Career Development for University Lecturers in the Field of Educational Sciences Based on Competency Framework

Abstract

As higher education modernizes, and especially in the context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, the competency of universities in their three main roles and responsibilities – teaching, scientific research, and community services – has become more and more urgent. However, the career development of lecturers in the field of educational sciences, which is concerned with pedagogy, has received limited attention in Vietnam, especially in terms of research competency. The number of studies on the educational sciences in Vietnam in the current ISI/SCOPUS index is low compared to other fields. The focus of this chapter is to develop a professional competency framework that could be applied to career development for lecturers specializing in educational sciences. The article has three main parts: Part 1 identifies the content of career development of lecturers in the field of educational sciences, including roles, conceptions, and career development path; Part 2 develops a professional competency framework based on their job position and in line with the requirements of higher education reform in Vietnam; the competency framework is developed on the basis of the mission of university with the standards and criteria at the level corresponding to the categories of professional titles of the lecturer; Part 3 offers recommendations for career development, including ideas to implement planning, recruitment, employment, training, professional development, and compensation policies for lecturers, and to encourage the formation of a contingent of lecturers who can adapt (especially in the competency of scientific research) to educational innovation and international integration.