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1 INTRODUCTION Reason for choosing topic Testing and evaluating are very important positions in the teaching process Testing and evaluating allows the implementation of teaching, the result of applying teaching methods as well as teaching paradigms to be monitored and, more importantly, students’ performance at school to be evaluated Testing and evaluating during teaching process at universities and colleges is vital for students, lecturers and administrators in particular Teaching in schools today revolves around not only what to teach but also how to teach Innovating teaching methods is an urgent demand in improving teaching quality It requires a integration of curriculum, methodology and testing as well as evaluating to enhance the standard of training An erroneous assessment of the quality of training may have a detrimental effect on the utilization of the human resources Therefore, innovating testing and evaluating has become an urgent need for the education ministry and society as a whole Accurate and objective assessment boosts learners’ confidence and enthusiasm, thus enhancing learning creativity The fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is one of the disciplines of political theories taught in universities and colleges in our country to equip students with the scientific knowledge of Marxism- Leninism, forming the worldview and scientific methodology for learners In the process of studying this subject, the core competence, the specificity students need to achieve is the ability to solve problems By studying this subject, students not only have the capacity to be aware of theoretical issues, but also have the power to apply the knowledge they have learned to solve practical problems with a positive spirit and attitude However, reality shows that the development of students’ problemsolving capacity has not really been paid attention; the work of examining and evaluating the students’ problem-solving capacity is still confusing, leading to the efficiency of teaching being yet to be achieved as expected Students are not really interested in learning due to the academic content of the subject They are not experienced in the handling of problematic situations in the learning process, which limits their adaptability to real life as well as the actual demands of the profession Therefore, it is required that teachers find measures to promote the development of students’ problem-solving capacity, especially in the examination and evaluation of work Based on the above-mentioned reasons, I chose the issue “Assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities of Vietnam today” as my PhD thesis The purpose of the study Based on the analysis and clarification of the theoretical and practical basis of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in the teaching of philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges in our country nowadays; the thesis proposes the principles and measures to evaluate students’ problem-solving ability in this discipline The thesis helps enhance the standard of teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges today, oriented towards developing learners’ capacity The object and subjects of the research 3.1 The object of the research The process of teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today, with orientation to capacity development 3.2 The subjects of the research Principles and measures to improve students’ problem-solving ability in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today Scientific hypothesis If the principles and measures proposed in the thesis are ensured in testing and evaluating in the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today, the quality of teaching this subject in current universities and colleges will be improved Research tasks - Overview of research works related to assessing students’ problemsolving capacity in learning he philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism - Study theoretical bases and investigate the situation of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges today - Propose principles and measures to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in the teaching of he philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities of Vietnam today - Organize pedagogical experiments to test the feasibility and effectiveness of the measures proposed Research scope - Reasoning: The thesis only investigates the assessment of students’ problem-solving ability in the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities (is the core capacity, representing the ability to apply worldview and methodology in real life) - Practice: The thesis surveys the real situation and pedagogical experiments assessing students’ problem-solving ability in the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in these colleges and universities: Tay Bac University; Thai Nguyen University of Education; Ho Chi Minh City University of Education; Vietnam Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Academy; Thai Nguyen Teacher Training College - Time: The thesis examines the current situation and pedagogical experiments from January 2014 to June 2018 Research Methods - The thesis uses methods such as analysing-synthesizing, logicalhistorical, comparative, inductive-deductive, systematic-structural - Observation method: observing students’ attitude and enthusiasm to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism - Sociological survey method: using questionnaire to collect information from lecturers and students on the research matter - Interview method: face-to-face interview with administrators, lecturers and students to gather information on the research topic of the thesis - Expert method: consulting experts on designing questions in tests, test matrix, choosing to construct a set of questionnaires to study the real situation - Pedagogical experiment: Conduct pedagogical experiment to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of assessment methods for students’ problemsolving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism New contributions of the thesis - Systematizing and sharpening the theoretical foundations of evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays - Studying and evaluating the reality of assessing students’ problemsolving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today - Proposing the principles and measures to assess students’ problemsolving capacity in lectures on the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today - Experimenting to prove the feasibility of the proposed measures in the thesis Theses pointed out to protect: - The general assessment of published research on testing and evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism - Evaluate the reality of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today - The principles and measures of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today 4 - Basic theoretical issues concerning students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today 10 The structure of the thesis Apart from the introduction and conclusion, appendix and list of references, the thesis consists of chapters, 10 lessons: Chapter 1: Overview of the research situation on assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today Chapter 2: Theoretical and practical base of assessing students’ problemsolving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today Chapter 3: Principles and measures to improve the quality of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today Chapter 4: Pedagogical experiments of measures to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today Chapter OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ON THE ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPACITY IN TEACHING THE PHILOSOPHICAL PART, SUBJECT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLEs OF MARXISM-LENINISM IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OF VIETNAM TODAY 1.1 Overview of research on the assessment of students’ problemsolving ability in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism 1.1.1 Researches on the capacity and problem-solving capacity in teaching 1.1.1.1 Definition of capacity Education oriented towards capacity development has been a hot-debated topic since the 90s of the twentieth century and has now become a global education trend According to foreign materials, ability is a category of capacity (ability, competency, capacity, possibility) Weinert wrote in the Vergleichende Leistungsmessung in Schulen (2001) that: Ability is the combination of inherent or acquired capabilities and skills to solve real life problems [100] According to OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) in the Definition and Selection of Competencies: Theoretical and Conceptual Foundation, ability is the capacity to efficaciously fulfil complex requirements under a certain circumstance [95] Denyse Tremblay claimed in The Competency - Based Approach: Helping learners become autonomous that ability is the capacity to act efficiently from efforts based on resources [99] … Overall, foreign authors all held an opinion that ability consists of inborn, inherent or acquired psychological traits and is perpetually linked with practical activities Ability is a personal characteristic that is formed and developed based on inherently good traits and a process of learning and practising, allowing people to successfully conduct a certain action and achieve the desirable outcome in specific situations In Vietnam, the concept of ability has caught the attention of not only researchers but also the public as education is carrying out a comprehensive and fundamental reform, shifting from knowledge-based education to capacitybased education This concept is defined to be closely similar to the definition researchers all over the world have put forward: in Integration-based Teaching method, Nguyen Van Tuan generally stated that “ability is a complex psychological characteristic, the convergence of many factors like knowledge, skills, experience, responsibility and the will to act” [80:20] Dang Thanh Hung in the article Ability and its approaching education believed: “Ability presents the combined application of elements (laborers’ knowledge, skills and good traits) and is demonstrated by personal attempts to carry out a certain task” [36:1] Tran Khanh Duc put it clearly in the Research on needs and the construction of an ability-based training model in education that “ability is the capacity to acquire and apply collectively as well as efficiently every human potential (knowledge, skills, attitude, physical strength, belief, ) to perform an activity or deal with any situations arising in life or work” [25:55] 1.1.1.2 Definition of problem-solving ability These days, there are a number of ways to interpret the concept of problemsolving ability based on different points of view The International students assessment programme by the OECD put it that: Problem-solving capacity is an individual ability to comprehend and handle the situation when the measure is yet to be clearly seen It consists of one’s involvement in solving his issues, thus proving himself as a positive and constructional citizen [95] Marzano & McTighe in the study Assessing Student outcomes performance assessment using the dimensions of learning model pointed out ways for teacher to effectively teach and develop students’ competency: 1/ Create a safe, friendly and comfortable learning environment; 2/ Use teaching methodology that helps linking new lessons with those introduced; 3/ Extend and filter information to combine the lesson content with cognitive skills; 4/ Enable students to apply useful information to boost the learning process; 5/ Boost students’ cognitive thinking to creativity, allowing them to be energetic and able to solve problems in real life Cotton, in the research The schooling practices that matter most, determined factors in developing students’ problem-solving ability: diverse types of situation and exercise; flexibility in group working; keeping track of students’ performance; involvement of parents and the community; safe and enlivened studying environment The author placed a stress on the pivotal role of family and the community in the formation and development of students; problem-solving capacity PISA [102] concentrated on reading, mathematic and scientific competency, an integration of an overall ability to solve issues beyond the scope of the subjects In Vietnam today, there have been a number of researchers on the ability to solve problems of students, such as Nguyen Canh Toan, Tu Duc Thao and Dinh Quang Bao Doctoral thesis “Develop the ability to identify and solve problems of middle school students in the teaching of mathematic concepts, demonstrated by opening concepts of algebra” by Nguyen Anh Tuan Nguyen Thi Phuong Thuy with her doctoral thesis “Experimental teaching application in teaching Organic Chemistry to develop Northern high school students’ problem-solving capacity”, Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong, Thai Thi Nga, Research conducted internationally and domestically has proved the necessity of building a curriculum that is oriented towards establishing and developing learner’s core capabilities, one of which is problem-solving 1.1.2 Studies on ability and students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism In recent years, the issue concerning students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism has been mentioned by some authors: Tran Hoang Phong, Hoang Thi Thu Phuong, Le Thi Son, Beside researchers on the development of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in general, there have been authors who study the capacity of students to resolve issues in this discipline, such as Nguyen Phuoc Dung with his doctoral thesis “Problem-solving teaching of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism at political schools in Cuu Long Delta” 1.2 Overview of research on assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism 1.2.1 Studies on assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism Concerning educational evaluation, recently the world has paid great attention to ability evaluation There have been several countries like Britain, Poland, Australia, Canada, or organizations like AAIA (The Association for Achievement and Improvement through Assessment), ARC (Assessment research Centre), and authors like C.Cooper, S.Dierrick, F.Dochy, A.Wolf, D.A.Payne, M.Wilson, M.Singer, that express their attention to ability evaluation Particularly, in the first few years of the XXI century, nations in OECD Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development - have carried out PISA - Programme for International Student Assessment PISA is implemented with students at the age of 15, it does not examine what is learnt at school but rather the ability to apply knowledge to solve problems in real life situations In 1956, Benjamin Bloom wrote Cognitive classifications based on educational goals: Perception, in which the description of cognitions consisting of six levels has been widely accepted and used in many fields till this day His list of perception processes starts from the lowest level - knowledge recall to the the most complex - assessment of an idea’s value and usefulness Marzano in Designing a new categorization of cognitions based on educational goals raised an objection to Bloom’s classification In 2011, in the Classifying cognitions for teaching, learning and evaluating, Dr Lorin Anderson, along with his colleagues, published an updated version of Bloom’s cognition classification In Vietnam, the evaluation of capacity and learners’ problem-solving capacity also receives the attention of many scientists like Tran Ba Hoanh, Nguyen Cong Khanh, Dao Thi Oanh, Phan Thi Xuan Hong, Phan Anh Tai, Hoang Hoa Binh, Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong, Le Thi Thu Hien, Phan Dong Chau Thuy, Nguyen Thi Ngan, 1.2.2 Studies on assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism Training materials of the Ministry of Education and Training on innovating methodologies for teaching, testing and assessing Politics at professional intermediate school in 2014, training materials of Department of High school education on teaching, testing and evaluating school performance, oriented to developing students’ ability in Civil education at middle schools and high schools, especially examining and assessing the module “Civils with worldview and theoretical method” [82] In the graduation standards concerning quality and ability of the high school education programme, Vietnamese educational scientists have proposed a position of qualities and abilities, including the capacity to solve problems, Most recently, some doctoral theses in the field of Theory and Politics teaching methods have mentioned some methodologies to promote students’ general capacity and spared a part of the thesis for the testing and assessing ability in teaching fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, such as Bui Thi Thanh Huyen, Duong Quynh Hoa, Hoang Phuc In conclusion, testing and evaluating in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism with an approach to general learners’ ability has been mentioned in some authors’ theses But there has yet to be a work digging deep into testng and evaluating problem-solving capacity in teaching of this subject This is a new issue that requires further investigation 1.3 Research results and the issues that the thesis continues studying 8 1.3.1 Achievements relating to the topic of the thesis Following the overview, this postgraduate notices that works on assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges these days have touched on these following problems: The concept of ability, the constituents of ability; the concept of problem-solving ability and its constituents; levels of perception processes; the role of ability assessment in education; rules, forms and measures to evaluate problem-solving ability Authors all acclaimed the position, the enormous role and meaning of testing and evaluating oriented towards competency in education and teaching; while at the same time pointed out a number of forms, devices, scales and measures to examine and evaluate the problem-solving ability conformable to specific subjects Most of the studies concentrate on articles, books and scientific topics directly associated with the discipline Therefore, when conducting the topic “Assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges nowadays”, scientific contributions of authors are inherited and filtered in accordance with the direction of the topic to write the thesis profoundly, comprehensively and systematically, thus enhancing the quality and effectiveness of teaching this subject 1.3.2 Issues the thesis continues studying The overview of researches shows that the scientific results achieved and the “missing” part in studies put forward for the topic pose a demand for further research, clarifying obscure content such as: Systematization of theoretical basis of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in the teaching of the subject, objective and well-rounded judgement of the reality of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in many subjects in universities and colleges in our country Particularly, there lacks a work on the principles and measures to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges these days 9 Chapter THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL BASIS OF ASSESSING STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPACITY IN TEACHING THE PHILOSOPHICAL PART, SUBJECT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MARXISM-LENINISM IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OF VIETNAM TODAY 2.1 Theoretical basis of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays 2.1.1 Students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges nowadays 2.1.1.1 Definition of competency Competency is derived from the Latin word “competentia” which means meeting Competency is interpreted as the proficiency with which one carries out a task These days, “competency” receives attention and research from international as well as Vietnamese scientists Competency is defined differently according to the study objectives of each scientific field Upon analysis of scientists’ opinions, this postgraduate believes: Competency is a collective ability to combine qualities, knowledge and skills of a person or a group to effectively perform an activity in real life 2.1.1.2 Definition of problem-solving ability - Definition of problem, problem in philosophy The Vietnamese Encyclopedia states: Problem is understood as "the thing that needs to be examined, studied and solved" [54;102]; matters that we have yet to know, but we want to know, examine, study and solve Problems in teaching are matters posed for learners to examine, study and solve at the time the learners have no answer or are dissatisfied with the answer When teaching the philosophy of subject The basic principles of Marxism-Leninism, the philosophical question raised for students focused on studying the most common concepts, categories, laws of motion, development of nature, of society, of thought; the formation of world views, scientific methodology and their application to solving life problems - Definition of problem solving and problem solving in Philosophy: Solving problems is a positive process of cognition with mental and physical efforts and the capacity to associate inherent knowledge and experiences to arrive at a proper measure to an unprecedented problem Solving problems in teaching is the act of using cognitive thinking and intellectual performance during teaching and learning to meet the demands of the problems Problem solving in elementary teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principle of Marxism-Leninism is to equip learners with the fundamental knowledge of the relationship between existence and cognition (or material and mind), through which the ability to identify political, socioeconomic problems and analyze them is formed, thus enabling them to apply the basics of philosophy to perceptive and practical activities 10 - Definition of problem-solving ability and problem-solving ability in Philosophy: Problem-solving capacity is one of the basic and necessary abilities for anyone to survive in society at any time Therefore, the establishment and development of this capacity in students at universities and colleges is of complete necessity “Problem-solving ability is an individual capacity that uses perception processes, actions and attitudes, motives and emotions efficiently to resolve issues where there is no inherently common method and measure” Students’ problem-solving ability in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is the combination of competencies illustrated in activities in the process of solving philosophical problems, which consists of: the ability to understand the philosophical issues, to propose measures to solve these problems, to conduct these measures and to form new ideas and discover new problems 2.1.1.3 Components of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism First, the capacity to understand Philosophy: being able to identify the nature of the philosophical problems and express them in students’ own ways Second, the capacity to give the solution for Philosophical problem: being able to form a theory, connect and deduct, associate to reality to prove the theory Third, the capacity for implementing Philosophical solutions: being able to deduct effectively, express cearly, provide valid and highly persuasive evidence to clarify the problems Fourth, the capacity to form new ideas and identify new problems: once the philosophical problem is solved, students will gain more theoretical knowledge about not only philosophy but also other disciplines; practical knowledge to form new ideas and solve problems in philosophy in an alternative way Starting from the problem posed by philosophy, students can use available results or measures to find and identify new philosophical problems, which promotes creativity in learners’ cognitive thinking 2.1.2.4 Factors influencing the assessment of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges nowadays The process of establishing and developing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is determined and affected by the following factors: First: Subjects of assessment: teachers, students and educational administrators Second: Form and method of assessment Third: Content of the subject 2.1.2 Assessing the problem-solving capacity of students in the teaching of the philosophy of subject The basic principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges nowadays 11 2.1.2.1 Conception of assessing problem-solving ability, the goals and basis to evaluate students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism Firstly, the conception of assessing students’ problem-solving Assessing is collecting and processing data on the ability to meet the goal in learning of students when affecting the causes of the situation to lay a foundation for decisions of those involved, hence improving students’ performance Assessing students’ problem-solving capacity is a process of forming assumptions, drawing conclusions or judging the levels of problem-solving at which students reach, giving feedbacks to students, schools and families, whereby students’ problem-solving skills are improved Secondly, the goal of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism Evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is to: First, judge the level of solving philosophical problems at which students reach Second, determine the position of students in learning to keep track of their progress in learning and self-development Third, provide information for: - Students to adjust their attitude and learning methods - Lecturers to adjust their schedules and teaching methods - Education management agencies to adjust the curriculum and learning materials to enhance students’ problem-solving capacity Thirdly, the basis to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism The evaluation of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism needs to be based on requirements for problem-solving ability, or the system of constituents of problem-solving capacity and their indicators 2.1.2.2 Form and measure to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism Firstly, the form of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism First, assess overall and periodically Second, self-evaluation and mutual evaluation Secondly, the measure of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism First, assessing by means of learning assignments - Oral tests - Written tests - Study the results of students’ problem-solving process Second, assessing by means of observation 12 2.1.2.3 The procedure of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism When assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principle of Marxism-Leninism, the procedure consists of these main stages: Firstly, determine the goal, form, sphere and timeframe for assessment Secondly, choose the methodology, construct assessment tools Thirdly, process the assessment results 2.2 Practical basis of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism in colleges and universities nowadays 2.2.1 The reality of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism in colleges and universities nowadays 2.2.2 Assess the situation and the problems faced in assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays 2.2.2.1 Assess the situation of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays Based on the practical survey, we summarize the situation of assessing the problem-solving capacity of students in the teaching of the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays as follows: Perception Most managers and teachers (if not all) are not aware of the necessity of the ability to assess problem-solving in the teaching of the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism; They understand about the constituents of problem-solving capacity, but assuming that the capacity of students in teaching this subject has only reached the first levels Almost all teachers are aware that the goal of assessing problem-solving capacity is helping students and teachers to change their studying and teaching methods and helping educational administrators to change their management method Most teachers agree with the conditions to assess students’ problemsolving capacity in this subject that this thesis proposes and claim that it is possible to implement in their schools Implementation Most teachers have made efforts to renew testing and evaluation with capacity-based orientation, implementing in many diverse ways and methods However, because this is quite a new problem, in the practising process, teachers not fully understand and are not theoretically accurate about testing 13 and evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity Thus, confusion, wrong procedure, misunderstanding about the purpose and value of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity may happen in the process The development of learners' capacity is not considered as the ultimate goal of teaching, students not understand about assessment of problem-solving capacity Lack of attention to the capacity of the students, not to assess the capacity of students, but just stop at the level is to help students acquire knowledge, practice skills, apply knowledge to solve the problem Pay attention to the formation and development capacity of students Students not have the ability to self-assess the capacity of the forest Teaching is always about being responsive to examinations, not for the progress and development of students The status of students studying cabinets, rote learning, learning because of grades, learning to cope with the examination and examination is common The above situation is due to a number of major causes: The teaching program’s content focuses on imparting scientific knowledge, leading to the trend of testing and evaluating mostly based on the manifestation of knowledge, rather than its practical application The concept of the managerial staff and teachers on teaching goals only stop at equipping knowledge and responding to examinations The role of capacity development, especially the capacity for action for each person, is not clear, thus being irresolute in renewing testing and evaluation for fear of making mistake Understanding of assessment in general, capacity assessment in particular (methods, techniques, tools, evaluation process) of the teaching staff is still limited Expertise of young teachers is not enough, the teaching organization capacity is limited The content of the syllabus has few chapters close to real life, theoretical weight, dry knowledge Learners and students are not fully aware of problem-solving capacity, being lazy with a relaxing mind after entering colleges Their self-learning ability is low The information included in the assessment is mainly for the purpose of rating, being qualified to pass, to be eligible for the graduation exam, class ; Not really interested, use feedback to help teachers, students adjust in teaching, learning and helping families to support students studying 2.2.2.2 Issues for assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities nowadays The problem posed in terms of perception is to grasp thoroughly the policy of rudimentarily and comprehensively renewing education and training, according to Resolution No.29 of the Ministry of Education and training, among the whole team of managers and teachers, helping them understand the importance and necessity of testing and evaluating in the capacity-based direction, equipping teachers and students with the most basic knowledge about testing and evaluating with capacity 14 About the solution for implementing, teachers have to start from the step of testing and evaluating because this will directly influence teaching and learning If the testing and evaluation of students’ problem-solving skill in teaching and learning is implemented, students will be provided with the chance to practice problem-solving ability, helping them to be more mature when entering life after graduation Chapter PRINCIPLES AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF ASSESSING STUDENTS’ PROBLEM-SOLVING CAPACITY IN TEACHING THE PHILOSOPHICAL PART, SUBJECT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MARXISM-LENINISM IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TODAY 3.1 Basic principles in assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism in colleges and universities today When constructing tools and methods of assessing student’s problemsolving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, it is necessary to comply with the following rules: ensuring the objective of capacity assessment; ensuring the objectivity, scientific criteria and differentiation; ensuring the comprehensiveness; ensuring that the assessment is for learners’ progress 3.1.1 Assurance of the objectives of capacity assessment a) Knowledge In the teaching process, in order to achieve the objective of knowledge, teachers and students in implementing the forest management must ensure the following three requirements: Firstly, in the process of solving problems of philosophy, students have to master and ensure the accuracy of the concepts, categories and philosophy of philosophy Because every concept, category, philosophy of philosophy is the basis of basic reason to apply to solving practical problems Secondly, ensure the integrity of the subject Thirdly, in the teaching process, teachers have to apply teaching methodology to solve problems, creating problematic situations, creating students' needs for discovering and solving problems as their own needs b) Attitude Teachers, instead of paying too much attention to testing, assessing knowledge and skill, should focus on testing, assessing the problem-solving capacity of students who have the motives, enthusiasm and willingness to solve the problems arising in the subject and problems given as tasks by teachers Designing tests needs to meet the following requirements: 15 Firstly, students have to spend more time studying their own materials In other words, students must have a positive attitude, actively participate in exploring, exploring knowledge, planning to solve cognitive problems Secondly, students must be self-reliant and knowledgeable, active and selfmotivated to participate in the learning process Thirdly, through student advocacy activities, students are able to develop their capacity for knowledge management and other basic skills so that after graduation they are able to successfully address the social and work environment c) Skills/ competence Assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism has a great potential for shaping both basic skills and competences such as presentation skills, team work, reading information and core competencies such as: planning skills, problem solving skills and appropriate solutions, skills to implement solutions and collation of results with initial problems for students, capacity to detect and solve problems Therefore, when designing tests to assess students’ problemsolving capacity in teaching this subject, teachers need to be able to measure its constituent capabilities, with an accurate measurement in order to exactly measure students’ capacity through constituents of problem-solving capacity 3.1.2 Ensure the objectivity and equity Assurance of objectivity when evaluating the capacity of students in the teaching of the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is not dependent on the consciousness, thoughts, emotions and will of the master evaluation Assurance of scientific standard when evaluating is to base on accurate scientific knowledge, with verified obviousness Most of the knowledge is available in coursebook but there is still some outside if it is verified in reality Assurance of fairness in assessing the capacity of students in the teaching of the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism is indistinguishable, object bias assessment, all subjects Prices are the same 3.1.3 Ensure comprehensiveness, openness and honesty Ensuring comprehensiveness is one of the principles of testing Because each student has different problem-solving capacity and psychological characteristics, evaluation test should have comprehensiveness in order to develop individual’s capacity Also, there should be the quantification of levels of capacity that students need to achieve, according to different levels from easy to difficult, in order to assess students’ ability, qualification and capacity without falling into generalization and one-sidedness Ensuring comprehensiveness is one of the principles of assessing students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, it is presented in the content of the Philosophy section Objectives to assess the knowledge, skills, attitudes, capacity students need to achieve 16 3.1.4 Assurance of learners’ progress The goal of capacity-based education is helping students to form and develop necessary capabilities and characteristics Therefore, capacity assessment also needs to be for learners’ progress Assessment must contribute to improve the learning and self-learning ability of students Students can learn from the teacher's assessment And from that learning, students define how to adjust their later learning behaviors In order to that, the teacher needs to make the test after the mark is useful for the student by writing the notes on the test with the following contents: What students have achieved What students can better What students need support with What students need to study more As a result, looking at their work, students recognize the teacher's affirmation of their abilities This has the effect of encouraging great learners, contributing significantly to the educational and developmental function of educational evaluation 3.2 Measures to assess students’ problem-solving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism in colleges and universities today 3.2.1 Build the assessment scale of students problem-solving capacity To conduct the assessment of students’ problem-solving, it is necessary to construct a set of assessment tools including assessment scale and tables 3.2.1.1 Build the assessment scale for students’ problem-solving capacity The assessment scale for students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principle of MarxismLeninism is designed based on levels (1 Right solution, Partly wrong solution, Partly right solution, Wrong solution) In each level of capacity, we determined criterias to achieve and the corresponding grading scale Table 3.2: Summary of the scale for assessing students’ problemsolving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principle of Marxism-Leninism Part 1: Determine the solution to the problem Assessment result Solutions to Capability Criteria the problem level [% points] (*) - (H3) - (P3) - (Tr3) [75%] - (H3) - (P3) - (Tr2) [70%] Right solution - (H3) - (P3) - (Tr1) [65%] - (H3) - (P3) - (Tr0) [60%] - (H3) - (P2) - (Tr2) Partly wrong - (H3) - (P2) - (Tr1) [55%] solution - (H3) - (P2) - (Tr0) [50%] - (H3) - (P1) - (Tr1) [45%] - (H3) - (P1) - (Tr0) [40%] 17 - (H2) - (P2) - (Tr2) - (H2) - (P2) - (Tr1) [35%] - (H3) - (P0) - (Tr0) [30%] - (H2) - (P2) - (Tr0) Partly right solution - (H2) - (P1) - (Tr1) [25%] - (H2) - (P0) - (Tr0) [20%] - (H1) - (P1) - (Tr1) [20%] - (H1) - (P1) - (Tr0) [15%] Wrong solution - (H1) - (P0) - (Tr0) [10%] - (H0) - (P0) - (Tr0) [0%] Part 2: Detect new problems Capability Assessment result Criteria level [% points] (*) Form new - (V2) [15%] ideas, detect new problems - (V1) [10%] - (V0) [0%] Assortment - T (Good): From 80% to 100% of points, - K (Quite good): from 65% to under 80% of points, - Trb (Average): from 50% to under 65% of points, - Y (bad): from 30% to under 50% of points, - k (really bad): under 30% số điểm) (*) : By points or comments The table used in assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism is based on a range of criteria, rather than just grades The table points out that the markers mark the test according to expectations and describe the levels of criteria required to be assessed The table helps students realize what and how should they learn in a given philosophical situation It encourages students to self-orientate their learning The table is used to assess philosophical situational exercises and is given before going on to solve situational exercises Students can take part in designing the tables to assess themselves and their friends The table is the tool for teachers to observe students’ studying attitude, presentation skill, reporting skill, essay, group work and assess the quality of answers and exercises… 3.2.2 Using various forms of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity Assessing students’ problem-solving capacity needs to combine regular assessment (assessing the whole process) and periodical assessment (finalizing assessment) Both forms can utilize the following methods: oral test, written test (writing and multiple choice questions), observation 18 3.2.2.1 Oral test Oral testing and evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of MarxismLeninism is a method in which the teachers tactfully use a system of problematic situations for students to answer, by the way throwing light on new problems, exploring new knowledge through the manifestation of taught knowledge, combined with experience gained in life The goal of testing and evaluating students’ problem-solving capacity in this subject is to fortify students with the ability to express verbally scientific matters, accurately and concisely, helping teachers receive responses from students rapidly in order to make amendment to their activities In the same way, students receive corresponding responses to adjust their study In addition, teachers have the ability to control the activities of students as a whole and as individuals Teachers set questions of problems, requiring students to acquire knowledge to solve the problems 3.3.2.2 Written test a Characteristics and requirements of written test Written test is the type of questions facilitating assessing expression and thinking ability at high level The final test of a module can be designed with open questions for students to perform in 50 mins or 90 mins This type of exam would minimize cheating, swoting without deep understanding It would require students to learn systematic and creative thinking, practice problem-solving, make decisions and give explanations Simultaneously, this method also helps students practice using supporting tools to find information swiftly and effectively This method not only requires teachers, together with students, to create diverse types of exercise with ascending difficulty, but also allocate more time to discussion in class However, written test is difficult to be absolutely marked in an objective and equal way b Characteristics and requirements of multiple choice test Multiple choice tests have some advantages: cater for large number of students, quick result; reliable grade;, impartial, accurate; prevent learning by rote However, this method has some drawbacks: students tend to guess the answers, the test fails to manifest students’ thinking process, designing test requires much effort from teachers Multiple choice test/ exam has many types of questions: True-false, fill in the blank, matching, multiple choice c Designing questions to test and evaluate students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism To assess students’ capacity and particularly students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, it is necessary to combine different forms and methods of assessment, as well as design evaluation test on students’ studying outcome These are the steps for designing questions to test and evaluate students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism: - Determine the goal and requirement of the test - Establish a two-way matrix - Matrix for designing test 19 - Design questions and exercises according to the matrix - Answers and grading scale 3.2.2.3 Observing the problem solving process of students Observation is the method of collecting information through direct perception of behavior, manipulation, reaction, attitude, nuance, in the process of solving problems of students in teaching at school By observating, teachers gather a lot of information that is both quantitative (eg the number of times students solve problems) and qualitative, reflecting the capacity of students in the field To achieve enough information, observers need to pay attention to the subject, avoid missing any information (especially important and fundamental one) relating to assessing the problem-solving capacity of the subject Teachers screen and maintain the most important information for the purpose of assessing the capacity of students Chapter EXPERIMENTAL TEACHING OF THE MEASURES USED TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF ASSESSING STUDENTS’ PROBLEMSOLVING CAPACITY IN TEACHING THE PHILOSOPHICAL PART, SUBJECT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF MARXISMLENINISM IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OF VIETNAM TODAY 4.1 Pedagogical experiment plan 4.1.1 The purpose of pedagogical experiment Pedagogical experiments were conducted in order to test the feasibility and effectiveness of measures to improve the quality of assessing students’ problemsolving in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today 4.1.2 Objects and areas of experimental pedagogy Experimental pedagogy took place at the Traditional Medicine and Pharmacy Academy of Vietnam, located in Hanoi, a metropolis city with suitable conditions for educational development Experimental pedagogy also took place at Thai Nguyen University of education, Thai Nguyen teacher training college in Thai Nguyen province, a Northern mountainous area facing difficulties in developing education 4.1.3 Content of experimental pedagogy Firstly, provide management officers and teachers of the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism with knowledge about assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching this subject Secondly, deploy students of the experimental pedagogy classes some problems about assessing problem-solving capacity, assessment criteria and scale for assessing problem-solving capacity 20 Thirdly, organize test and module-ending exams for students of the experimental pedagogy classes to take, by using the test of evaluating constituent capabilities of the problem-solving capacity aforementioned in the thesis 4.1.4 Experimental method of pedagogy The assessment of students’ problem-solving capacity was conducted as follows: + During the lecture + Organizing group-work + Taking tests 4.2 Experimental pedagogical organization In the experimental pedagogical classes, teachers teach with the teaching plan which is drafted with orientation to problem-solving capacity development In this thesis, only the assessment stage is mentioned, so the teaching plan is not illustrated The thesis’s author joined as an observer in lectures of each classes, making 27 lectures altogether Organize test and module-ending exams for students of the experimental pedagogy classes to take, then work out statistics on levels of constituent capabilities students have achieved and give marks 4.3 Experimental results and general conclusions about pedagogical experiment results 4.3.1 Result of the qualitative assessment From the pedagogical experiments, the following assumption can be made: - Initially, because students did not perform the right problem-solving procedure and did not understand clearly about the assessment scale, confusion occurred in the process Shortly, after they have been familiar with the new method, assessment and self-assessment is more convenient and can be carried out regularly On the other hand, the assessment of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, if appropriately organized, can raise students’ sense of initiative, and creativity, thus improving the outcome of the subject This would contribute to raising students’ enthusiasm for the subject commonly considered tedious and unintelligible - In teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, it is possible to assess students’ problem-solving capacity based on the constituents of problem-solving capacity, as proposed in the thesis Through this way of assessing, students’ studying outcome would be more objective and accurate Also, students’ problem-solving capacity could be developed, not only in this subject but in other subjects of the training program as well 21 - In teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, the capacity assessment scale can not only help teachers assess students’ problem-solving capacity, but also help students assess their own problemsolving capacity and their friends’ Specifically, students can make quantitative assessment (giving marks) and qualitative assessment (giving remarks) about students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching this subject Students can comment on their own problem-solving capacity as well as their friends’ - Teachers strictly followed the right assessment procedure Methods and tools of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity have been quite well utilized This assessment method contributed to student’s practicing the problem-solving skill, enhancing the subject effectiveness, making students active in solving problems faced in real life 4.3.2 Results of the quantitative assessment 4.3.2.1 Results from pedagogical experiment classes Teachers in these classes performed the right assessment procedure, combined different methods, made a flexible use of different methods to assess students’ problem-solving capacity in the lectures These are some illustrating statistics: *Class Y1EK13, Vietnam traditional medicine and pharmacy academy Table 4.5 Students’ study results in periodical test and modulefinalizing exam (Y1EK13 Class, Viet Nam traditionnal medicine and pharmacy academy) Tests Grade 10 number of 0 0 10 15 25 23 21 20 students rate (%) 0 0 5,0 8,3 12,5 20,8 19,2 17,5 16,7 module- number of 0 0 13 18 22 21 20 19 finalizing students exam rate (%) 0 0 5,8 10,8 15,0 18,3 17,5 16,7 15,8 * Literature K52 A Class, Thai Nguyen University of Education, academic year 2017-2018 Table 4.9 Students’ study results in periodical test and modulefinalizing exam (Literature K52 A Class, Thai Nguyen University of Education) Periodica l test Tests Periodical test number of students rate (%) 0 2 0 Grade 20 10 16 10 10 2,8 2,8 5,6 11,1 27,7 22,2 13,9 13,9 22 module- number of 0 0 20 18 10 finalizing students exam rate (%) 0 0 4,2 5,6 11,1 27,7 25,0 13,9 12,5 * Preschool K13 A, Thai Nguyen teacher training college, academic year 2016 - 2017 Table 4.13 students’ study results in periodical test and modulefinalizing exam (Preschool K13 A, Thai Nguyen teacher training college) Grade Tests 10 number of 0 15 10 11 10 Periodical students test rate (%) 0 1,7 10,0 25,0 16,7 18,3 16,7 6,7 5,0 number of module0 0 14 12 10 10 3 students finalizing exam rate (%) 0 5,0 8,3 23,3 20,0 16,7 16,7 5,0 5,0 4.3.2.2 General conclusions about pedagogical experiment results The statistics obtained show that: - Teachers are able to use the problem-solving capacity assessment scale and combine methods and tools to assess the level of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism (tables 4.3, 4.7, 4.22, 4.4, 4.8, 4.12) - Students are also able to use the problem-solving capacity assessment scale to assess themselves and their friends in studying the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism (tables 4.2, 4.6, 4.10) - Based on the problem-solving capacity assessment scale in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, teachers have made quite accurate assessment by grading student’s problemsolving capacity - Students in different experimental classes in different schools have dissimilar levels of problem-solving capacity 4.3.2.3 Opinions of Managers and teachers CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions The assessment of students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in colleges and universities today is aimed at raising teaching quality with orientation to capacity development In addition to making the assessment process more accurate and objective, it also contributes to the formation of 23 students’ problem-solving capacity, which is of great importance to students The thesis has obtained the following main results: Overview research related to the thesis, assess researched problems, point out inherited theoretical points and urgent problems worth researching but normally neglected This is what the author concentrated on solving, with the inherited direction elaborated in the thesis The reasoning ground dealt with the following problems: The concept of capacity; concept of problem-solving capacity; determine the constituents of problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism; elements affecting the assessment of students’ problem-solving capacity; conception about assessing students’ problem-solving capacity; Goals, foundation, form, method and procedure of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part Based on this reasoning ground, the author designed a system of querytables, survey papers in the teaching process In the practical basis part, we investigated, assessed, analyzed the reality of assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism in universities and colleges today Based on that, we pointed out problems need solving and constructed pedagogical method to assess students’ problem-solving capacity, thus improving the teaching quality Propose principles and measures for assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism The author focused on the two most fundamental methods to assess students’ problem-solving capacity: Constructing a scale for the assessment of problem-solving capacity and using appropriate assessment methods such as oral test, written test and observation Due to the sphere and condition of the thesis, in the interest of convenience, the author organized pedagogical experiments in universitie, college and academy based on the real condition of teaching the subject The results of pedagogical experiments prove the correctness of the scientific hypothesis given by the thesis, affirm that the procedure and pedagogical methods for assessing students’ problem-solving capacity in teaching the philosophical part, subject of the fundamental principle of Marxism-Leninism are feasible and widely applicable for assessing study outcome in universities and colleges in our country today The quantitative and qualitative results of pedagogical experiments proved the effectiveness and sustainability of the methods proposed in the thesis Recommendations With the Ministry of Education and Training: It is necessary to study and renew the syllabus, content of the subject, encourage the autonomy in building programs of local schools to grasp the philosophy of the discipline Basics of 24 Marxism-Leninism are closely linked to local practice, closely linked to the training profession The number of seminars and seminars in the curriculum should increase This is a condition that guarantees time problems in solving problems of individuals and groups and presents problem solving in philosophical teaching With universities and colleges: It is necessary to ensure good facilities for teaching and learning of lecturers and students, especially the space for teaching activities Students are able to solve problems of students such as: teaching by project, teaching technique by gallery, piece, station … With faculties and professional groups: It is necessary to provide training for teachers of this subject field methods, tools, scale of capacity of students As a facilitator, to regulate the teaching process and to test and evaluate the problem-solving capacity of students, teachers have an important role to play in helping learners achieve their learning goals, the skills needed for life, especially the ability to solve problems For students: It is necessary to be aware that the purpose and value of assessing problem-solving capacity is to help students practice problemsolving capacity and become more mature in real life It requires students to have a serious attitude, motives and effective study plan and method; actively participate in the process of organizing problem-solving capacity assessment with the support from teachers; bring into play personal capacity and the ability to utilize knowledge in solving real-life problems in order to gain benefits and apply in future life For the researchers: Conducting research on assessing the general capacity and capacity of students in particular in teaching other subjects in the school, comparing the results of other subjects with the results of the thesis to confirm the objectivity and correctness of the problem  ... problem-solving capacity also receives the attention of many scientists like Tran Ba Hoanh, Nguyen Cong Khanh, Dao Thi Oanh, Phan Thi Xuan Hong, Phan Anh Tai, Hoang Hoa Binh, Nguyen Thi Lan Phuong,... students to acquire knowledge to solve the problems 3.3.2.2 Written test a Characteristics and requirements of written test Written test is the type of questions facilitating assessing expression... (laborers’ knowledge, skills and good traits) and is demonstrated by personal attempts to carry out a certain task” [36:1] Tran Khanh Duc put it clearly in the Research on needs and the construction of