Chapter 15/1999/CT-BGDĐT on Promoting Activities to Reform Teaching Methods and Learning in Teacher Training Institutions.

DIRECTIVE

On Promoting Activities to Reform Teaching Methods and Learning

in Teacher Training Institutions

_________________________

The Second Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Eighth Term, clearly identified an important task for the Education and Training Sector as follows:"Vigorously reform teaching and training methods, overcome one-sided knowledge transmission, and cultivate habits and patterns of creative thinking among learners."

As teachers play a decisive role in all reforms concerning content, programs, and methods across all subjects and levels, teacher training institutions hold a significant position in the process of reforming teaching and learning methods, and this task must begin at teacher training institutions.

Reforming teaching and learning methods in teacher training institutions aims to actively enhance learning activities, promote initiative, creativity, and self-study capabilities of students, while teachers maintain a leading role in organizing, controlling, and guiding the teaching and learning process, with learners taking an active part in the learning process and participating in scientific research.

Reforming teaching and learning methods is a crucial task for each teacher training institution (department), each subject, each lecturer, and each student and trainee, with lecturers from teaching method subjects and Psychology-Education departments taking the lead.

To effectively implement Resolution No. 2, the Ministry of Education and Training requests educational management levels and teacher training institutions (departments) to carry out the following key tasks starting from the 1999-2000 academic year and subsequent years:

I. FOR TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS (DEPARTMENTS):

1.Strengthen activities to reform teaching and learning methods.

Teacher training institutions (departments) and teacher training centers should collaborate with the Vietnam Teachers' Union and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to launch a campaign to reform teaching and learning methods from the 1999-2000 academic year. This campaign targets both lecturers and students.

a.For lecturers at teacher training institutions:

Make the activity of reforming teaching content and methods a regular task and consider it a critical standard for evaluating staff performance.

Annually organize seminars, competitions for excellent teachers, summarize and apply advanced teaching experiences within the institution, department, or among linked teacher training institutions as stipulated in Circular No. 17/GD-ĐT dated August 16, 1997, issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Lecturers should attach importance to guiding students in self-study, participating in scientific research, practical training, and fieldwork, while also engaging in teaching some hours at secondary schools, kindergartens, or educational facilities.

b.For students and trainees:

Respond positively to self-study movements organized by the school and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Student Association.

Develop awareness and habits of self-study, research textbooks and materials, link theory with practice, and foster proactive and creative attitudes, transforming the training process into a self-training process.

Actively participate in social and educational activities of the school or local community, linking with practical primary and kindergarten education.

2.Strengthen scientific research on reforming teaching and learning content and methods.

Organize for lecturers to conduct scientific research topics on reforming teaching and learning content and methods, aligning with subject requirements and experimental studies at various levels of preschool, elementary, and secondary education, preparing for post-2000 reforms.

Enhance cooperation and exchange of experience on reforming teaching and learning content and methods with related agencies and organizations (Institute of Educational Sciences, teacher training universities, project leaders of the Ministry, projects...).

3.Build practical teacher training schools and reform vocational education methods.

Consolidate and build practical teacher training schools in terms of faculty and infrastructure. Teacher training institutions without practical schools should study the regulations on practical schools established in Decision No. 31/1998/QĐ-BGD&ĐT dated May 20, 1998, and submit to provincial People's Committees and Departments of Education and Training for approval to establish practical schools.

Strengthen the consolidation and construction of faculties of teaching methods, psychology, and education, gradually stabilizing and forming specialized teams in these fields.

4.Actively participate in reforming teaching and learning methods in general education and preschool education.

Timely grasp reforms in teaching and learning methods in general education and preschool education: annually study professional guidance documents at each level, invite officials from relevant departments of the Department of Education and Training to teach or present special lectures at teacher training institutions. Actively participate in reform activities of the Department, Education Departments, and advanced secondary and preschool schools.

Starting from the 1999-2000 academic year, teacher training institutions need to prepare actively to adopt achievements in reforming teaching and learning methods in preschool education, new elementary education stages post-2000, and new assessment and examination methods in elementary education. Provide comments on draft curricula for middle school subjects and revised high school curricula. Prepare conditions to train new content and methods for secondary and preschool teachers when the Ministry issues these curricula.

Actively participate in implementing the continuing training program for secondary and kindergarten teachers for the period 1997-2000. Through this program, select appropriate teaching content and methods to supplement the training curriculum at teacher training schools and practical teacher training schools.

5. Build physical infrastructure, laboratory equipment, libraries, etc., to ensure the effective implementation of policies to reform teaching and learning methods in teacher training institutions.

Consolidate and upgrade the library, increasing the number of books on basic sciences, educational sciences, with particular attention to materials on teaching methods, learning methods, and reforms in teaching and learning methods. Ensure sufficient textbooks and reference materials to serve training programs.

Consolidate and effectively operate laboratories for physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, computer science, and language learning devices. Utilize modern teaching and learning tools during the training process.

Promote among students and trainees a movement to make teaching aids for use in lessons at teacher training schools, secondary schools, kindergartens, and in the teacher training internship program.

II. FOR PROVINCE EDUCATION AND TRAINING DEPARTMENTS: 

1. Develop plans and create mechanisms to institutionalize the reform of teaching and learning methods from teacher training schools (departments) into regular practice, considering this as a standard for evaluating training quality, specifically:

Prioritize investment in physical infrastructure and teaching and learning equipment related to the reform of teaching and learning methods.

Strengthen the recruitment of qualified lecturers, particularly for psychology-education and teaching methods departments.

Create favorable mechanisms for teacher training schools to participate in the reform of teaching and learning methods in secondary and kindergarten schools, such as timely information and updates on directives, circulars, and professional guidance for various levels of education. Arrange for teacher training lecturers to participate in secondary and kindergarten teacher training programs, and join in evaluating excellent teachers and nurturing outstanding students.

2. Find suitable solutions to create incentives to attract teacher training school lecturers to participate in activities to reform teaching and learning methods. Encourage, reward, and promptly recommend higher-level rewards for individuals and groups of teacher training personnel who have made significant efforts in reforming teaching and learning methods.

III. FOR MINISTRY FUNCTIONAL AGENCIES AND TEACHER TRAINING UNIVERSITIES.

A. FOR MINISTRY FUNCTIONAL AGENCIES:            

1. Ensure consistency in directing the reform of teaching and learning methods across all levels of secondary and kindergarten education and teacher training. Organize meetings of excellent teachers to distill good teaching and learning experiences.

2. Strengthen the direction of research on the reform of teaching and learning methods in teacher training schools (departments). Ensure that each teacher training university annually leads 1 to 2 Ministry-level research projects on the reform of teaching and learning methods and the training of teachers. Hold specialized conferences and training sessions on advanced teaching methods. Organize exchanges of teaching experience for teacher training lecturers and students. Organize dynamic forms of vocational education for teacher training. Conduct annual vocational examinations at teacher training schools, at teacher training clusters in the academic year 1999-2000, and prepare for the national vocational examination in the academic year 2000-2001.

3. Organize and direct the effective implementation of the "Program to build a cadre of teachers and teacher training schools," prioritizing investment in building a cadre of lecturers and equipping teacher training schools with the minimum and modern facilities necessary to support the reform of teaching and learning methods.

4. Develop and promulgate documents of the Ministry regarding the organizational structure of multi-system college teacher training schools, ensuring the tasks of organizing training, teacher development, and scientific research.

5. Ensure the plan for publishing textbooks and study materials according to the teacher training and development program. Prioritize educational science books: Psychology, Education, Teaching Methods, and Learning Methods...

6. Expand international activities serving the reform of teaching and learning methods in teacher training schools and departments (organizing research visits, importing advanced teaching and learning technologies...).

7. Coordinate with the Vietnam General Confederation of Teachers to launch competitions: promoting activities to reform teaching and learning methods to improve training effectiveness in teacher training schools.

Organize inspections and audits of teacher training schools (departments) and province education and training departments regarding the implementation of tasks to reform teaching and learning methods.

B. FOR TEACHER TRAINING UNIVERSITIES.

Teacher training universities (departments) must fully implement the tasks outlined in Part I of this Directive. In addition, teacher training universities must take responsibility for supporting and enhancing the effectiveness of lower-level teacher training schools in researching and implementing reforms in teaching and learning methods in general education and kindergarten education.

To ensure the quality and effectiveness of the reform of teaching and learning methods in teacher training schools, the Minister of Education and Training requests:

Directors of provincial education and training departments, principals of teacher training schools (departments), and training institutions nationwide must implement the contents stipulated in this Directive. Annually, provincial education and training departments and teacher training schools (departments) must report to the Ministry on the results of the reform of teaching and learning methods.

Heads of Ministry departments and units must fulfill the tasks outlined in this Directive according to their functions and responsibilities. The Teacher Affairs Department is the lead agency, advising the Ministry on planning coordination among agencies to ensure unified Ministry direction during the implementation of these tasks in teacher training schools./.