After two years of integrated teaching, many schools still let teachers of each subject teach that subject, and when it comes to exams, they create the questions together, combine them, and agree on the scores themselves.
Looking at the new school year schedule, Ms. Huyen, a Physics teacher in Ha Nam, sighed. As the only Physics teacher in the school, Ms. Huyen teaches only 10 periods a week, but sometimes nearly 30 periods a week. This is because there are times when all three grades (6, 7, 8) study Physics together in the Natural Science subject.
According to the new program, from 2021, secondary school students will not study Biology, Physics, Chemistry, History, and Geography separately, but will study Natural Science, History, and Geography, called an integrated subject. In theory, this subject only needs one teacher, but because there is no specialist, Ms. Huyen's school assigns teachers of each subject to teach that subject.
According to her, teachers have to study for four years to teach one subject, now having to teach two subjects is "no different from a puzzle". Ms. Huyen tried teaching both Chemistry and Biology but was not confident and was afraid that students would ask questions.
"When I went to school, I studied block A00 (Math, Physics, Chemistry) so I don't remember a lot of Biology knowledge," the teacher said.
Other schools are also struggling. According to many teachers, integrated subjects affect both teaching and learning, timetable arrangement, testing and evaluation.
The principal of a school in Quang Tri said that Natural Science or History and Geography should be called "combined subjects" and not integrated subjects. At his school, each subject teacher teaches each part. When it comes to exams, based on the amount of knowledge, each teacher creates his own questions and then combines them.
"Anyone can grade multiple-choice questions, but any teacher can grade essay questions. The scoring is up to the individual," he said, adding that the school must assign a person to specifically arrange the timetable.
Similarly, at Bui Quang Mai Secondary School in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, Vice Principal Nguyen Kha Dong said that in the first year of integrated teaching, the school arranged teachers to teach lessons in order in the book, and each teacher taught the lesson. Last year, students studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology separately. Therefore, teachers sometimes taught 32 lessons a week, but sometimes they were short of time.
This year, Mr. Dong said that schools will be able to choose their own teaching methods based on their human resources and facilities. "We will probably apply the method we did the first year," Mr. Dong said. This method will somewhat balance the number of teaching hours a week for teachers.
During a meeting with teachers nationwide in mid-August, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son admitted that integrated teaching is one of the most difficult aspects when implementing the new general education program, a "stuck, stuck, and difficult point".
6th grade students, Nguyen Tri Phuong Secondary School, Hanoi, February 2022. Photo: Giang Huy
Associate Professor Dr. Chu Cam Tho, Head of the Educational Evaluation Research Department, Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, said that the main reason for this is that teaching and learning conditions are not guaranteed. Most schools are not fully equipped with teaching equipment, teachers and students teach and learn without teaching, do not do experiments or practice, so they cannot imagine what integration is.
In addition, many places lack human resources, including integrated teachers. Pedagogical universities such as Thai Nguyen, Hanoi 2, Hue, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City have enrolled students in Natural Science Pedagogy and History - Geography, but have not yet graduated any students.
At the end of July 2021, the Ministry of Education and Training issued a training program for integrated secondary school teachers, with a duration of 20-36 credits. Teachers can study at schools with a pedagogical faculty, funded by the state budget or self-funded. After about 6 months, they will be granted a certificate.
However, at the 2022-2023 school year summary conference on August 18, Ms. Nguyen Thi Doan, former Vice President and President of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education, said that "it is impossible to teach after a few months of certificate training", and that specialized, well-trained teachers are needed.
"The education sector must invest carefully in the pedagogical sector," Ms. Doan emphasized.
Students of Ha Huy Tap Secondary School, Ho Chi Minh City, during an experience at the War Remnants Museum, December 2021. Photo: School Fanpage
However, many schools are gradually catching up with integrated teaching.
Ms. Hua Thi Diem Tram, principal of Ha Huy Tap Secondary School in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the school has organized discussion sessions and reading sessions for single-subject teachers. Teachers practice teaching cross-subjects and then give each other feedback. This also happens during the summer.
"Thanks to these sessions, History teachers know how to rotate the globe correctly, and Geography teachers also know how to develop a History lesson. These things seem small, but if teachers don't know them, they will teach wrongly and lack confidence when standing in front of the class," said Ms. Tram.
To accompany, the board of directors listens and supports teachers with documents. According to Ms. Tram, schools should reduce mechanical work or require teachers to do books and reports so that they can focus on their expertise.
"No matter how difficult it is, leaders and teachers will work together to overcome it. The important thing is to dare to do it, accompany and share with each other," said Ms. Tram, noting that the 31 single-subject teachers are no longer "afraid" of integration like two years ago.
In the workshop on integrated teaching on August 27 organized by the Borderless Education Management Network, Mr. Trinh Ngoc Hai, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Than Uyen district, Lai Chau, said that the whole district only has two History and Geography teachers, and no Natural Science teachers, but "the spirit is to work while solving difficulties".
According to him, the Department has established a core professional team to connect with good teachers. Every month, this team visits each school to observe classes, share experiences or demonstrate teaching. Interdisciplinary training activities are also organized more often, combined with bringing teachers to schools that have implemented integrated subjects well to learn.
In mid-August, Minister Nguyen Kim Son said there was a "high possibility" that integrated subjects would be adjusted.
Ms. Chu Cam Tho said that it would be a pity if integrated subjects were separated into individual subjects, because integrated teaching is the right policy, helping students develop their qualities and abilities as the goal of the new program. According to her, schools should be given the opportunity to be autonomous in this matter. Schools that are doing well should be encouraged to continue, and those that are struggling should be supported.
Master Ho Sy Anh, expert at the Institute of Educational Research, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, also agrees with this plan.
"There is no need to worry about each place having its own style, because the more creative and flexible the school is, the more active and successful the students will be," he said.
However, he believes that subject separation should only be applied to grade 9 - the age when students already have orientation, while grades 6, 7, and 8 should maintain integrated teaching to maximize the goals of the new program.
Ms. Huyen, a Physics teacher in Ha Nam, is looking forward to the separation of subjects. She believes that in high school, students still study individual subjects, so why should middle school students integrate them, causing "complication and fatigue".
"The next generation with formal training will do better. But right now, I think we can't just keep teaching and being optimistic like that," said Ms. Huyen.
Thanh Hang
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