Teacher Nguyen Thi Huyen Thao from Tran Dai Nghia High School

Thao has created a new teaching method which makes history lessons interesting.
Unlike traditional lessons, where teachers describe events and provide information, and students write down information in their notebooks, during Thao’s lessons students have the right to discuss their opinions.

With the teaching method, students can easily remember events and better understand lessons. “The major task of teachers is giving orientation and support to students. It is students who are the center of educational activities,” Thao explained. “Students have the right to express their opinions and their views need to be respected.”

Other teachers have also followed the ‘student-centered education’ method. They are the new generations of teachers who have received modern western education. 

In the traditional way, giving instructions and requesting all students to implement orders is the easiest way to teach. However, this kind of imposition will turn students into ‘robots’ who will work as they are programmed.

Tran Thi An from Hanoi National University said that Vietnam is still following the education-for-examination scheme. Students study to obtain high prizes at examinations and get promotions in jobs. In such an educational system, the creativity and differentiation of one person cannot be accepted in the community.

In the past, teachers acted as the rulers and their commands had to be obeyed. Vietnamese highlight obedience when educating students, while the students’ ability to develop ideas of their own is not the virtue they emphasize.

But in modern times, the relation between teachers and students is different: they need to discuss and exchange views. 

“Education needs to be open. Teachers need to talk with students and create favorable conditions for students to show their opinions and they should respect their opinions. This will be the ideal environment where learners can find and develop values,” An said.

Huynh Van Chuong from Hue University said that Vietnam needs a new educational style. With the development of social media and internet, young people can search for information and express their views on the internet. 

They can also identify values for themselves without passively receiving information from families and teachers.

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