Preparing Pre-Service Teachers for Mathematics Teaching at Primary Schools in Vietnam

Trinh Thi Tuyet Le,Tien-Trung Nguyen,Phan Thi Tinh,Manh-Tuan Nguyen,Phuong-Thao Nguyen,Cuong Duy Le

doi:10.29333/ejmste/10863

Abstract

This article aims to identify the professional competencies that primary school teachers in Vietnam need for effective mathematics teaching and the extent to which teacher-training colleges prepare pre-service teachers with those competencies. A mixed method approach with an explanatory sequential design was employed. Questionnaires were sent to 493 pre-service teachers and interviews were conducted with 20 teacher trainers from five major teacher-training colleges in Vietnam. The findings indicated that Vietnamese pre-service teachers were adequately trained in terms of mathematical content knowledge yet were less ready in terms of mathematical teaching pedagogies. Mathematical pedagogical content knowledge was reportedly an often-neglected area at teacher-training colleges and was subsumed under general pedagogical content knowledge. The study has both theoretical and practical contributions to the development of professional qualities for primary school teachers teaching mathematics at primary school in Vietnam.

Highlights

Mathematical Literacy and Professional Competencies of Mathematics TeachersAs a country that has recently transformed from one of the world’s poorest to one of the most dynamic emerging economies in East Asia, Vietnam considers education and training as a vital means of achieving socio-economic progress
This article aims to identify the professional competencies that primary school teachers in Vietnam need for effective mathematics teaching and the extent to which teacher-training colleges prepare pre-service teachers with those competencies
The findings indicated that Vietnamese pre-service teachers were adequately trained in terms of mathematical content knowledge yet were less ready in terms of mathematical teaching pedagogies

Summary

Introduction

Mathematical Literacy and Professional Competencies of Mathematics TeachersAs a country that has recently transformed from one of the world’s poorest to one of the most dynamic emerging economies in East Asia, Vietnam considers education and training as a vital means of achieving socio-economic progress. The country allocates annually a fifth of its national budget to investments in the education sector and has launched important initiatives in reforming teaching and learning across school levels. It has claimed successes in widening educational access and ascertaining educational equality, for example by maintaining a 95% net enrolment rate for primary school, a 98% literacy rate for Vietnamese aged between 15 and 60, and progressing towards universalising its secondary education (Vietnam National Assembly, 2016). The General Education Renovation Project funded by World Bank (2014), has

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