of social media on English language acquisition among English-Majored students

Phan Thi Minh Uyen

Social media plays a significant role in second language acquisition, offering both advantages and challenges for enhancing English proficiency. This study, “Impacts of social media on English language acquisition among English-Majored students” at private University in Can Tho, aimed to identify the benefits and challenges faced by English majors when using social media for language learning. A total of 146 students participated, with data collected through questionnaires and 15 students are selected randomly to the interview. Findings revealed various impacts, including access to multimedia resources, collaborative learning, and motivational engagement, as well as distractions, limitations in face-to-face interaction, and technological overdependence. The study concludes with practical implications and recommendations for future research.

Studying the relationship between self-directed learning and academic achievement of undergraduate students at Nong Lam University Ho Chi Minh City

Nguyen Thi Kim An

This study investigates the relationship between self-directed learning (SDL) skills and academic achievement among undergraduate students at Nong Lam University, Ho Chi Minh City. The Self-Directed Learning Skills Scale (SDLSS) and cumulative GPA (CGPA) are used in this study to evaluate academic performance and SDL skills in a sample of 8,472 students. The findings indicate a significant correlation between academic success and SDL competencies, especially in areas like analyzing learning outcomes and processes. However, variations in SDL scores among different performance groups suggest the influence of additional factors, such as individual characteristics and external contexts, on academic outcomes. The findings highlight how crucial it is to develop SDL abilities for improvement on learning outcomes and efficiency. Furthermore, the study promotes a holistic approach to assessing academic achievement that takes into account more extensive learning aspects in addition to conventional GPA measurements. These insights provide valuable implications for educators and policymakers aiming to support student development in higher education.

Teaching exponential function properties: Practical and experiential activities on smartphone

Tang Minh Dung

This study mainly forms knowledge about Properties of Exponential Functions content for 11th-grade students through practical and experiential activities based on David Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory using smartphones. The research focuses on the perspectives of teaching these properties through practical and experiential activities in Mathematics. The content of the learning situation revolves around having students practice on smartphones through GeoGebra embedded on the Google Sites website and answer a set of questions, thereby forming the target knowledge for students. The study emphasizes the effectiveness of teaching Math through practical and experiential activities in information technology environment, specifically mobile phones. This approach is consistent with modern educational trends, aiming to make mathematics more applicable, attractive, and effective.

Factors influencing problem-solving competence in STEM education: Gender-based insights from high school students in Quang Tri province

Tran Thi Ngoc Anh

The present study investigates the factors influencing problem-solving competence in STEM educational systems amongst 700 secondary school students in Quang Tri Province, taking into account gender inclusion. A self-administered survey with established validity was used to measure five distinct aspects: STEM Interest, STEM Self-Efficacy, Teacher Support, Peer Collaboration, and Access to Resources. Exploratory factor analysis and regression modeling indicated that problem-solving competence is significantly predicted by STEM Interest (β = 0.38, p < 0.001) and STEM Self-Efficacy (β = 0.31, p < 0.001), the two factors accounting for 52% of the variation in the dependent variable. Gender differences showed males reported more STEM Self-Efficacy (t = 3.21, p < 0.01), while females had more Teacher Support (t = -3.78, p < 0.001). Further regression showed that for males, the factor of STEM self-efficacy was predicted, while teacher support and peer collaboration were more predictive in females. Qualitative focus group data enriched these findings, revealing themes such as perceived biases, resource constraints, and the importance of collaborative environments. This supports creating different strategies in STEM education as there are variations based on gender. This implies that building self-efficacy in the female gender and constructing conducive, cooperative settings in the male gender would enhance problem-solving competence in both genders. This study investigates the practical aspects of responsive STEM education targeting gender equality in skill acquisition.

The impact of experiential marketing on customer satisfaction: The case of hotels in Danang City

Doan Khanh Hung

In today's competitive business landscape, providing exceptional customer experiences has become a crucial hotel differentiator. Traditional marketing approaches focusing solely on promoting products and services must be changed. Experiential marketing, which aims to create memorable and engaging customer experiences, has emerged as a powerful strategy to build lasting connections and drive customer satisfaction. The paper seeks to explore the role of experiential marketing in enhancing customer satisfaction with hotel services. The study surveyed 250 tourists staying at various hotels in Danang. Different statistical analyses of frequency, descriptive statistics, and structural analysis, were employed to identify the respondents' characteristics and determine the impact of experiential factors like sense, feel, think, act, and relate experiential and emotional and functional values on tourist satisfaction. The results revealed that these experience marketing, such as related experience and service quality factors, positively influenced experience value. Furthermore, emotional value and functional value have positively influenced tourist satisfaction. Based on these findings, the paper proposes solutions for experiential marketing improvement, thereby enhancing customer satisfaction towards hotels in Danang.

An investigation into social-emotional skills of English-major students in some universities in the Mekong Delta

Le Thanh Nguyet Anh

Over the past few years, social-emotional skills education has become a contemporary topic all over the world. Therefore, it is a must to conduct a survey on such an issue among higher education students in Vietnam. This study investigated 782 students belonging to Foreign Language Faculties at three universities in the Mekong Delta in terms of two aspects of how much they are self-aware of and self-manage their personal emotions and how much they identify and share others’ emotions. The findings generated by the quantitative approach show that most participants are able to identify their emotions as well as effectively manage those emotions. However, some students believe they could be able to identify others’ emotions and thus show empathy with the latters’ while the rest show low level of those skills. The present research provided insights for the literature in this field as well as for the research in the next phase.