HNUE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Educational Sciences, 2021, Volume 66, Issue 5A, pp 161-169 This paper is available online at http://stdb.hnue.edu.vn DOI: 10.18173/2354-1075.2021-0226 DEVELOPING THE COMPETENCIES FOR ORGANIZING EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES FOR VIETNAMESE STUDENT TEACHERS Nguyen Van Hien1* and Duong Thi Kim Oanh2 Ph.D Student of Institute of Technical Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education Institute of Technical Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education Abstract Developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers at Vietnamese universities is considered an urgent requirement to meet the mission of implementing the General Education Curriculum 2018 This article presents a theoretical study to identify some basic issues about the competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers The concept of competencies for organizing experiential activities for students has been analyzed from the perspective of education In addition, the framework of competencies for organizing experiential activities for students includes the following groups: competencies for planning, competencies for implementing plans, and competencies for testing and evaluating experiential activities The skills development process is influenced by many different factors, including biological and environmental elements as well as educational and personal activities In universities of education, the development of students’ competencies for organizing experiential activities can be done through the following forms: pedagogical subjects, skills training programs, pedagogical internships (practicum), collective activities, and self-development The results of this study can be a reference for Vietnamese universities of education in revising their training programs in the current period Keywords: experiential activities, student teachers, developing competencies for organizing experiential activities Introduction The General Education Curriculum 2018 (the new General Education Curriculum) of Vietnam is divided into two phases: basic education (from grade to grade 9) and careeroriented education (from grade 10 to grade 12) The phases in the new General Education Curriculum focus on organizing experiential and career-oriented activities for students [1, p.7] In order to have teachers with qualities and capabilities to meet the requirements of these activities, the education of students at teacher education institutions is considered a key step Traditional teaching and educational competencies such as understanding specialized knowledge of teaching, organizing teaching processes, assessing learners, using languages, using teaching techniques, understanding education and educational processes, pedagogical communication, etc have been effectively developed for students through various pedagogical activities However, there is a lack of (effective) activities to develop several new competencies Received October 11, 2021 Revised December 3, 2021 Accepted December 13, 2021 Contact Nguyen Van Hien, e-mail address: hiennv.ncs@hcmute.edu.vn 161 Nguyen Van Hien* and Duong Thi Kim Oanh required to meet the General Education Curriculum 2018 such as competencies for differentiated teaching and integrated teaching, especially for organizing experiential and career-oriented activities (educational competencies, etc.) Some authors in Vietnam have been interested in clarifying the current situation and proposing measures to develop COEA and ways of organizing these activities Research by Nguyen Viet Thuy Hang (2017) assessed the reality of training skills in organizing experiential activities for students of the Department of Early Childhood Education at Phu Yen University, thereby proposing a number of measures to help students develop these skills This study has practical significance for the education of student teachers, especially early childhood education programs’ students [2] Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuc (2021) proposed a process to develop experiential teaching competencies for students of Geography Education programs at Can Tho University in chronological order including stages: planning, organizing the development, and evaluating the degree of competencies for organizing experiential activities [3] However, this process has not shown the relationship between the stages and the component steps A recently conducted theoretical study (April 2021) by Nguyen Thi Ngoc on fostering the competencies for organizing experiential activities for teachers to meet the requirements of the General Education Curriculum 2018 Regarding the competency framework for organizing experiential activities, the author proposed four groups: competencies for building and designing curriculum as well as plans for experiential activities; competencies for implementing plans, programs, and experiential activities for students; competence for coordinating with stakeholders in education inside and outside the school; competence for testing and evaluating students’ self-study activities [4, p.5015-5019] With such a way of grouping competencies, there is no consensus on the criteria for grouping as well as the principles used for proposing this way of grouping The content of these groups also has a certain overlap From these realities, we realize that there is a lack of research on developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers Therefore, this study is carried out to enrich the theories about developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities (COEA) for student teachers, in hopes of making a positive contribution to the process of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training in Vietnam Content 2.1 Research methods The theoretical research method is used to organize this research Through studying relevant documents in the world and Vietnam on competencies for and developing COEA for student teachers, we have selected, analyzed, and evaluated COEA After that, this article proposes theories of concepts, structures, forms, and factors affecting the development of COEA for students in the Vietnamese context 2.2 The concept of developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers The term “competence” was first known to scientists around the world in 1959 when the psychologist White (USA) used it in a report called “Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence” He argues that competence is a required personality attribute for outstanding productivity and high motivation [5, p.3] From this initial conception, many scientists have gradually developed and perfected their understanding of the terminology and area of competence Currently, there are many different statements about competence, in which some 162 Developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for Vietnamese student teachers authors, especially psychologists, tend to consider competence as one or a combination of psychological attributes, and a rather large group of psychologists focus on describing competence as an individual’s ability Vu Dung et al (2008) said that the term of competence is “A combination of unique psychological attributes or psychological qualities of an individual, acting as an internal condition, facilitating a good form of activity” [6, p.499] Bernd Meier and Nguyen Van Cuong (2019) defined “Competence is the ability to successfully and responsibly perform tasks, solve problems in defined and changing situations, based on a combination of knowledge, skills and other psychological attributes such as motivation, will, ideas, values, etc., thoughtful thinking and willingness to act” [7, p.68] In this study, we believe that competence is the ability to effectively perform specific tasks and situations based on a system of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that an individual has previously accumulated In this article, the term “organizing” means “doing what is necessary to carry out an activity with the best possible effect” [8, p.1007] Combined with the concept of experiential activities introduced by the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam (2018) [9, p.3], it can be said that COEA is the ability to perform necessary tasks effectively to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks These competencies include basic components: competencies for planning, competencies for implementing plans, and competencies for testing and evaluating experiential activities The formation of this structure is based on a 3-stage educational activity From there, we analyze the characteristics of the experiential activities presented in the General Education Curriculum 2018 of Vietnam to give specific manifestations Details of COEA for student teachers are shown in the diagram below Competencies for planning Design plans for experiential activities Design plans for experiential activities by topic Organize forms of experience COEA Competencies for implementing plans Manage classes Coordinate with various stakeholders in education Using educational materials Competencies for testing and evaluating experiential activities Deploy tools to test and evaluate educational results Analyze results Apply results Figure Components of the competencies for organizing experiential activities Development is a process that makes an element, thing, or phenomenon change from low to high, from simple to complex, from less completed to more completed From that, in the context of career training for student teachers, we conceive that developing COEA is understood as an impact process under internal and external factors in which students have gone through to 163 Nguyen Van Hien* and Duong Thi Kim Oanh improve the ability to perform necessary tasks to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks Regarding the levels of developing COEA, we apply the model of Dreyfus and Dreyfus, 1980 [10, pp.52-81] The authors suggested that competencies go through six stages of development: beginner-B, advanced beginner-AB, competent-C, and proficient-P, expert-E, master-M Although there are some arguments, this model has been used by many educational researchers around the world [11, pp.383-412] To develop COEA for student teachers, the final stage (master) is not practical Therefore, we believe that the COEA for student teachers is formed and developed through levels: Poor - Minimal - Sufficient - Above average - Excellent corresponding first five stages that Dreyfus and Dreyfus (1980) showed The naming of these levels ensures compatibility with the current assessment view of the Ministry of Education and Training The characteristics of these five levels are as follows: Table Describe the levels of developing competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers Competence development level Poor Minimal Sufficient Above average Excellent Do not understand theories of organizing experiential activities; completely unable to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks Understand some basic theories of organizing experiential activities; make many mistakes in designing, orienting, and guiding students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks Quite understand theories of organizing experiential activities; able to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and move personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks; but have not mastered the process, still need a lot of effort Fully understand theories of organizing experiential activities; able to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks; but have not completely mastered the process, still need some effort Deeply understand theories of organizing experiential activities; able to design, orient, and guide students to approach reality, experience emotions, and mobilize personal experiences, knowledge as well as skills from subjects to undertake practical tasks; have mastered the process, flexibly adjust the operation to suit the reality 2.3 Factors affecting the development of competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers A widely acknowledged view among Vietnamese educators is that the process of personality development (qualities and competencies) is influenced by various factors 164 Developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for Vietnamese student teachers including genetics, social environment, education and self-education, activities, communication [12, p.260-263] We take these factors into account in concretizing the factors affecting the development of COEA for student teachers * Biological factors Biological factors are biologically inherited traits that are already present in an individual when they were born [12, p.261] such as physique, senses, temperament, nerve system, etc They are the material premise for personality development [13, p.49], which can positively or negatively affect the process of developing COEA in terms of speed, level, and nature When developing these competencies for students, it is necessary to pay attention to biological factors to build and give appropriate tasks, take measures to enhance as well as overcome weaknesses due to biological elements * Environment The environment is a whole system that surrounds and affects people, from natural to social factors The environment has a great influence on personality development in general and competencies in particular [13, p.53] In the process of developing COEA for student teachers, factors belonging to the social environment such as friends (groups, partial classes), schools (university of education, internship schools), families, etc can contribute to the formation of motivation and training purposes for students, as well as providing the methods and conditions for competence development activities [12, p.262] Recognizing the important role of the environment, especially the social environment, teacher education institutions need to constantly improve related factors, create favorable conditions for students to receive positive impacts * Education Education is the training activity in universities of education that is organized systematically to meet the requirements of the curriculum Training activities affect the development of students’ COEA, teaching pedagogical subjects, and pedagogical internships Moreover, lecturers and pedagogical subjects have a huge impact [14, p.162] In general, educational factors play a leading role in orienting and organizing the process of developing COEA This requires a full study on the COEA to complete the pedagogical program, innovate training activities, especially the teaching work of Psychology, Education lecturers in universities of education * Personal activities Activity is the process by which an individual interacts with the surrounding world [9, p.45] to satisfy his/her own needs [13, p.54] Vietnamese educators believe that, among the factors affecting the personality development (qualities and competencies) of learners, individual activities play a decisive role [12, p.263], [13, p.54] This view is consistent with the case of developing COEA for student teachers through typical individual activities such as participating in-class activities, practicing skills [16, p.57], self-studying, self-training, learning experiences from others, etc When those activities are carried out, it is essential to pay attention to the factors of attitudes, willpower, and time spent by students 2.4 Forms of developing competencies for organizing experiential activities for student teachers Based on the principle that competencies for organizing experiential activities are a type of ability formed through a long-term impact by many factors, from the school to the student’s efforts Therefore, to develop these competencies, it is impossible to only concentrate on a few single forms Currently, at universities of education, there are many formal and informal forms 165 Nguyen Van Hien* and Duong Thi Kim Oanh to develop pedagogical competencies in general and COEA in particular Some typical forms that have an important influence on the competence of organizing experiential activities include pedagogical subjects, skills training programs, pedagogical internships, collective activities, and self-development Table Overview of typical forms of developing competencies for organizing experiential activities for students in universities of education Activities Pedagogical subjects (*) Subject Lecturers Psychology, Education Skills development Lecturers programs (through training Education programs, workshops) Pedagogical internships (Practicum) in Semester Semester according timetable Student teachers Location to Lecture 6/7, classrooms to the halls, in Flexible, depending Classrooms, on the organization conference rooms Instructors (lecturers, teachers) Collective activities HCYU cadres (HoChiMinh Communist VNUS cadres Youth Union - Vietnam Union of Students) Self-development Period Semester 5, 6, 7, Schools – Flexible, depending Inside and outside on the organization the university Flexible, depending Inside and outside on individual plans the university (*) Form plays a key role 2.4.1 Teaching pedagogical subjects Pedagogical subjects are important knowledge in teacher training programs in Vietnam, which can account for 30-40% of students’ academic time These include subjects such as General Psychology, Educational Psychology, General Education, Organization of Educational Activities, Theor, and Methods of Specialized Teaching There are to subjects that directly refer to organizing experiential activities at schools (“Educational Studies” at Hanoi University of Education; “Implementation of Educational Activities at Secondary Schools” at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education) Those subjects provide a theoretical system, organize practical activities for students to form skills in organizing experiential activities Although other pedagogical subjects not directly refer to experiential activities, they play an important role in building the basic foundations for Psychology and Education, from the knowledge, skills to the attitudes of a future teacher Some specific activities to develop the COEA in teaching pedagogical subjects such as: + Presenting, conversing educational theories, organizing experiential activities, classroom management, consulting, supporting students in the classroom, testing and evaluating educational activities, etc + Group discussion, research, project implementation, report (workshop) on educational theories, organizing experiential activities, classroom management, consulting, supporting students in the classroom, testing and evaluating educational activities, etc.; + Practicing pedagogical skills, organizing experiential activities in the classroom; + Reading practical reports from experienced teachers 166 Developing the competencies for organizing experiential activities for Vietnamese student teachers 2.4.2 Skills development programs through training programs, workshops In addition to the above-mentioned pedagogical subjects, we have noticed that many units in universities of education are also interested in designing and organizing some short-term training programs/workshops to foster pedagogical competencies, including COEA (focusing on skills training) for students Some specific activities to develop COEA in training programs/workshops such as: + The presenter gives an in-depth presentation and conversation on one/some theoretical aspects of educational activities and organizing experiential activities; + Students participate in some experiential activities at the training room such as games, video observation, sharing, individual/group research, etc.; + Students implement tasks, organized in class in groups/individuals as well as peer assessment/self-assessment, land listen to feedback/suggestions from the presenter 2.4.3 Pedagogical internship (practicum) Pedagogical internship/pedagogical practice at schools (practicum) is a mandatory requirement in teacher education programs Some programs are designed for students to practice from to periods (sessions), concentrated or semi-concentrated, last for to many months from the 5th to 8th semesters Currently, many universities of education tend to create more opportunities for students to get acquainted with teaching at school and practice skills at school The pedagogical internship is an important activity to help students know more about reality, apply knowledge and skills accumulated in organizing experiential activities in actual situations Some specific activities to develop the COEA in pedagogical internships are as follows: + The representatives of school report on the actual educational activities; + Students attend the teacher's and group’s experiential activities (saluting the flag, class activities, etc.); + Student plan, organize, and evaluate experiential activities for themselves and their fellows; + Students participate in counseling and support their fellows in preparing and organizing experiential activities; + Students write internship diary 2.4.4 Collective activities (HoChiMinh Communist Youth Union - Vietnam Union of Students) As part of non-formal education programs in the university, the activities of the Youth Union and the Student Union also contribute to the development of competencies for organizing youth activities for student teachers These activities provide students with many opportunities to practice organizational skills and form a positive attitude towards experiential activities Some specific activities to develop the COEA in collective activities are as follows: + Competitions, games, collective activities; + Camping, picnics; + Club activities; + Voluntary activities, public work 2.4.5 Students’self-development The self-development form of students seems to be a necessary part as it influences the process of forming and developing COEA The duration and intensity of the impact of external factors (teachers, schools, mass organizations, etc.) are limited and cannot fully develop COEA 167 Nguyen Van Hien* and Duong Thi Kim Oanh at a high level as an expert Self-development activities require students to have a background of knowledge, motivation, and discipline [16, p.250-251] Some specific activities to develop the COEA in the self-development process of students include: + Researching documents, examples, tapes, and illustrations; + Being teaching assistants at pedagogical schools or educational centers; + Learning experience from others Conclusions To generalize theories of developing COEA for student teachers, this article has clarified three issues: the concept of developing COEA for student teachers (including the structure of the competencies), forms, and factors affecting the development of students’ COEA The competency structure consists of three main components including competencies for planning, competencies for implementing plans, and competencies for testing and evaluating experiential activities There are some ways to develop COEA for student teachers such as teaching pedagogical subjects, training skills through training programs, organizing pedagogical internships, collective activities, and self-development activities That development process is influenced by biological factors, environment, and educational and personal activities Although this study is theoretical, the results presented above can be used by universities of education in revising their training programs in the current period REFERENCES [1] Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training, 2018 General Education Curriculum - The General Hanoi, p.7 [2] Nguyen Viet Thuy Hang, 2017 Training skills in organizing experiential activities for students of the Department of Early Childhood Education, Phu Yen University Master Thesis, Hanoi National University of Education (in Vietnamese) [3] Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuc, 2021 Developing competencies in experiential teaching in educating students of Geography Education programs at Can Tho University Dissertation Thesis in Educational Studies Hanoi National University of Education (in Vietnamese) [4] 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affecting pedagogical competence of students: Research at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Vietnam Journal of Educational Science, Vol 43, p 57 169 ... activities for Vietnamese student teachers authors, especially psychologists, tend to consider competence as one or a combination of psychological attributes, and a rather large group of psychologists... teacher training programs in Vietnam, which can account for 30-40% of students’ academic time These include subjects such as General Psychology, Educational Psychology, General Education, Organization... (in Vietnamese) [4] Nguyen Thi Ngoc, 2021 Issues of Fostering Ability to Organize Experience Activities for Teachers Meeting the Requirements for the 2018 School Education Program in Vietnam Today