University partnership for educational reform (international) presented by Michelle Johnston,...

University Partnership for Educational Reform 1

University Partnership for Educational Reform and Development: Ferris State University

in Michigan and An Giang University in Vietnam Plan for Improving Student Achievement in the Mekong Delta Region

Michelle Johnston, Michael Harris, and Phillip Watson Ferris State University

Presented at: Educational Research, Policy, and Practice in an Era of Globalization

The Asia Pacific Perspectives and Beyond APERA

28-30 November 2006


Abstract

International comparative studies link educational attainment to economic growth and

development by tying national economic power to the educational attainment of the labor

force. Specifically, “human capital,” as measured by educational attainment, is an

important resource for improving the economic potential of a nation. The link between

education and economic growth is particularly significant in developing countries and in

nations emerging from conflict like Vietnam and the regions within it. In Vietnam, high

school students from the Mekong Delta, where economic progress is slow, perform lower

on national tests than their peers across Vietnam. Concomitantly, their teachers

demonstrate limited instructional repertoires, skills in curriculum development, and

content discipline knowledge. To address those problems and improve student

achievement, Ferris State University, a public university in Michigan, and An Giang

University in the Mekong Delta created a partnership for educational reform. Through

this partnership, Ferris State University, using mixed-delivery, hybrid, and distance

learning technologies, will offer its Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction

with subject-area coursework concentrations in various sciences (e.g., Biology,

Chemistry, and/or Physics), technology, and mathematics at An Giang University. While

the Vietnamese teachers will gain expertise in their content disciplines as well as

curriculum development and pedagogy, they will learn to align content to research-based

best practices in instruction and assessment for the purpose of enhancing student

achievement and educational quality. Further, the partnership recognizes that literacy is

fundamental to academic success and proposes to integrate literacy concepts within the


graduate courses. This paper describes the partnership and initial phases of its

implementation using a data-based decision making model.


University Partnership for Educational Reform and Development: Ferris State University

in Michigan and An Giang University in Vietnam Plan for Improving Student Achievement in the Mekong Delta Region

PROBLEM. According to Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan, Rector of An Giang University in Long

Xuyen, Vietnam, poverty is rampant in the Mekong Delta, the “rice bowl” of Vietnam,

which is the second largest rice exporting country in the world.1 Furthermore, he

reported that as a result of devastating floods and agricultural policies that uncovered the

overwhelming poverty of the rural people of the Mekong Delta, the income of the rice

farmers continually decreases even though rice production increases. When comparing

the Mekong Delta to the seven other regions of Vietnam using socio-economic factors, it

ranks sixth. The Mekong Delta region is marginalized by low educational attainment and

minimal investment in infrastructures such as health care, insurance, and agriculture

extension and is unable to respond adequately to the Vietnamese government’s call for

modernization and industrialization as the country joins the regional and global

economic. To join the global economy, Vietnam, particularly the Mekong Delta region,

needs an educated workforce and skilled agricultural workers who can apply new

technologies and implement new management skills. Yet, educating the citizens of the

Mekong Delta is problematic. Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan reports that Vietnam faces a “serious

challenge” with students, particularly rural students, demonstrating lower knowledge

levels than in the past. Additionally, enrollments in post-secondary institutions are

dropping in quantity and quality as measured by achievement. To move Vietnam forward

and ensure that it can meet its economic goals and be a competitive nation, the quality of

education must improve as well as the quality of educated citizens, particularly in the 1 Contained in the PowerPoint presentation and project proposal that Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan presented at Ferris State University in April 2006.


Mekong Delta. To that end, Ferris State University in Michigan (United States) and An

Giang University in the Mekong Delta proposed a partnership to reform teacher

education and to elevate student achievement levels in the elementary and secondary

schools in An Giang Province.

Through this proposed education reform initiative, the partners, Ferris State

University and An Gang, will focus on improving teacher pedagogy, content knowledge,

technology infusion in instruction, and literacy instruction by implementing educational

improvement and reform in two parallel strands.

The Parallel Strands of the Proposed School Reform Initiative

Strand I will focus on delivering a high

quality Master of Education in Curriculum

and Instruction with a subject matter

emphasis in science, mathematics, and

technology with the inclusion of literacy

and action research.

Strand II will be the application phase to

implement educational improvement

initiatives in the elementary and secondary

schools by applying the knowledge, skills,

and strategies in the courses in a rigorous

and sustainable model for teacher

improvement.

In survey data compiled by Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan,2 teachers in the Mekong Delta receive

poor performance evaluations. The poor ratings on their performance evaluations are part

of an overall degrading of education which perpetuates a vicious cycle that leads to

decreases in student achievement, increases in the dropout rates, and victimizes students.

It also creates a schism between the wealthy and poor students because wealthy students

can afford private tutoring while the poor students languish in failing schools.

2 Presented at Ferris State University in April 2006.


Focusing specifically on the Mekong Delta, the secondary students applying for

admissions to universities have the lowest scores on a nationally administered,

standardized university admissions test in the country. On the national admissions test,

the mean score for all of Vietnam is seven with a standard deviation of 5.2. The mean

score for An Giang Province is one with a standard deviation of 3.8 which is the lowest

admission score of any province in the Mekong Delta.

Figure 1 College Admission Test Average Scores Across Vietnam

Specifically, the problems to be addressed through the partnership are:

1. An Giang University has the mission to prepare the teachers of An Giang

Province where the student achievement scores are the lowest in the Mekong

Delta as well as the country. The new teachers as well as the veteran teachers


need to improve their pedagogic and content knowledge to redesign education to

focus on student learning.

2. An Giang University has to respond to the pressures of growth going from 7,000

students in 2006 to a projected 12,000 students by 2010 and as many as 500

faculty. Because teacher education is the mission of the University, An Giang,

and teacher preparation involves the entire faculty, all An Giang faculty members

have to improve their pedagogic and content knowledge.

3. Many faculty members at An Giang do not have advanced degrees and tend to

perpetuate old, rhetorical teaching techniques with limited content knowledge.

4. An Giang needs a cost effective3 and efficient manner, using hybrid or mixed

delivery systems, to bring professional, educational opportunities to its faculty to

ensure that they have access to advanced degrees, improved pedagogy models,

and enhanced curriculum preparation strategies to better prepare teachers.

5. An Giang faculty members need to become “trainers of trainers” to improve

teaching to ultimately lead the reform in the elementary and secondary schools.

6. An Giang needs to begin an outreach program, which is an integral component of

this proposed partnership to improve the teaching effectiveness of current teachers

in the province. Ultimately, having a more effective teaching core will improve

student performance on the national tests and future progress on the region.

RATIONALE FOR SOLUTION. The rationale for this proposed project is based on

documents, which emerged from the G8 Summits in Cologne and St. Petersburg, as well

as research on international education, professional teacher education, and learning

theory. During July, the G8 Summit2006 met in St. Petersburg, Russia where the 3 Proposed cost will be $5,700 per student per year.


diplomats and ministers reviewed a document, Education for Innovative Societies in the

21st Century.4 The document presented the following guiding principles that delineate the

connection between education and economics emerged, which undergird the proposed

project:

1. Education is the heart of human progress—economic and social prosperity are dependent on educating all citizens in a rapidly changing world.

2. Education enriches cultures—creates global understanding and respect for the rule of law…and is essential for the development of human capital…an engine for economic growth.

3. Development of a global innovation society—a society depends on the mobility and integration of knowledge and technologies for all nations.

4. Knowledge-based economies require innovative education systems—with frameworks in place to ensure reliability, competitiveness, and incentives for innovation.5

In addition to these guiding principles promoted by the G8 Summit and UNESCO, the

United States is securing Permanent Trade Relations with Vietnam (PNTR). Specifically,

Richard Armitage stated, “This country needs stronger relationships in Southeast Asia,

and to gain these the United States must demonstrate a genuine interest in the problems

and challenges of our friends (2006).” The proposed partnership demonstrates that Ferris

State University has a genuine interest in the faculty of An Giang as well as the people of

An Giang Province.

For Vietnam, specifically An Giang University in An Giang Province, promoting

economic development through education requires that Vietnamese educators must

provide a high quality basic education through implementing high quality post-secondary

education programs, as well as promoting high standards and lifelong education. Such

4 Prepared by UNESCO and distributed Sunday, July 16, 2006 from the G8/2006 Russia. 5 The first four guiding principles from Education for Innovative Societies in the 21st Century, G8/2006 Russia, St. Petersburg, Russia, July 16, 2006. These principles provide a foundation for the charge to develop innovation societies, building quality education structures, developing education for all, and advancing social cohesion.


work requires the ability to elevate the public’s interest in education, invest in knowledge

development, and to support programs which have as their goals developing highly

qualified teachers. Furthermore, the educational reforms, which focus on improving

standards and teacher quality, should be directed to literacy, mathematics, science, and

technology.6 The partnership proposes to improve the quality of veteran teachers’ and

teacher educators’ instructional practice by offering the Master of Education in

Curriculum and Instruction with courses on pedagogy and mathematics, science, or

technology within a technology infused learning environment.

By infusing technology in the delivery of the courses whether using distance

learning models or accessing alternative sources of information, the partnership will be

promoting cognitive flexibility which will redirect the Vietnamese teachers away from

their linear model of teaching (Sprio and Jehng, 1990). The Vietnamese teachers,

according to Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan, present information using a very linear model. The

preferred instructional practices traditional rote methodologies that do not lead students

to search for alternatives, find new applications for their learning, or transfer their

knowledge beyond their learning environments. Through the infusion of technology, the

teachers will learn to construct knowledge from their experiences, interpret various

concepts while they actively engage in their learning, share their learning through various

collaborations, find real-world applications for their learning, and monitor their learning

through formative, integrated assessments (Spiro and Jehng, 1990). The concepts and

activities that the teachers will learn come from the theoretical framework of cognitive

6 This description of the Vietnamese needs and proposed program align with the education-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education for All (EFA) objectives, and G8 Cologne Summit educational principles.


flexibility and will enable them to transfer their knowledge from the graduate program to

the schools.

Marlaine Lockheed (2006), who has written extensively about educational issues

in developing countries, argues that “high-quality, equitable education is the driving force

for development.” She bases her argument on the following beliefs: 1) an educated

population is healthier; 2) schools build social cohesion and national integration; and 3)

knowledge is essential for functioning modern societies (2006, ix). The students of An

Giang Province and the Mekong Delta are receiving an education; however, the data

suggest that the quality of their educational experiences need to improve. With an

infusion of research-based pedagogy, including concepts such as cognitive flexibility, and

content knowledge, teachers, who are teaching for learning, should have students who

demonstrate higher levels of achievement and other skills necessary to contribute to the

Vietnamese economic goals.

The Brazilian scholar and educational reformer, Paulo Freire (1970) wrote

extensively about literacy and the interactions between thought, language, and concepts

of the world. With adult literacy woven as a theme through proposed Master of

Education, the Ferris State University faculty and Vietnamese teachers, who will be the

students, will engage in authentic dialogues about culture and communication as well as

celebrating the local knowledge as a basis for future learning and communication.

Specifically, the focus will be on real world reading and learning.

Fred Newmann and his colleagues (1995) conducted research on improving

student learning through alternative teaching and assessment and found that connecting

learning to the real world was an essential variable for improving student achievement.


Specifically, Newman, Secada, and Wehlage (1995) found that students who have

opportunities to engage in activities that promote critical thinking, substantive

conversations, acquisition of deep knowledge, and connections to the real world. By

infusing these standards into the proposed program, the Vietnamese teachers will learn,

practice, and review an entirely different pedagogy model. The Vietnamese teachers will

learn to engage their students in interactions that promote learning rather than present

rote knowledge which the students deposit for use at some unforeseen and future time.

Freire (1970) described students as the depositories and teachers as the depositors in

these antiquated and oppressive models in which students do not manipulate their

learning, rethink, or make connections (53).

Suzanne Grant Lewis (2006), who researches and writes about creating a bridge

between academia and practice in the comparative and international educational venues,

identifies strategies for creating change which is the purpose of the proposed project. The

change that this project is seeking to make is significant reform and improvement in the

quality of education for Vietnam; however, Lewis provides lessons learned that apply to

this initiative. Those lessons include working in partnership to learn about the education

and culture of Vietnam and the Mekong Delta, provide course content that is authentic

and related to the lives of the students, and incorporate practices, objectives, and

materials that are within the realistic structure of the Vietnamese educational framework

and societal constraints. For example, in the proposed biology courses in ecology and

biotechnology, the concepts and instruction relate the teaching and learning objectives

and concepts to the current and future needs of the Mekong Delta.


PROPOSED SOLUTION. Ferris State University and An Giang University will be partnering

to offer the Master in Curriculum and Instruction with a subject matter option to teachers

and teacher educators at An Giang University. The curriculum aligns with the G8

Cologne Summit guiding principles and promotes quality instruction in literacy,

mathematics, science, and technology. However, the partners in this project also agree

with Cuban (1993) that changing teacher practice is a difficult and daunting task.

Specifically, merely sitting in a classroom, listening to a lecture, or interacting with a

DVD will not change practice. Therefore, the partners plan to use the research-based,

cyclical professional development model that the North Central Education Laboratory

(NCREL) developed through its Strategic Teaching and Reading and Learning through

Technology (1997-1999). Through this cyclical model, the Vietnamese teachers will

grow professionally by:

1. Building a Knowledge Base—Build new knowledge, information, strategies, and skills in science or mathematics and pedagogy;

2. Observing Models and Cases—Explore instructional examples to generate practical understanding of the research-based knowledge and principles in content disciplines of mathematics or science and pedagogy.

3. Reflecting on Your Practice—Examine instructional methodologies, using action research strategies based on the new knowledge, information, strategies, and skills as they impact instructional change.

4. Changing Your Practice—Implement new instructional plans and revise them if necessary based on action research findings vis-à-vis student achievement.

5. Gaining and Sharing Expertise—Collaborate with colleagues to redesign instructional practice to focus on student learning.7

This model is cyclical and provides a conceptual frame for delivering the courses,

reflecting, changing instructional practices, and engaging in action research.

7 http://www.ncrtec.org/pd/lwtres/npdm.pdf (in a downloadable Adobe file.)

http://www.ncrtec.org/pd/lwtres/npdm.pdf


Figure 2 Professional Development Model

Adult learning theory supports using a cyclic model for professional development to

change the traditional instructional strategies of the Vietnamese teacher, because,

according to Marsha Specks (1996), adults have difficulty transferring learning.

Specifically, for adults the transfer is not automatic (pp. 36-37). In this case, for the

Vietnamese teachers, the learning will be situated in their own working environments

stressing local knowledge, and the support for implementing the new pedagogical

strategies and content knowledge will be embedded in the proposed Master of Education

program which will include the reflective practice and action research strategies

addressed in the cyclical NCREL professional development model.

Action research methodologies for teachers focus on improving practice and

enhancing student performance. In this case, the Vietnamese teachers will examine their

own practice, either individually or collaboratively, to assess the outcomes of their

Building Knowledge Ferris State University Courses

Observing Models and

Cases Available on DVDs

Gaining and Sharing

Expertise

Reflecting on Practice

Available & Begin Action

Research

Changing Practice

Implement Change


teaching strategies, reflect on their practice, and test new methods. As they implement

new instructional strategies with enhanced content knowledge, they will report their

experiences and findings to their colleagues with the intent of sharing practices that

enhance student learning and improve their schools. The purpose of the proposed

inclusion of action research is to give the Vietnamese teachers a model for examining

instructional changes in an atmosphere of continuous improvement (Calhoun, 1994).

Place-based education is an orientation to teaching that uses local resources and is

especially relevant to this proposed project because it uses local resources to teach

concepts. In the case of An Giang University and the Mekong Delta region, there are

resources related to the growing of rice. Specifically, there is Cuu Long Rice Institute in

Can Tho, Vietnam8. Using the resources of the Cuu Long Rice Institute and aligning

biology content to rice, teachers can learn more about the content. Similarly, using the

folklore, local history, and community resources for authentic experiences, the education

core courses can provide venues in which the Vietnamese teachers can assist their

students in finding relevant applications of knowledge which can enhance student

achievement (Newmann, Secada, and Wehlage, 1995).

PROGRESS. After hosting Dr. Watson for a semester of teaching and partnering with

Ferris State University for several study abroad trips at An Giang, Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan

invited a delegation from Ferris State University to visit his institution. In February,

2006, Dr. Michael Harris, Vice President for Academic Affairs, led a delegation that

included a Ferris trustee and faculty member to An Giang where the initial proposal was

developed to focus on teacher preparation. Subsequently in April 2006, Dr. Vo-Tong

Xuan brought a delegation to Ferris State University where they met with the various 8 http://www.clrri.org/en/


deans and faculty members and Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan gave a poignant presentation on the

status of education in the An Giang Province. He also negotiated various aspects of the

proposed project. Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan, Dr. Harris, and several members of the faculty and

administrative staff, including deans, attended a reception at the Ferris State University

President’s house to demonstrate university-wide support for the program.

Specifically, while Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan and his delegation were at Ferris State

University, they met with the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services, Dr.

Michelle Johnston, and Interim Director of the School of Education, Dr. Liza Ing, as well

as other education faculty members. Through their meetings, the representatives of the

partnering universities developed a curriculum which is within the Master of Education

of Curriculum and Instruction with the subject matter option. The curriculum includes

eight core education courses and eliminates electives to ensure continuity in the program

delivery and nine to twelve credits of a content discipline. Specifically, the nine to twelve

credits would be in science (biology, chemistry, or physics) or mathematics.


Figure 3 Proposed Course of Study

Proposed Vietnam Course of Study

Ferris State University College of Education and Human Services

Master of Education—Curriculum and Instruction with a Subject Area Option

Core Education Courses—(3 credits per course)

• EDUC 690 Principles and Theories of Teaching and Learning & Teaching/Learning Theories in the Classroom

• EDUC 620 Advanced Integrated Curriculum Design and Evaluation • EDUC 511 Principles of Educational Evaluation and Design • EDUC 616 Issues in Education • ERLA 511 Literacy and Content Learning • EDUC 660 Action Research • EDUC 540 Educational Technology in the Classroom • EDUC 601 Curriculum Leadership and Development Total Credits for Core Education Requirements 24 Credits

Arts and Sciences and Technology Subject Discipline Electives 9-12 Credits

Total 33-37 Credits

The Vietnamese teachers, who will be the candidates for the Master of Education, will identify their subject area interests in mathematics, science, or technology to complete their degrees.

In May, 2006, Drs. Klein and Watson were in Vietnam to engage in further

discussions regarding the delivery of the program and the technology capacity necessary

to support distance learning. Subsequently, they reported their findings to their colleagues

at Ferris State University. Dr. Watson continued contact with Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan and met

him in New York in November 2006.


Throughout the Summer Semester of 2006, implementation committees met to

determine the most efficient and cost effective way to offer distance learning classes in

Vietnam without sacrificing quality. Essentially, they formulated the delivery structure

for the proposed program. After the technology assessment, it was decided that online

classes would not be appropriate considering the technology infrastructure at An Giang.

The following decisions were made:

1. Classes will be offered in a mixed-delivery format using DVDs of the Ferris State

University faculty teaching their classes. The Television and Digital Media

Program, which is a department within the College of Education and Human

Services, is responsible for developing the DVDs. Using DVDs is advantageous

because they have a large storage capacity which can include videos, films, and

documents. The students can have own their personal DVDs which they can

replay. Some modules of the courses will be using tradition face-to-face teaching

for modeling, and there will be e-mail exchanges between students and faculty.

2. The data collected and shared by Dr. Vo-Tong Xuan provided a benchmark for

future formative and summative evaluations.

3. Course and program outcomes and assessment were established, including an

electronic portfolio system for archiving evidence of teacher progress.

4. Dr. Watson wrote a proposal for a grant application and is searching for possible

funding sources.

5. As a result of Drs. Watson and Vo-Tong Xuan met in New York City in

November 2006,


6. Dr. Johnston met with educational consultants from the International Rescue

Committee about the feasibility of the plan.

RESEARCH AGENDA: The partners, Ferris State University and An Giang, will formulate

an evaluation plan to examine the impact of the educational plan and implementation of

the Master Degree of Education—Curriculum and Instruction with a subject area

emphasis. The impact studies will include the collection of institutional data as Dr. Xuan

has begun to lead to a longitudinal collection of data as well as case studies, action

research, which will be an integral component of the graduate studies, and rich life

stories.

SUMMARY. The developing educational partnership between Ferris State University and

An Giang University is a first step in improving educational achievement for the

underrepresented and underperforming students in An Giang Province. Specifically, the

teachers who will participate in this proposed program, when implemented, possess the

content knowledge and pedagogical skills to improve student achievement scores of the

An Giang Province of the Mekong Delta. Furthermore, they will have the tools necessary

to sustain the increases in achievement as well as monitoring their practice through action

research strategies to promote continuous student improvement.

Ferris State University and An Giang are developing a new model of

collaboration that aligns to the G8 principles, addresses quality, and utilizes research on

best practice. This new model is sustainable and able to be replicated.


References

Armitage, R. and Schriver, R. (2006). Trade with Vietnam.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20060717-08432-9809r.htm

Calhoun, E. (1994). How to use action research in the self-renewing school. Alexandria,

VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Cuban, L. (1993). How teachers taught. New York: Teachers College Press.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Continuum Publishing

Company.

Lewis, S. G. (2006) “On teaching for social change: Creating a bridge between academia

and practice. In B. Piper, S Dryden-Peterson, and Y. Kim (Eds.) International

education for the millennium: Toward Access, Equity, and Quality. Cambridge,

MA: Harvard Educational Review Reprint Series No. 42.

Lockheed, M. E. (2006). “Forward.” In B. Piper, S Dryden-Peterson, and Y. Kim (Eds.)

International education for the millennium: Toward Access, Equity, and Quality.

Cambridge, MA: Harvard Educational Review Reprint Series No. 42.

Newmann, F.M., Secada, W.G. & Wehlage, G.G. (1995). A guide to authentic instruction

and assessment: Vision, standards and scoring. Madison, WI: Document Service,

Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

The NCREL Professional Development Model. (1997-1999).

http://www.ncrtec.org/pd/lwtres/npdm.pdf (in a downloadable Adobe file.)

Specks, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional development for sustained

educational change. ERS Spectrum, 33-41.

http://www.ncrtec.org/pd/lwtres/npdm.pdf


Spiro, R. J. & Jehng, J. C. (1990). Cognitive flexibility and hypertext: Theory and

technology for the nonlinear and multidimensional traversal of complex subject

matter. In D. Nix & R. Spiro (Eds.), Cognition, education, and multimedia:

Exploring ideas in high technology (pp. 163-205). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence

Erlbaum Associates.

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