MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY
–––––––––––––––––––
LE THUY LINH

TEACHING PEDAGOGY
AT UNIVERSITIES OF EDUCATION USING
COMPETENCE -BASED APPROACH

Major: Theorical and Educational history
Code : 62.14.01.02 SUMMARY OF DOCTORAL THESIS

The thesis can be found at: Vietnam National Library
Thai Nguyen University Library 1
INTRODUCTION
1. The reasons for choosing topic
1.1. The era of economy, knowledge and international integration
have put education system in general and higher education system in
particular in fundamental changes to maintain a key position in
ensuring quality of human resources training for the country. Higher
education training helps students shape and develop capacity in real
life and actual context. Thus, graduate students should quickly
integrate, adapt and meet the demands of practical career.
1.2. Competence - based approach in education is interested by
many educational researchers as the theoretical system on Education
and Training of many countries in the world have confirmed that this
approach becomes a guarantee for higher education in terms of
training high-quality human resources to promote the society
development.
1.3. The research findings report on: “Actual status of training
secondary teacher” concluded that general quality of pedagogic
students currently is not good enough to meet all the requirements of
professional capacity standards and pedagogical training reality. The
subjects on pedagogical skills (especially education studies and
teaching theoretical background) are characteristic of the training

teaching Pedagogy. As the procedure of teaching pedagogy designed
under competence-based approach is feasible, it will help to shape
better teaching profession capacity in students’ mind, contributing to
improve the quality of teacher training.
5. Research Tasks
5.1. Research theoretical backgrounds of teaching Pedagogy at
Universities of Education using competence-based approach.
5.2. Survey and evaluate the situation of employing competence-
based approach in teaching Pedagogy at the University of Education.
5.3. Design the procedure of teaching Pedagogy at Universities of
Education using competence-based approach.
5.4. Conduct pedagogical experiments to test outcomes of
teaching Pedagogy using competence-based approach and assess its
impact on shaping teaching competence among students and the
quality of teaching Pedagogy.
6. Limitation of the study
- In the dissertation, the procedure of teaching Pedagogy at
University of Education is employing competence-based approach
with specific instructions for lecturers to apply to their own teaching
activities design.
- The design of Pedagogy teaching sample activities principles in
the dissertation consists of teaching principles, teaching methods and
forms of teaching organization.
- The survey and assessment of the teaching situation is conducted
in 5 locations: Thai Nguyen University of Education, Xuan Hoa
University of Education, Faculty of Education - Hong Duc 3
University, Faculty of Education - Can Tho University and Vinh

outcomes", teaching on competence-based approach to train teachers,
teaching Pedagogy on competence-based approach.
- The study has also defined teaching processes on competence-
based approach at training program and course level.
- The study identified the principles and design of the teaching
processes on competence-based approach with specific steps which 4
clearly described goals, and how to implement and conditional
execution.
9.2. In practice
- Results of the survey helped to identify and assess the status of
Pedagogy teaching context at Universities of Education from
competence-based approach angle.
- The results of pedagogical experiments have confirmed the
feasibility of the process of teaching pedagogy using competence-
based approach
- These results are helpful in designing illustrated lesson plans to
guide teachers in their teaching process using competence-based
approach.
10. The structure of the dissertation
The dissertation consists of four chapters apart from the
introduction, conclusion, list of references and appendix.

CHAPTER I
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND OF TEACHING
PEDAGOGY AT UNIVERSITIES OF EDUCATION ON
COMPETENCED-BASED APPROACH
1.1. Overview of studies on teaching using competence-based

At tertiary education, lecturers not only convey knowledge, but
more importantly the organizers of awareness and scientific research
activities to help students develop their own potentials and learn in a
creative way to dominate scientific knowledge.
1.3. Competence-based approach teaching
1.3.1. Capacity and competency
1.3.1.1. Capacity
Capacity is seen as the potential qualities of an individual and the
demands of the job to perform the given tasks successfully. Capacity
is taken as a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes and other personal
qualities (motivation, characteristics, self-identity, desires to perform
) that is essential and important in the formation of the output
products.
1.3.1.2. Competency
Inheriting and developing the previous studies and authors, the
concept “competency” in the research direction of this dissertation is
“comprised of the elements of knowledge, professional skills and
attitudes to ensure that all performers practice their work effectively
according to the learning outcomes standard in certain situations or
occupational tasks. In particular, the skill is an important element of
competency”.
- Competency can be recognized through the following
characteristics:
(+) is the knowledge, skills, attitudes and necessary principles of
workers to perform the entire or some contents of specific
professional employees. 6
(+) is demonstrated to meet the requirements of the learning

(2) Output orientation to regulate the teaching and learning
activities.
(3) Create the flexibility to achieve outputs in accordance with
pace and cognitive characteristics of individual learners.
(4) Provide favorable conditions in determining the outcomes of
teaching process through a clear standard evaluation system. 7
1.3.3. Competence-based approach and “learning outcomes”
1.3.3.1. The relationship between “competency” and “learning
outcomes” in competence-based approach teaching.
Learning outcomes is a description of what students should learn,
know or do after graduation. According to competence-based
approach, learning outcomes is a description of the competencies
system including corresponding levels of proficiency in the use of
knowledge, skills and attitudes to solve the occupational practical
tasks that can now happen in the future. (To distinguish and facilitate
the text presentation, learning outcomes on competence-based
approach is referred to as competency-based standard)
1.3.3.2. The steps to determine competence-based standard:
- Survey of the necessary competencies of employees
- Generalizing, arranging capacities into a certain standard system.
With this approach, the competence-based standard of training
program is built on 4 levels.
Level 1 (X) consists of the necessary knowledge and skills to
shape 4 core capacities (advanced capacity):
1. Knowledge and reasoning methods.
2. The professional skills, personal skills and attitude.
3. The communication skills: teamwork and communication.

- Self-assess to constantly improve the teachers’ personalities to
meet the requirement of the society.
1.3.4.2. Competence-based standard determination of teacher training
program
- Detection capacity (identify characteristics of educational
objects, educational environment characteristics, actual relation
capacity of the course content)
- Design capacity (design specific, detailed and feasible teaching
goals system, plans for teaching and other educational activities,
design evaluation plan, design a rich, diverse and attractive learning
resource).
- Performance capacity (plan implementation process, implement
the teaching plan and educational plan, apply the principles, methods
and forms of educational organization)
- Improvement Capacity (self-assessment, self-learning, self-study
and self-discipline, identify and resolve issues that arise in
educational practice, apply assessment results to adjust teaching and
learning activities and assess improvement and career development).
1.3.4.3. Design teacher training program using competence-based
approach.
Designing training program is an important work which requires
intellectual and great efforts of many lecturers from different sectors
and expertise. In this dissertation frame work, we do not go deep into
the construction of training programs, but only refer to curriculum of
some universities as a basis for determining the correlation between
pedagogy subjects with other subjects. 9
1.4. Teaching Pedagogy using competence-based approach

Lecturers have full awareness of the role of Pedagogy subject at
Universities of Education and understand that this effectively
organized subject will contribute to improve the quality of teacher
training at Universities of Education. 10
However, perceptions of lecturers on pedagogy teaching theories
from perspective of competence-based approach are not deep
enough. In particular:
- The majority of teachers have not shown all the typical
characteristics of the competence-based approach teaching.
- The advantages of the competence-based approach teaching
were not given high appreciation compared to other approaches.
- The competence-based approach teaching is necessary to “form
capacity to meet the requirements of teaching” and is evaluated on a
par with “promoting positive, proactive and creative characteristics
of learners” (72 %).
Finding the causes of this situation, we have known that
competence-based approach training was much explored and applied
in program construction and vocational training organization. There
aren’t any studies of this theory application at Universities of
Education except for several research projects on this application of
theory at technical teacher training schools.
2.2.3. The reality of teaching Pedagogy at University of education
2.3.3.1. the reality of identifying the goal of teaching Pedagogy
- Lectures were well aware of the role of the teaching goal of this
subject during the teaching process.
- In determining the teaching goals, the lecturers initially used
competence-based approach in teaching Pedagogy; however, this

130 students) caused a lot of troubles for the teachers to improve the
students’ vocational skills in the teaching process.
2.2.3.4. The reality of the assessment of Pedagogy study results
Firstly, when designing the course outline the universities and
colleges had to pay much attention to the clear regulations of content
and evaluation, and gave the students the outline of subjects, which
helped them orientate their own learning activities.
Secondly, there was the combination of regular assessment and
summative assessment.
The third point is the assessment contents:
+ For regular assessment, the lecturers often assigned the group
discussions, exercises, practice which required the students to make
effort to apply knowledge when solving problems and to improve
their creative thinking abilities. However, the tasks assigned to the
group or individual are fully theoretical knowledge. Therefore, the
evaluation was mainly aimed at knowledge, thinking skills, and the
theoretical problems rather than the practical issues.
+ The summative assessment mainly focused more on the ability
to memorize and reproduce knowledge.
2.2.4. The reality of the students’ awareness of the role of Pedagogy
and factors affecting the teaching activities
2.2.4.1. The reality of the students’ awareness of the role of Pedagogy
There was not high awareness of the role of Pedagogy among
students . Consequently, many students when interviewed replied that
Pedagogy was a compulsory subject and that they only tried to study
to get good scores because of the higher number of credits. 12
2.2.4.2. Students’ awareness of the factors affecting the learning

effective in forming students’ competence because of the following
reasons:
Firstly, the lecturers have not mastered the theoretical system of
teaching from the perspective of competence-based approach,
therefore there is no orientation throughout the teaching process, and
there is no close connection between teaching objectives, teaching
content, processes of teaching, and assessment of learning results. 13
Secondly, the content is designed basing on the lessons, and periods;
as a consequence, it is difficult for the students to form their own
competence when studying pedagogy. Thirdly, the teachers are not
active in renewing the teaching methods. Finally, condition of
facilities, equipment and real environment for teaching activities of
the lecturers in some universities are weak and not enough.

CHAPTER 3
TEACHING PROCEDURE OF PEDAGOGY AT UNIVERSITY
OF EDUCATION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF
COMPETENCE - BASED APPROACH
3.1. Some oriented principles of designing the teaching process of
pedagogy from the perspective of competence-based approach.
Designing the teaching process of pedagogy using competence-
based approach must ensure the systematization, effectiveness and
ensure the unity between theory and practice.
3.2. Teaching procedure of Pedagogy at University of Education
from the perspective of competence-based approach.
3.2.1. Designing the procedure of Pedagogy teaching at the
university using competence-based approach

teaching process to develop the teaching competency for them.
- Determine the goals of assessment, evaluation scales and
evaluation methods, test forms, evaluation of students’ learning
outcomes.
(ii) Steps and methods
- Step 1: define the attainment of the teaching content in
comparison with the standards of the teaching competency of the
training program.
- Step 2: defining the teaching content can form students’ teaching
competency.
- Step 3: define the teaching objectives using competence- based
approach.
- Step 4: Define the standards of teaching competency of
Pedagogy.
(iii). The conditions for the implementation
It is necessary for the university to have the innovative thinking in
the teaching approach employing competence- based approach . This
helps to force to innovate the teaching activities basing on the new
approach to train the teachers to meet the needs of society.
- Departments should agree on objectives, contents, methods and
how to conduct assessment of student learning outcomes utilizing
competence- based approach .
- Instructors must have the capability to design teaching goals
using competence- based approach.
- Teachers must understand the standards of teaching competency
of teacher training programs as well as each specific training major at 15
their school, which identified the new flexible teaching goals to suit

requirements of competence standard.
- Step 2: defining the objectives of teaching and forming
intergrated teaching aims
- Step 3: designing course syllabus based on the description and
aims of intergrated teaching aims
- Step 4: defining assessment methods 16
(iii). The conditions for the implementation
There should be an agreement on the implementation of pedagogy
among members of the teaching division.
Every lecturer has to adapt their teaching method positively in
order to apply the teaching curriculum effectively.
Every lecturer has to improve his own course designing
competency in order to implement the curriculum that has been
designed.
3.2.2.3. Designing lessons in a competence-based approach
(i) Objectives
- To give details of lecturer’s and students’ teaching and learning
procedure during the course of pedagogy teaching in a competence-
based approach and clarifying what lecturers and students have to do.
- Give specific guidance to lecturers in terms of designing lessons
in a competence-based approach.
- Designing lessons in a competence-based approach helps
lecturers and students find the answer to the questions of what to
teach and what to learn so that there will be the right guidance in
students’ learning process to get their expected results.
(ii) Steps and methods
- Step 1: defining the aims of the lessons

- To create a friendly environment and encourage the cooperation
between lecturers and students and among students.
- Combining various teaching methods and modern teaching aids
in order to sharpen career skill for students of education colleges as
well as modifying one way teaching method which focuses on
providing theories.
- Pay close attention to students’ attitudes and behaviors.
- Providing detailed guidance to lecturers of pedagogy in colleges
so that they know the procedure and steps of carrying out activities
when they teach in competence-based approach.
(ii) Steps and methods
Step 1: Preparing
Step 2: Organizing teaching
(iii). The conditions for the implementation
- Lecturers must have the ability to design, organize and dealing
with teaching situations in order to control successive activities
successfully.
- Lecturers have to design detailed guidebooks to help students
follow the steps of the activities.
- Students have to be aware of the meaning of learning and their
tasks in order to have the right learning attitudes under the guidance
of lecturers.
- The leaders of the university have to provide the best facility
condition. Desks can be detached or joined to be suitable for whole
class work or group work. There must be accessible Wi-Fi in every
classroom so that lecturers and students can update and exchange
information. More course books and reference books should be 18

- The institution should provide teachers and students with
facilities for them to have time and room in order to carry out skill
assessment.
3.2.2.6. Relationship among steps in the procedure
Steps in the procedure do not stand alone, but they have consistent
and dialectical relationship.
- Identify objectives of pedagogy teaching according to
competence-based approach, which orients the syllabus design, 19
teaching process development and acts as a basis to develop
assessment criteria.
- Designing of the syllabus and lessons of pedagogy is under the
orientation of teaching objectives but it helps to realize the preset
objectives. On the other hand, the teaching content directs the
development of assessment procedure and content of pedagogy.
- Implementation of pedagogy teaching procedures includes
detailed guidelines to carry out the teaching procedures. It specifies
methods to achieve teaching objectives and change what is taught
into knowledge, and skills of students and also includes instructions
for assessment.
- Content, formats and methods of pedagogy assessment should be
based on objectives, contents and implementation according to a
certain procedure. However, assessing correctly and objectively the
teaching results is a reality basis to adjust objectives and content of
pedagogy.
Pedagogy teaching requires a consistent coordination of all steps
in order to get a good result.


3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
C-1
35
0
0
0
3
6
9
13
3
1
0
TN-1
35
0
0
0
1
2
4
11
13

26%
51%
89%
97%
100%
100%
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Graph 4.4: The convergence frequency of ascending scores of
TN-1 and C-1 classes
Step 2: Describe the sample’s parameters
Table 4.2:Statistical parameter decsription of the results of
forming the teaching competency after the experiment

First experiment
TN-1
C-1
Mean
7.286
6.286
Standard Error

based approach.
(1.2) Evaluation of students’ learning results in TN-1 and C-1

The results of the experiment reveals that “ the use of the teaching
process from the perspective of competence -based approach has
better influence on the students’ learning results in TN-1
(Experimental Group) than in C -1 (Controlled Group) which does
not use the competence -based approach
(1.3) Evaluation of the correlation between the results of the
learning and the teaching competency in TN-1 and C-1
- The scores are closely correlated.
(2) The results of the second experiment

After the first experiment, the teaching process of Pedagogy is
evaluated so that the conductors can get better results in the second
experiment.
Results in the second experiment show that the hypothesis given
is accurate.
(3) Comparison of the results of the first and second experiment
The students’teaching competency and learning results in the
second experiment are higher than those in the first experiment. This
reveals that the innovation in the teaching process is very necessary
and possible.
4.2.1.2. Qualitative analysis of the experimental results
* The lecturers’ view points:
100% of the lecturers consider that the teaching process is very
appropriate, quite appropriate, very feasible, quite feasible. Most of
the lecturers rank level 1. This partly confirms the process can be
applied in practice.
* The students’ view points:

First: Following the common development trend, it is necessary
to innovate in pedagogy teaching at universities of education
according to the competence-based approach, which helps to meet
the higher and higher requirement of the society for teachers’
professional skills.
Second: Teaching based on the competence - based approach is
the movement and development of factors in the structure of teaching
process, in which the competence-based standard is the basis to
design, carry out and assess the teaching process. The theoretical
analysis proves that: It is possible to carry out the process of teaching
pedagogy following the competence-based approach. This improves
the effectiveness of teaching process, which makes pedagogy take its
role as a profession-oriented subject in an education institution. 23
Third: In fact, currently teaching pedagogy in universities of
education mainly focuses on theories and does not pay attention to
the formation of teaching competence of students. There are many
objectives and subjective reasons but it cannot be denied that one of
the major reasons is that teachers have not been equipped with the
theory to instruct the process of teaching in a way which improves
students’ professional competence.
Fourth: To solve this problem, it is required to use the process of
teaching pedagogy including: Identify objectives, design content;
develop the teaching process and change assessment methods. Each
step in the procedure has been made clearly in terms of objectives,
content, methods and conditions for implementation, so it could
provide a clear guideline for teachers to teach pedagogy according to
the competence-based approach.