FACTORS AFFECTING PERCEIVED EDUCATION QUALITY
OF BUDDHIST SCHOOLS IN SOUTHERN VIETNAM
Dissertation
Submitted to European International University
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
by
Trần Thị Ly Ly
Paris, France
December 2022
Republic of France
EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
66 Avenue des Champs Elysée’s 75008 Paris
GRADUATE PROGRAM
APPROVAL SHEET
This Dissertation
Factors Affecting Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools
in Southern Vietnam
Prepared and submitted by TRẦN THỊ LY LY is hereby recommended for approval and
acceptance as requirements for the degree
Doctor of Education
Prof. Pham Quoc Luyen, PhD.M, PhD.Ed, DBA
Advisor
PANEL OF EVALUATORS
Accepted by the Panel of Evaluators with a grade of ___
___________
Prof. Dr. Premkumar Rajagopal
Chairpersons
Prof. Dr. William Wong
Prof. Dr. Francis Chen
Member
Member
Approved as a requirement for the degree of Doctor of Education
i
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this quantitative correlation study is to examine the factors affecting
Quality of Education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam. This study used a
correlational design and a survey research methodology to collect data for the investigation
of education quality in Phat Quang social charity center. The core factors identified are:
(1) Training program; (2) Faculty & Methods of Instruction; (3) Facilities; and (4) Support
learners services.
The results of the scale test, regression model and correlation test and research
hypothesis test show that the theoretical model built by the author is consistent with the
data collected from reality. Through the result of the test of the adjusted R2 parameters, F
– test, t- test, and VIF meet the requirement, the model choice factors affecting Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam with 04 factors are indicated
as follows.
QE = 1.574 + 0.289QTS + 0.215CTP + 0.207FA + 0.189SLS
The research problems found along with recommendations for solutions to the
research problems are also presented in this study.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I sincerely thank Prof. Dr. Pham Quoc Luyen, a very enthusiastic, sympathetic, and
responsible instructor, who cared and answered all questions. He also analyzed and shared
the key points, adjusted the unsuitable problems, and helped to limit mistakes in a serious
scientific construction like this.
iii
Table of Contents
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................................... i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii
LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. v
LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi
Chapter 1.
Introduction ................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background ......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem .................................................................................... 7
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study ........................................................................ 8
1.4 Research Questions ............................................................................................. 8
1.5 Definition of Key Terms ..................................................................................... 9
1.6 Significance of the Study .................................................................................. 11
1.7 Limitation and delimitation of the study ........................................................... 12
Chapter 2.
Literature Review...................................................................................... 15
2.1 Education and Quality of Education ................................................................. 15
2.1.1 Education ...................................................................................................... 15
2.1.2 Quality of Education ..................................................................................... 16
2.1.3 Quality of Buddhism Education .................................................................... 19
2.2 Buddhist education in Vietnam ......................................................................... 20
2.2.1 Role of Buddhist Education .......................................................................... 21
2.2.2 Aims of Buddhist Education .......................................................................... 22
2.2.3 The Establishment of Higher Buddhist Education ........................................ 26
2.2.4 How Buddhism Is Taught .............................................................................. 27
2.2.5 The Sources of Training ................................................................................ 28
2.3 Quality Management in Higher Education Institutions .................................... 30
2.3.1 Assessment Students’ Outcomes ................................................................... 30
2.3.2 The models of quality assurance ................................................................... 35
2.3.3 The important elements in establishing a quality assurance system of higher
education ................................................................................................................... 46
2.3.4 Obstacles to QM Implementation ................................................................. 48
2.4 Factors affecting education quality ................................................................... 51
2.4.1 Learning Resources ...................................................................................... 51
2.4.2 Teacher Competency ..................................................................................... 53
2.4.3 Curriculum, Learning Program .................................................................... 57
2.4.4 Teaching Quality ........................................................................................... 59
2.4.5 Facilities for teaching and learning ............................................................. 60
2.4.6 Support staff .................................................................................................. 63
2.5 Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses .......................................................... 64
2.5.1 Some related research models ...................................................................... 64
2.5.2 Conceptual framework .................................................................................. 71
iv
2.5.3 Hypotheses .................................................................................................... 72
2.6 Summary ........................................................................................................... 72
Chapter 3.
Research Method ...................................................................................... 74
3.1 Research Methods and Design .......................................................................... 74
3.2 Population and Sample ..................................................................................... 76
3.3 Instruments ........................................................................................................ 79
3.4 Data Collection, Processing, and Analysis ....................................................... 80
3.5 Summary ........................................................................................................... 82
Chapter 4.
Findings..................................................................................................... 84
4.1 Demographic Profile of the Respondents ......................................................... 84
4.2 Relationship between the proposed factors and perceived quality of education of
Buddhist schools ......................................................................................................... 86
4.2.1 Scales Validity Measurement ........................................................................ 86
4.2.2 Factor Analysis ............................................................................................. 88
4.3 Extent of relationships between proposed factors and perceived quality of
education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam .................................................. 92
4.3.1 Correlation analysis...................................................................................... 93
4.3.2 Hypotheses testing with Linear MultiRegression Analysis ........................... 94
4.4 Model presenting the relationships between proposed factors and quality of
education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam .................................................. 97
4.5 Differences in Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern
Vietnam in terms of other demographic factors ......................................................... 98
4.6 Summary ......................................................................................................... 105
Chapter 5.
Discussion, Recommendations, and Conclusions ................................... 106
5.1 Discussion of the findings ............................................................................... 106
5.2 Recommendations ........................................................................................... 110
References ....................................................................................................................... - 1 Appendixes ................................................................................................................... - 10 Appendix A. Questionnaire .................................................................................... - 10 -
v
LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1 Examples of Formative and Summative Assessments ..................................... 31
Table 2-2 Obstacles to successful QM implementation ................................................... 48
Table 3-1 Data Sampling (N =370) .................................................................................. 79
Table 4-1 Frequencies for Gen ......................................................................................... 84
Table 4-2 Frequencies for Age ......................................................................................... 85
Table 4-3 Frequencies for DEG ........................................................................................ 85
Table 4-4 Frequencies for SEN......................................................................................... 85
Table 4-5 Frequencies for Race ........................................................................................ 86
Table 4-6 Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients of Scales ......................................................... 87
Table 4-7 The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of
Sphericity (2nd time) for independent variables ............................................................... 89
Table 4-8 Rotated Component Matrix for independent variables .................................... 89
Table 4-9 The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of
Sphericity for dependent variable ..................................................................................... 91
Table 4-10 Rotated Component Matrix for dependent variable ....................................... 92
Table 4-11 Correlation between dependent and independent variables ........................... 93
Table 4-12 Model Summary of MultiRegression Analysis .............................................. 95
Table 4-13 Covariance analysis results............................................................................. 95
Table 4-14 Regression Coeeficicents of the factors relating to QE .................................. 96
Table 4-15 Hypotheses testing results .............................................................................. 97
Table 4-16 Descriptive Statistics on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools in
Southern Vietnam ............................................................................................................. 99
Table 4-17 Independent Samples Test for Gender toward Perceived education quality of
Buddhist Schools ............................................................................................................ 101
Table 4-18 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Age groups ....... 101
Table 4-19 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per Age
group ............................................................................................................................... 102
Table 4-20 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Program ............ 102
Table 4-21 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per
Program ........................................................................................................................... 103
Table 4-22 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Seniority ........... 103
Table 4-23 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per
Seniority .......................................................................................................................... 104
Table 4-24 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Race ................. 104
Table 4-25 Analysis of Variance with Welch test for Age ............................................. 104
vi
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2-1 Total Quality Management in higher education.............................................. 43
Figure 2-2 Abdullah's model for measuring service quality in higher education (2006) . 66
Figure 2-3 SEAMEO's five-factor model (1999) ............................................................. 68
Figure 2-4 Model of factors affecting the quality of higher education (Le N. T., 2017).. 69
Figure 2-5 Model of factors affecting student outcomes (Vrana et Al., 2015) ................. 69
Figure 2-6 Model of factors affecting the quality of higher education services (Nguyen &
Nguyen, 2018)................................................................................................................... 71
Figure 2-7 The Conceptual Framework ............................................................................ 72
Figure 4-1 Final Conceptual Framework of factors affecting the perceived education
quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam ............................................................ 98
1
Chapter 1.
Introduction
This chapter addresses the key issues that lay the foundation to the study. These
include background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, purpose
of the study, significance of the study, scope and limitations of the study as well as
definition of the key terms and concepts as used in the study.
1.1 Background
Education is one of the fundamental rights of human being. Report to UNESCO of
the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century (UNESCO,
2003), this commission saw education throughout life as based upon four pillars: Learning
to know acknowledges that learners build their own knowledge daily, combining
indigenous and ‘external’ elements.what is learned. Learning to live together addresses the
critical skills for a life free from discrimination, where all have equal opportunity to
develop themselves, their families and their communities. Learning to be emphasizes the
skills needed for individuals to develop their full potential. This conceptualization of
education provided an integrated and comprehensive view of learning and, therefore, of
what constitutes education quality (Delors et al., 1996).
Up to now, the quality of education is still a controversial topic both in academic
theory as well as in practical educational management. Because the level of socioeconomic development in each country, region, and learners' awareness is different, the
educational goals are other, leading to different definitions of the quality of education.
At the World Education Forum held in Dakar, Senegal (2000) in which quality
education was a priority, evidence over the past decade showed that efforts to expand
2
enrolment must be accompanied by attempts to enhance educational quality if learners are
to be attracted to education, stay there and achieve meaningful learning outcomes.
The recent assessments of learning achievements in some countries have shown
that a sizeable percentage of children are acquiring only a fraction of the knowledge and
skills they are expected to master (WEF, 2000). As a signatory to the treaties that call for
free and compulsory education, South Sudan being is duty bound to promote compulsory
and quality education.
UNESCO (2003, 2004) asserts that the growing emphasis on the need for quality
to accompany the expansion of education, however, remains stubbornly secondary to the
persistent drive for quality education. Country policies to increase gross enrollment rates
are rapidly and possibly being prompted by many factors, including the 2000 United
Nations Millennium Declaration for Universal Primary Education (UPE) in all countries,
including South Sudan, with no mention of quality concerns.
More recent initiatives, such as the World Bank‟s Fast Track Initiative and
USAID‟s Millennium Challenge Account, make quality a priority while keeping a strong
emphasis on the continued rapid growth of enrollments. The UNESCO document above
notes that tension between quantity and quality has characterized education in most
developing countries over the last two decades where quality has become an issue so severe
that it is described not as a choice but as an imperative (UNESCO, 2004).
Education is a basic human right and a significant factor in the development of
children, communities, and countries. Opening classroom doors to all children, especially
girls, will help break the intergenerational chains of poverty because education is
intrinsically linked to all development goals, such as supporting gender empowerment,
3
improving child health and maternal health, reducing hunger, fighting the spread of HIV
and diseases of poverty, spurring economic growth, and building peace (UNESCO, 2012).
Vietnam is a country where Buddhism has a significant influence in all aspects of
the people such as: history, culture, literature and philosophy. Traditional Buddhist Studies
have developed rather strongly in the Vietnam Buddhist Academy (VBA) for many years
(Nguyen T. Thu, 2008). Buddhism Bachelor Degree granted by VBA has been recognized
as the same as abroad Bachelor Degree and has been recruited in many universities for
Master Degree in the world such as Japan, China, Taiwan, India and Thailand. VBA in Ho
Chi Minh City is allowed for the pilot training program of Buddhist Master from the
beginning of year 2012 (VBA, 2015). This is a positive sign and gives a lot of promises for
Buddhist education in Vietnam.
Quality of education and training of higher education is seen as the key factor to
ensure better graduates’ output and gain competitive advantage of the Higher Education
Institution (HEIs) (Aaronson, Barrow, and Sander, 2007; Calvo-Porral, Lévy-Mangin,
Novo-Corti, 2013; Rivkin, Hanushek & Kain, 2005; Kristoff, 2009; Felch, Song & Smith,
2010). This quality can be affected by the various factors such as teaching staff, materials,
labs, library, equipment, and other supporting tools (Gamage, Suwanabroma, Ueyama,
Hada, Sekikawa, 2008; Mark, 2013). In the last two decades, the widespread increased of
Vietnam's higher education sector has led to quality problems that do not correspond the
demands of society and of the nation's development (Luan, 2011). Quality problems in
Vietnam should have been anticipated in virtue of the rapid expansion of higher education.
In the last 20 years, this includes an unconcern and disregard of quality assurance
mechanisms which did not exist before 2005 (Luan, 2011).
4
From the time the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha was established, training Buddhist
Monks and Nuns is the top concern of the Buddhist Sangha. Now, there are over 40
Buddhist schools educating many level of degree: from Intermediate to Advanced
programs. Moreover, there are also many Buddhist elementary classes which are the basis
to enter the Intermediate and two Intermediate level of Lecturers’ classes and two Senior
Lecturers’ classes have been opened for training a Buddhist qualified and professional
lecturers (Nguyen Q. H., 2013).
The system of Buddhism schools has been founded equivalent to half number of
provinces in the country. It can be said that Buddhism intermediate level has universalized
monks and nuns nationwide. However, education in Vietnam still has some shortcomings.
In terms of Buddhist education in Vietnam, it shows that this is a distributed education.
Currently, Vietnam has four Academies located in three regions of the country while
Buddhism Colleges/Schools have been rushing to open in provinces. This has caused a lot
of problems in education (Nguyen, Q. H. 2013).
The first is Buddhism school system. If the Buddhism schools compete to open in
provinces, the number of monks and nuns in each province will be minimize, let alone
student recruitment or enrollment of each college’s year. The input of each college will not
ensure qualified standards as well as not ensure quality; if there is lack of Monks and Nuns
studying; and if this circumstances take place the course cannot be opened continuously
for each class, it will take four or even six years for each class which may cause depression
and tiresome for Monks and Nuns. And the worse thing is if they will rely on to others
thinking that learning or not learning will finally mark off because no Professor has the
heart to rank failed a fourth year student (Vu, 2006).
5
Not having a strong will in emulating learning and interesting life it will make
Buddhist monk and nun students to no longer wish for religious life practice and follows
only his ideals and as the result the training quality cannot be guaranteed. Furthermore,
with the desire to recruit enough quantity of Buddhist Monks and Nuns for the course,
students of all knowledge levels are recruited and for students who have not graduated
college will have to continue learning to finish the college program so that they can submit
and be qualified for receiving a college degree. This has a huge impact on learning quality
of Monks and Nuns because they have to learn religious education during the morning, and
then learn high colleges program in the afternoon or attend additional high colleges study
in the evening and how they can be well- prepared for all of the subjects. Learning in the
afternoon influences the practice as well as the holy life of monks and nuns (Vu, 2006).
For Vietnam Buddhist education system, it is obviously not a logic system such as:
the system is not very consistent from low to high with no textbooks for each leaning grade.
In 1981, the Vietnam Higher School of Buddhist Studies was established at Quan Su
Pagoda, Hanoi capital. Up to 2019, the Vietnam Buddhist Church has four academies,
formerly known as the Vietnamese Higher School of Buddhist Studies: Buddhist Academy
in Hanoi, in Hue, in Ho Chi Minh City and in Can Tho City. The college system of Buddhist
studies has 8 training institutions for Buddhist college classes and the country currently has
35 Buddhist intermediate schools. Most of the provinces have opened elementary classes
in Buddhism (Thich Duc Thien, 2019).
The outstanding achievement after 41 years of training monks and nuns is that the
Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha has actively sent monks and nuns to study abroad: India,
Ceylon, Taiwan, China, Korea, Australia, the United States, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand.
6
Up to now, hundreds of monks and nuns have graduated with master's and doctorate
degrees and have returned home to serve in many central departments of the Vietnam
Buddhist Sangha. This is the human resource of the Church's monk and nun education
training system.
With a team of lecturers with qualifications equivalent to domestic and international
universities, the Vietnamese Buddhist Sangha has been authorized by the State to train
masters and doctoral degrees in Buddhism at the Vietnam Buddhist Academy in Hanoi and
VBA in Ho Chi Minh City.
Education quality plays a very important role in the country’s economic and social
development and human improvement, especially training quality at Buddhist Universities
because there are places training the monks who will sensitize people to maintain peace
and development in society. However, until today, there is no any quantitative research for
the factors affecting the quality of education in Buddhism, the majority of researchers
studied on the quality of education in Universities of normal life. The Buddhist Higher
Education in Vietnam is currently faced with a series of challenges leading to the failure
or the limitation of its role. So, the academic quality of education needs to be reviewed
(Nguyen, Q. H, 2013). Nguyen (2008), with research of using SERVPERF scale to measure
the quality of higher education; Ngo and Hua (2010), with research of training service and
quality values in higher education from the perspective of students of the Finance Marketing University. However, these studies only surveyed objects: students of
universities of normal life. Thus, they have not showed the training quality of Buddhist
Universities and as a result, they cannot give any common policy for the Buddhist
7
Universities to improve the quality of these Universities’ training services. Then, this study
aims to explore the Quality of Education of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Although much progress has been made, the current Vietnamese education system,
including Buddhist schools, still has many shortcomings such as the imposed program
putting too much pressure on learners, the teaching method is not flexible, the lack of good
teachers, and supporting facilities, and low teacher salaries do not create motivation in
teaching. The educational goals, and determining educational quality criteria are still
controversial and inconsistent (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2018). The purpose of Higher Buddhist
Education in Vietnam also aims to improve the knowledge of the Buddha teaching, to
develop skills of practice and propagation and to bring Buddhist learners to wisdom
(paññā) in mind.
Buddhist education and training of talented monks has always been one of the
important Buddhist activities of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. The goal of Buddhist
education is to improve the quality of training management, to innovate teaching methods
and to study at training institutions for monks and nuns of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha.
The study of Buddhist education in Vietnam is to find the cause of shortcomings, limitation
and then to give good solutions which help to improve the quality of education in
Vietnam’s Buddhist colleges that will contribute a very significant mission for the
prosperity of Vietnam Buddhism.
Finding factors affecting the quality of education at Buddhist schools in Southern
of Vietnam will help these schools gradually improve their quality of teaching and training
through the improvement of each element that results of research have shown. If the
8
Buddhist colleges improve their quality of training, the monks and nuns will benefit.
Therefore, it is necessary to study the factors affecting Quality of Education in Buddhist
schools in Southern Vietnam in the Contemporary Age.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
This quantitative correlation study aimed to examine the factors affecting Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam. To accomplish the above
research purpose, the specific objectives that need to be achieved are:
1. To determine the relationship between the proposed factors and Perceived
Education Quality in Buddhist schools.
2. To evaluate the extent of relationships between proposed factors and Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam;
3. To model the relationships between proposed factors and Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
4. To explore the any differences in Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist
schools in Southern Vietnam in terms of other demographic factors;
1.4 Research Questions
Following the issue and the research objectives above, the thesis is done to respond
to the following research questions:
1. What is the relationships between the proposed factors and Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist schools?
2. What are the extent of relationships between proposed factors and Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam?
9
3. What model can be presented for the relationships between proposed factors
and Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam?
4. Are there any differences in Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools
in Southern Vietnam in terms of other demographic factors?
1.5 Definition of Key Terms
Education: Education is the process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of
knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. Quality education specifically entails issues
such as appropriate skills development, gender parity, provision of relevant school
infrastructure, equipment, educational materials and resources, scholarships or teaching
force (UNESCO, 2017).
Quality is the totality of features that influence the results gained in teaching and
learning, that is, attaining a certain standard and holistic education
Quality education: Every child has the fundamental right to quality education –
one that helps them acquire basic literacy and numeracy, enjoy learning without fear, and
feel valued and included, irrespective of where they come from. Quality education is
supported by three main pillars: availability to qualified teachers, the utilization of quality
learning resources and professional development, and the creation of safe and supportive
learning environments.
Learning Environment: The term learning environment can refer to an
educational approach, cultural context, or physical setting in which teaching and learning
occur. The term is commonly used as a more definitive alternative to "classroom", but it
typically refers to the context of educational philosophy or knowledge experienced by the
student and may also encompass a variety of learning cultures—its presiding ethos and
10
characteristics, how individuals interact, governing structures, and philosophy. In a societal
sense, learning environment may refer to the culture of the population it serves and of their
location. Learning environments are highly diverse in use, learning styles, organization,
and educational institution.
Material
resources:
The
Material things
are
related
to possessions or
money, rather than to more abstract things such as ideas or values. The resources of
an organization or person are the materials, money, and other things that they have and can
use in order to function properly.
Learner characteristics: Learner characteristics refer to defining the attitude,
skills, age, gender, and demographics of an individual. This characteristic plays an
important role in leading the life ahead, irrespective of being a student, entrepreneur, or a
blue-collar worker. More or less, it is the ability to update yourself and make value addition
to your overall personality.
Teaching and learning: Teaching and learning process can be defined as a
transformation process of knowledge from teachers to students. It is referred as the
combination of various elements within the process where an educator identifies and
establish the learning objectives and develop teaching resources and implement the
teaching and learning strategy. On the other hand, learning is a cardinal factor that a teacher
must consider while teaching students.
Teaching is a set of events, outside the learners which are designed to support
internal process of learning. Teaching (Instruction) is outside the learner. Learning is
internal to learners. You cannot motivate others if you are not self-motivated. Motives are
11
not seen, but behaviors are seen. Is learning a motive or behavior? Learning is both a motive
and behavior but only behavior is seen, learning is internal, performance is external.
Supporting policies: Policy support is the provision of policies to support teachers,
learners, and school management, in order to create favorable conditions for them to
accomplish their educational goals. Support policies include: Strengthen and support
school leadership; Stimulate a supportive school climate and environment; Attract, support
and retain high quality teachers; Ensure effective classroom learning strategies; Prioritise
linking schools with parents and communities.
1.6 Significance of the Study
First, the study will identify all the factors that hinder the provision of quality
education for children in especially difficult circumstances in Phat Quang social charity
center, Kien Giang province, Viet Nam. With this data, the school leadership would come
up with interventions for educational programs to improve the quality of education for
children. The Kien Giang Department of Education and other localities would benefit from
the study as it would enable it to formulate quality policies for primary and secondary
school educational programs.
Second, the study findings will also benefit head teachers and administrators. They
would identify aspects of quality deficiency and adopt appropriate improvements at the
level of schools. In addition, the findings would help them to assess the administrative
policies in terms of Learning Environment, Learner characteristics, teaching and learning,
school facilities, equipment, and resources for the effective provision of quality education.
Furthermore, the findings would provide the basis for corrective measures in quality
education gaps that require immediate action.
12
Third, teachers are key players in the provision of quality education. The findings
will boost their case for training and career development to enhance their knowledge as
well as motivate them for better performance. Disadvantaged pupils too will benefit from
the findings, especially in maximizing effective student learning habits and other
educational benefits.
In addition, parents and community members/leaders, sponsors will become more
aware of their role in contributing to the provision of quality education and development
of schools through active involvement and support. This study will also guide NonGovernment Organizations to make targeted and informed interventions to help the
government solve problems in the education sector. Finally, the study will compile data on
the provision of quality education which other researchers will find useful and beneficial
for their studies.
1.7 Limitation and delimitation of the study
This study is limited by the number of participants who completed the survey. The
study was limited to participants who agreed to participate voluntarily. Although this study
used validated survey instruments, the participants might have had difficulties interpreting
the survey questions. The reliability of the data was limited to the self-reported feedback,
honesty, social desirability, and recollections of the survey participants. Self-rating bias
was likely, as individuals tend to exaggerate their expertise and character (Goh, Lee, &
Salleh, 2009). Certain individuals may not necessarily behave in certain ways in a leaderfollower exchange because of their religion. Instead, political and societal context must be
considered as an influencing factor over their attitudes and views (Tessler, 2010).
13
The data collection method allows participant self-selection. Thus, potentially
introducing self-selection bias in this study. The validity of this study was limited to the
reliability of the survey instruments used. Cultural response bias may be another limitation
to this study. Researcher bias may limit this study. The independent variables in this study
were related to human behavior among Buddhists’ monk and nun students, lectures and
school leaders in Vietnam. The researcher is a Buddhist Venerable of Vietnamese.
Consequently, the study used proven and validated research instruments for data collection
to mitigate any potential researcher bias.
Correlation studies are designed to investigate causality among variables, but do
not prove causation regardless of the level of the correlation coefficient between the
variables. Heterogeneity of the sample may have limited results because sample
heterogeneity may have unduly increased the correlation among variables (Steinberg,
2011). Consequently, even if a correlation is the result of a reliable survey instrument, the
correlation should not be considered as reliable proof of religion and religiosity influence
over teaching practices in the workplace. The sampling method may be a limiting factor to
this study.
This study is delimited to conducting a survey of Buddhist lectures in Vietnam. The
study was focused solely on the relationship between identified factors and job satisfaction
of lecturers in Buddhist Schools in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Buddhism is the focus
religions of the study. The use of the survey instruments to derive this study’s analysis and
conclusions was another delimitation of the study. The sample of participants was
delimited to those who had e-mail addresses and Internet access, and those individuals who
responded to the invitations and reminders to participate in this study.
14
This study is delimited to the specific variables identified. Other intervening
variables may have been unaccounted. Other factors that may contribute to quality of
education in Buddhist Schools in southern of Vietnam are not researched. This study is
confined to the instrument that uses Likert-type scales. The different responses available
to participants on each survey item may have caused each respondent to judge the
interpretation intensity slightly differently (Neuman, 2011).
15
Chapter 2.
Literature Review
The review of the literature in this chapter focuses on the factors affecting quality
of education in the Buddhist Schools in the Southern of Vietnam. The chapter reviews
related literature mainly on the quality of education with particular attention on the
following subtopics: concept of the quality of education, planning for the quality of
education, school environment, content, context, and relevance of teaching and learning
for the quality of education. It also reviews the role of teachers in the quality of education,
sponsors/donors-community involvement and support in school activities, and school
leadership in monitoring and improving the quality of education.
2.1 Education and Quality of Education
2.1.1 Education
Education is a process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a
school or university. Three elements under education indicator, which consist of technical
skills, intellectual ability, and physical ability, aim to take a closer look at CSDC’s quality
education. Education is critical to individual and national well-being. Nevertheless, the
CSDC often face challenges in obtaining a proper education (Lingenfelter et al., 2017).
The concept of higher education can be defined differently according to the regional
or national policy respective. According to the United Republic of Tanzania URT (1998
and 1999 cited in Luhanga, et.al. 2003) higher education refers to “the scope of knowledge
and skills imparted within the tertiary level of education, i.e. beyond the primary and
secondary level of education”.
16
The key target of higher education institutions is to prepare the workforce who can
meet the needs of the people in the societies. According to the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO (2013) quality education aims not only at
forming trained professional workers but also contributes to the development of individuals
who possessed that skills to act and interact in a just society.
Despite this fact, the quality of education in higher education institutions in
developed and developing countries respectively has been challenged in different
dimensions; financing and financial management, human resource management, quality
assurance system and learning programmes.
2.1.2 Quality of Education
Quality is a very broad and complex category, reflecting the synthesis of economic,
technical and social contents. Due to that complexity, there are now many different
concepts of quality, it can be seen that, depending on the approach, the concept of quality
is understood in different ways, each understanding has a scientific basis andlearning to
solve certain goals and tasks in practice. According to ISO 8402, quality is “the set of
characteristics of an object, which give it the ability to satisfy stated or implied
requirements”. In Harvey and Green's view, quality can be understood as: (i) superiority
(or excellence); (ii) is perfection (complete, error-free results); (iii) is fitness for purpose
(meeting customer needs); (iv) is the value of money (in terms of investment value); (v) is
a transition (from one state to another). According to the Higher Education Reform
Program in Southeast Asian countries, the concept of “quality is fitness for purpose” was
used. Several other institutions have used the concept of “quality is excellence” to compare
the quality of higher education across countries or between different universities. The
17
concept of "quality is added value" is applied to encourage higher education institutions to
be interested in continuously improving the quality of teaching and learning. According to
Parasuraman et al. (1988), quality is the degree of difference between consumers'
expectations about the service and their perception of the outcome of the service. Service
quality can be understood as customer satisfaction measured by the difference between the
expected quality and the quality achieved.
Quality can be defined as exceptional, perfection, fitness for purpose, value for
money or transformation. On the other hand, the term quality in management literature has
different meanings. It has been variously defined as conformance to specifications,
conformance to requirement, defect avoidance and meeting customer expectations.
Quality, like beauty, is subjective; it is a matter of personal judgment. All these different
definitions seem to have no consensus at all; however, they are correlated. In general,
quality education is a rather controversial and vague term (Modi, 2013).
According to UNESCO (1990), quality of education includes liberty, numeracy and
life skills which are inculcated through teachers, content, methodologies, curriculum,
examination systems, policies, management and administration. With these definitions,
education is expected to make a contribution to a sustainable human development, quality
of life at individual, family, societal and global levels. UNESCO (2004) stresses that
education is a human right. Thus, participation in a high quality of education is an important
end in itself. The practice of human rights in education and education as a right facilitates
the fulfillment of other rights.
The primary concern in the quality of education is learning; the teacher is critical.
In addition to the inputs, the processes, environment and outputs that surround and foster
18
learning are important as well. They positively affect the quality of education at two levels:
the level of the learner in his or her learning environment and the level of the education
system that creates and supports the learning experiences. UNESCO (2004) uses a
framework for understanding quality of education by identifying five dimensions where
different variables contribute to quality of education. These include:
i) Learners’ characteristics that affect quality. These are aptitude, school readiness,
and perseverance.
ii) Context, which also significantly affects quality. This refers to socio-economic
and cultural conditions, public resources for education, parental support, and time available
for schooling and homework.
iii) Inputs are critical in quality monitoring and improvement. They refer to all types
of resources (i.e. personnel, facilities, space, equipments and supplies, information) that
support the implementation of a program.
iv) Teaching and learning approaches which refer to learning time, teaching
methods, assessment, feedback, incentives, and class size.
v) Outcomes which signal overall quality. These entail literacy, numeracy, life
skills, creative and emotional skills, values, and social benefits.
Therefore, improving all aspects of quality education means ensuring excellence
for all so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes are achieved by all, especially
in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. The Dakar Framework for Action commits
nations to the provision of primary education of a good quality. The Forum emphasizes
that improving all aspects of education quality means that everyone can achieve better
learning outcomes, especially in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills. However, this
19
would have an effect on quality only when quality educational planning is done both at
ministerial and school levels.
2.1.3 Quality of Buddhism Education
According to Chau, (2010), the quality of Buddhism education is to put education
in current time environment, it means evaluating educational objects according to their
circumstances and conditions. Generally, looking issues, objects at the overall relationship
of all existing elements. To ensure the quality, it requires infrastructure and human
resources suitable for education and training environment. Buddha and the Arhat monk
preachers, guide students in the big monasticism at the time of Buddha had trained large
numbers of Buddhists to join into the Saints; then the following major universities such as
the old Na Lan Institute leaded by Long Tho as the Dean and Instruction Committee
including a lot of enlighten honorable Buddhists have trained many Monk Saints who have
been handed by people from one time to time. Therefore, a spacious facility, fully
equipped, suitable for the activities of teaching, learning, meeting of professional Boards
is essential. Thus, even more necessary is a Management Board, a Board of Lecturers
included those who are talented, ethical, professional knowledge and have good pedagogy
methods. Next, education and training requires a sympathy and support of the masses, from
government agencies, organizations, agencies and dear friendship individuals. If we think
of how the Kings and the Public people support the Buddha monks’ congregation, then we
think to the Ly-Tran reign of Vietnam, we will immediately find the education and training
needed a large number to follow in many different ways can reach the good results.
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2.2 Buddhist education in Vietnam
Buddhist education in Vietnam. Buddhist was introduced into Vietnam in the
beginning of the first century, but until last half of the seventeenth century, Buddhism was
just transmitted to southern Vietnam. For more than 300 years, the mission of spreading
the Dharma has achieved many accomplishments, but it still has some shortcomings (Ho,
2009). Buddhism Education in Southern Vietnam has developed through the following
periods:
PERIOD 1744 – 1930. Nature of Buddhist education in this period is essentially a
missionary with no specific training programs and no learning level division. However,
this period of Buddhist education has set a solid foundation for the development of
Buddhism in South of Vietnam (Ho, 2009).
PERIOD 1930 – 1950. Southern Buddhist education at this period was wellorganized and got a strong development. There were educational level divisions from
Primary, Secondary to Intermediary. There were Academies for both monks and nuns.
However, there are still some limitations in education at this period: training regime does
not have examinations as well as with no higher levels of college and university (Ho, 2009).
PERIOD 1950-1963. Buddhist education at this period developed very
systematically, but there was still no connection and unity in the whole country.
PERIOD 1964-1975. After the reunification of Buddhism in 1964, the Unified
Buddhist Church of Vietnam was born, the education system at the beginning time was
belonged to the General Department of Buddhist Rites and Monks. Until the year 1966, it
has belonged to General Department of Buddhist Education and Study and there has been
an educational program built systematically from low to high level, from Primary,
21
Intermediary to College and University of Buddhist Studies - including both Theravada
and Mahayana systems (Ho, 2009).
PERIOD 1975-1998. In this period, Buddhist education in Vietnam had a rather
completed and unified management apparatus from the Center Institute to the locals (Ho,
2009).
FOR THE TIME BEING. After more than 30 years, Vietnam Buddhist Academy
(VBA) was established with four Academies, 8 college intakes, 30 Associate intakes, 26
elementary intakes, over 50 monks and nuns graduated Ph.D., Master of Buddhism abroad,
and there are nearly 200 monks and nuns’ students studying abroad such as: India, China,
Japan, Thailand, Burma, Taiwan. Calculating from the Academies only, there have been
1,938 monks and nuns who have graduated as Buddhist Bachelors and now there are 2,
264 students studying there (Buddhist Education Conference, 2008). Thus, it has showed
that the education of VBA achieved significant accomplishments, trained thousands of
monks and nuns to serve the academies and country. However, Buddhist education system
in Vietnam is not really logical with any consistent system from low to high, no textbooks
for each grade (Ho, 2009).
2.2.1 Role of Buddhist Education
According to Rahula (2015), Buddhist education aims at a personality
transformation into a highest form of humanity through ethical, intellectual and spiritual
perfection. These three faculties of perfection of human life undoubtedly lead a man
through mundane happiness to supra mundane happiness, which is the highest achievement
we all are equally looking for. Therefore, the Buddhist education is grounded on the
primary psychological need of all living beings.
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Buddhist education, in view of the Buddha in the Dharmapada, Chapter 11, the
Buddha has showed four contents for the youth education: Intellectual education: to help
young people always think and act in the right way; Moral education: to help young people
know about the moral society standards and to contribute themselves to society
development; Health education: to help young people understand themselves and
contribute themselves to the humanity; Vocational propensity education: when a young
becomes an adult, they need to have a master career to earn for his life and serve their
parents and family.
2.2.2 Aims of Buddhist Education
The goal of Buddhist education is to attain wisdom. In Sanskrit, the language of
ancient India, the Buddhist wisdom was called Anuttara-Samyak-Sambhodi meaning the
perfect ultimate wisdom. The Buddha taught us that the main objective of our practice was
to achieve this ultimate wisdom. The chief aim of Buddhist education is all round
development of child’s personality. This includes his physical, mental, moral and
intellectual development. The other aims of Buddhist Education are to make a free man, a
wise, intelligent, moral, non-violent & secular man.
Buddhist Education was wide open and available to the people of all walks of life.
The system of Buddhist education aimed at regaining our intrinsic nature. It also teaches
absolute equality which stemmed from Buddha‘s recognition that all sentient beings
possess this innate wisdom and nature. Buddha‘s teaching helps us to realize that innate,
perfect, ultimate wisdom .With wisdom, we can then solve all our problems and turn
suffering into happiness.
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In the Buddhist era, religion was given top priority and education was imparted
through it. The chief aim of education was propagation of religion and inculcation of
religious feelings and education served as a mean to achieve liberation or nirvana.
Preparation for life, there was a provision for imparting wordily and practical knowledge
along with religious education so that when the students entered normal life they may be
able to earn their livelihood.
In the early period Buddhist Education was limited within the monasteries and only
for the members of the monastery. But later on it was open to all; even lay people got scope
to have education in those institutions. In modern days Buddhist Education became wide
open and embraced people of all walks of life. Buddhist Education made revolutionary
change in the society. The Buddhists in the world first made Education open to all.
The Core of Buddha’s teaching contains three major points, discipline, meditation
and wisdom. Wisdom is the goal and deep meditation or concentration in the crucial
process toward achieving wisdom. Discipline through observing the precepts, is the method
that helps one to achieve deep meditation; wisdom will then be realized naturally. Buddha‘s
entire teaching as conveyed in the sutras never really depart from these three points.
Buddhist Education system developed on the basis of some basic principles. This
education gave emphasis on the moral, mental and physical development and also to divert
the students towards the Sangha rules and guide them to follow it. The main stress was
given to have a clear idea of Tripitaka which consists of Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka and
Abhidhamma Pitaka. The entire Tripitaka consists of Buddhas teachings, message,
philosophy and rules for the Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunies. The curriculum was chiefly
spiritual in nature. It was because the chief aim of education was to attain liberation. So the
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study of the religious books was most important. This type of curriculum was meant only
for the monks.
Besides these spinning, weaving, printing of the clothes, tailoring, sketching,
accountancy, medicines, surgery and coinage were the other subjects of Buddhist
education. At the initial stage medium of education was mother tongue, later it included
Pali and Prakrit and in the following days Sanskrit also included as a medium of instruction.
Especially the Mahayana Teachers achieved distinction in practicing Buddhism in
Sanskrit. A special Sanskrit Buddhist literature developed. Mention may be made here that
at the hands of Nāgārjuna, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Shāntideva, Aryādeva and Candrakīrti
Buddhist philosophy and literature made tremendous progress through Sanskrit. In later
period according to the demand of the society and professional education, art, sculpture,
architecture, medicine also included in the syllabus. Buddhist Education came out from the
religious arena and went out for the benefit of the mankind (Rahula, 2015).
According to Nguyen (2014), the foundation of the Buddhism practice is Virtue,
Mediation and Wisdom. Virtue is a system of moral principles advised by Buddha to help
people by their self-awareness to restrain unruly actions, speech and thought and as a result,
they have a focused mind, remain to be ready for the opening of wisdom. Wisdom is the
purpose and Religious Meditation is the essential process to attain wisdom. To keep Virtue
well-disciplined is method to help our mind calm and peaceful, creating favorable
conditions for the process of meditation. When our mind is meditated, our intellect will be
expressed naturally.
According to Thich (2010), the purpose of education is to train ideal Buddhist
Monks and Nuns to move towards the liberation and to execute the liberation. There are
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people in each level of religion study can relieve their suffering and help others to relieve
their suffering also. They were prepared by Virtue- Mediation- Wisdom who eliminate
greed, perform selflessly, live harmoniously with others and nature. They are full of
humanity, compassion and wisdom. The content of education is Virtue- MediationWisdom. These three learning concepts may be understood relatively but they have very
specific meanings of moral, spiritual stability and clarity of knowledge and thought. In this
modern time, these concepts include ethical practices done by themselves, society, and
human populations; the meditation practices is to arouse a pure life, and a stable mind;
attempting to study for a bright intellect, and for a very deep knowledge of worldviews and
religion. Knowledge and skills require practices, usages, effectiveness in every area where
Buddhism called the Five Intelligences (internal intelligence, human intelligence,
explaining intelligence, technical intelligence, and medicine intelligence) (Thich, 2010).
In summary, the purpose of Buddhist education is reaching the ultimate wisdom or
true wisdom, to help people get rid of the pain and reach the ultimate purpose of life. For
Buddhism, suffering is because of ignorance. Thus, people who would like to escape
suffering must have wisdom or understanding. The suffering will be released down
gradually with increasing the level of understanding. When “knowledge” reached to the
highest level, the suffering will be fully terminated. “Knowledge” in Buddhism is
knowledge of nature, of true meaning of life and universe. The core content of “knowledge”
is to recognize the nature of impermanence and interdependence of all phenomena, and all
human beings. “Knowledge” is end knowing something thoroughly, ultimately, entirely,
and unbiased. It is a symmetry and harmony of the total three of wisdom, love and
intention.
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2.2.3 The Establishment of Higher Buddhist Education
With a historical view, Higher Buddhist Education is linked closely with the
Buddhist revival movement in Vietnam. With an effort to reform and strengthen Buddhism
which had lost ground to the spread of Christianity under French rule, a Buddhist revival
movement emerged in the 1920s. The objectives of this movement occurred in the North,
The Central and the South of Vietnam were closed to three contents: religious organizations
of Buddhism, training of monks and nuns, and promulgation of Buddha Dharma.
In the Buddhist revival movement, the educational of Vietnamese Buddhism not
only trained Buddhist monks and nuns in summer retreat (Vassa), but also established
Buddhist Schools to teach according to a new system and method from primary to high
Buddhist school, in which the Buddhist sutras were mainly taught. Sangha leaders were
aware of the need to build a monastic organization that conformed to modern society.
Clergymen and women need to be trained and educated to serve people in this new
environment. In order to serve Buddhist revival as well as the long-term development of
Buddhism,
After 1975, Vietnamese Buddhist Council tried to revive the tertiary education
system. High colleges of Buddhist studies inherited from Van Hanh University became the
Vietnam Buddhist Universities of today. Currently, there are four Buddhist universities: in
Hanoi, Hue, Ho Chi Minh City and the Theravada Buddhist University in Can Tho for
Khmer monks. The Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute founded in 1984 is a separate unit
from the university system and belongs to The Buddhist Sangha Council. The training level
of Vietnam Buddhist Universities has been limited in Bachelor, Master and Specialized
colleges. “The education programs have been mixed between canonical texts and the social
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science subjects as well” (Mai, 2008). The purpose is to improve the secular knowledge
for Sangha members, let them easily make a practical contribution to the country's socioeconomic development.
2.2.4 How Buddhism Is Taught
In Education, the key points are the training method by lecturers and studying
attitude from students both inside and outside the class. Currently in the world, three forms
of modern Education are applied Lecturer-centered; Learner-centered and Interactive
teaching method. Lecturer-centered method is the traditional form in which the lecturer
keeps the central role. Learner-centered method is the method that shifts the role of the
instructor from teacher to student. The Interactive teaching method encourages interest in
the learning process; provides high motivation, strength, knowledge, team spirit and
freedom of expression; and most importantly, contributes to the complex competences of
future specialists (Thich, Nguyen-Dat, 2012). The lecturer would be considered as the
information giver or the advisor and students need to process the given information by their
own view. The main strategy of modern higher education focuses on the student's
independent activity. Universities and colleges expect students to work on their own,
outside of lecturers, tutorials, and seminars. Most independent study is spent to research
the subject, reading and thinking critically about the material, making notes, preparing for
seminars, planning, and writing assignments for assessment. By this view, learner-centered
and the Interactive teaching method are more suitable than lecturer-centered one.
Unfortunately, due to the impact of traditional methods for such a long time, most of the
students in Vietnam still consider lecturer method as the best teaching method. “Reasons
included; teacher provides all knowledge related to topic and it is time saving method”
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(Shahida Sajjad). And by this method, students like to receive the benefit of the teacher
knowledge rather than just go over the information in the textbook.
Much emphasis by Buddhist Universities in Vietnam still placed on memorizing
facts and oral culture. Emphasis is placed on what the instructor does but very little is
placed on asking students what they actually learn. The traditional method has been widely
used which places students in a passive rather than an active role, and will encourage oneway communication. As a result, the lecturers try an effort to be aware of student
understanding without any feedback. The common explanation for the passiveness is the
cultural features of the Confucian heritage culture which is claimed to shape students’
learning style in Vietnam. The investigation results in 2009 of Pedagogy University,
HCMC showed that 75% of students after graduation still lack self-reliant skills to pursue
a career” (Tran, 2013).
Additionally, memorizing facts has been used in the Examination method by
Buddhist Universities. This easily leads to negative actions from students during the exam
process such as cheating or copying exam papers from each other. So, it would be better if
the exams use more open questions which require the comprehensive understanding and
synthetic skills by students rather than questions required a lot of memorizing. Education
should never be limited to memorization. The Interactive Teaching Method should
gradually take the place of Traditional method in Vietnam Buddhist Universities.
2.2.5 The Sources of Training
The sources used by Buddhist Universities for training mainly are the translated
Pāli canons, Chinese Mahāyāna scriptures and the textbooks prepared by the Professors of
Universities and Buddhist scholars. Most of the Pāli canons and Chinese Mahāyāna
29
scriptures have been translated by the past most venerable Dr. Thich Minh-Chau, Most
Venerable Thich Thien-Sieu, Dr. Le Manh-That, Tue Sy, Dr. Thich Nhat-Tu, Zen master
Thich Nhat-Hanh and other Buddhist Monks and scholars in Vietnam.
In the work “Studies in the Origins of Buddhism” by Govind Chandra Pande, a lot
of controversial information relating to the Early Buddhism could be found. He mentioned
that Mrs. Rhys David has raised the all-important question: what was the original message
of Buddhism? After her work, the facts of interpolation, elaboration and expurgation in the
suttas can hardly be ignored. It means there is a necessity of a re-study of the problems of
Buddhist origins (Pande, 1974). Bikkhu Sujato & Bhahmali listed 33 odd points in Pāli
canons (Bhikkhu Sujato, Bhahmali, 2014) Matthew Kosuta also found the contradiction in
Theravada Buddhism with its pacifist ethic (Bikkhu Bodhi, 2012).Mentioning these points,
it is not meant to say that Pāli canons less worthy for studying, but the idea is there may
have some things in the canons that need to be reviewed again. The Buddha also declared
this point in Kalama sutta “not to accept the words of any teacher including himself but to
find things out for ourselves, relying on our own experience” (Bikkhu Bodhi, 2012). It also
means that the study of Buddhist religious tradition has not been taken in any kind of
critical spirit, but has been simply a matter of learning in order to benefit from it and pass
it on to future generations.
By this view, students of higher Buddhist studies should be encouraged to raise an
independent opinion, to test the logic of arguments, to demand empirical evidence and to
find whether the evidence is sufficient to support the given conclusions or not. Critical
thinking skill needs to be applied widely in Higher Buddhist study. Students should be able
to differentiate the right from wrong when they get the Buddha teachings. “Teaching has
30
been produced over two thousand five hundred years, mistakes and misprints are
presumably understandable” (Thich Thanh-Tu, 2001). The research of Irvin J. Lehmann
showed that there was a significant improvement in critical thinking ability from freshman
to senior years in higher education (Lehmann, 1963). This factor needs to be exploited for
the favor of students in higher level. Additionally, Buddhist universities do not have the
unified curricula and textbooks for whole higher educational system. The biggest challenge
to this issue is that curriculum authors always want students to follow the same path that
they themselves have already experienced. Most curriculum authors have not been able to
go beyond their perceptions (London, 2011). This issue needs to be improved by Vietnam
Buddhist Sangha.
2.3 Quality Management in Higher Education Institutions
2.3.1 Assessment Students’ Outcomes
Assessment allows both instructor and student to monitor progress towards
achieving learning objectives, and can be approached in a variety of ways.
Formative assessment refers to tools that identify misconceptions, struggles, and
learning gaps along the way and assess how to close those gaps. It includes effective tools
for helping to shape learning, and can even bolster students’ abilities to take ownership of
their learning when they understand that the goal is to improve learning, not apply final
marks (Trumbull and Lash, 2013). It can include students assessing themselves, peers, or
even the instructor, through writing, quizzes, conversation, and more. In short, formative
assessment occurs throughout a class or course, and seeks to improve student achievement
of learning objectives through approaches that can support specific student needs (Theal
and Franklin, 2010, p. 151).
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Table 2-1 Examples of Formative and Summative Assessments
Formative
In-class discussions
Clicker questions
Low-stakes group work
Weekly quizzes
1-minute reflection writing assignments
Homework assignments
Surveys
Summative
Instructor-created exams
Standardized tests
Final projects
Final essays
Final presentations
Final reports
Final Grades
In contrast, summative assessments evaluate student learning, knowledge,
proficiency, or success at the conclusion of an instructional period, like a unit, course, or
program. Summative assessments are almost always formally graded and often heavily
weighted (though they do not need to be). Summative assessment can be used to great
effect in conjunction and alignment with formative assessment, and instructors can
consider a variety of ways to combine these approaches.
Both forms of assessment can vary across several dimensions (Trumbull and Lash,
2013):
✓ Informal / formal
✓ Immediate / delayed feedback
✓ Embedded in lesson plan / stand-alone
✓ Spontaneous / planned
✓ Individual / group
✓ Verbal / nonverbal
✓ Oral / written
✓ Graded / ungraded
✓ Open-ended response / closed/constrained response
✓ Teacher initiated/controlled / student initiated/controlled
✓ Teacher and student(s) / peers
✓ Process-oriented / product-oriented
✓ Brief / extended
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✓ Scaffolded (teacher supported) / independently performed
Formative Assessment. Ideally, formative assessment strategies improve teaching
and learning simultaneously. Instructors can help students grow as learners by actively
encouraging them to self-assess their own skills and knowledge retention, and by giving
clear instructions and feedback. Seven principles (adapted from Nicol and MacfarlaneDick, 2007) can guide instructor strategies:
•
Keep clear criteria for what defines good performance - Instructors can explain
criteria for A-F graded papers, and encourage student discussion and reflection about
these criteria (this can be accomplished though office hours, rubrics, post-grade peer
review, or exam / assignment wrappers. Instructors may also hold class-wide
conversations on performance criteria at strategic moments throughout a term.
•
Encourage students’ self-reflection - Instructors can ask students to utilize course
criteria to evaluate their own or a peer’s work, and to share what kinds of feedback
they find most valuable. In addition, instructors can ask students to describe the
qualities of their best work, either through writing or group discussion.
•
Give students detailed, actionable feedback - Instructors can consistently provide
specific feedback tied to predefined criteria, with opportunities to revise or apply
feedback before final submission. Feedback may be corrective and forward-looking,
rather than just evaluative. Examples include comments on multiple paper drafts,
criterion discussions during 1-on-1 conferences, and regular online quizzes.
•
Encourage teacher and peer dialogue around learning - Instructors can invite
students to discuss the formative learning process together. This practice primarily
revolves around mid-semester feedback and small group feedback sessions, where
students reflect on the course and instructors respond to student concerns. Students
33
can also identify examples of feedback comments they found useful and explain how
they helped. A particularly useful strategy, instructors can invite students to discuss
learning goals and assignment criteria, and weave student hopes into the syllabus.
•
Promote positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem - Students will be more
motivated and engaged when they are assured that an instructor cares for their
development. Instructors can allow for rewrites/resubmissions to signal that an
assignment is designed to promote development of learning. These rewrites might
utilize low-stakes assessments, or even automated online testing that is anonymous,
and (if appropriate) allows for unlimited resubmissions.
•
Provide opportunities to close the gap between current and desired
performance - Related to the above, instructors can improve student motivation and
engagement by making visible any opportunities to close gaps between current and
desired performance. Examples include opportunities for resubmission, specific action
points for writing or task-based assignments, and sharing study or process strategies
that an instructor would use in order to succeed.
•
Collect information which can be used to help shape teaching - Instructors can feel
free to collect useful information from students in order to provide targeted feedback
and instruction. Students can identify where they are having difficulties, either on an
assignment
or
test,
or
in
written
submissions.
This
approach
also
promotes metacognition, as students are asked to think about their own learning.
Poorvu Center staff can also perform a classroom observation or conduct a small
group feedback session that can provide instructors with potential student struggles.
34
Summative Assessment. Because summative assessments are usually higherstakes than formative assessments, it is especially important to ensure that the assessment
aligns with the goals and expected outcomes of the instruction.
•
Use a Rubric or Table of Specifications - Instructors can use a rubric to lay
out expected performance criteria for a range of grades. Rubrics will describe
what an ideal assignment looks like, and “summarize” expected performance at
the beginning of term, providing students with a trajectory and sense of
completion.
•
Design Clear, Effective Questions - If designing essay questions, instructors
can ensure that questions meet criteria while allowing students freedom to
express their knowledge creatively and in ways that honor how they digested,
constructed, or mastered meaning. Instructors can read about ways to design
effective multiple choice questions.
•
Assess Comprehensiveness - Effective summative assessments provide an
opportunity for students to consider the totality of a course’s content, making
broad connections, demonstrating synthesized skills, and exploring deeper
concepts that drive or found a course’s ideas and content.
•
Make Parameters Clear - When approaching a final assessment, instructors
can ensure that parameters are well defined (length of assessment, depth of
response, time and date, grading standards); knowledge assessed relates clearly
to content covered in course; and students with disabilities are provided
required space and support.
35
Consider Blind Grading - Instructors may wish to know whose work they grade,
in order to provide feedback that speaks to a student’s term-long trajectory. If instructors
wish to provide truly unbiased summative assessment, they can also consider a variety
of blind grading techniques.
2.3.2 The models of quality assurance
Quality assurance: the inner values and the external effects. There are two
opposite models of quality assurance in higher education in the Middle Ages: the French
model “empowerment the control for external forces” (Cobban, 1988: 124), and the model
that characterized by the British autonomous community of scientists (Van Vught, 1991).
French model is considered as the prototype of quality control through self-responsible. In
this model, the right to make solving problems related to teaching what, and who teaches,
belongs to those who have power outside the organization. The faculty is responsible for
the content of teaching. British model is like quality review of colleagues. Lecturers are
entitled to make a decision related to the curriculum and other private matters of the
colleges.
Van Vught (1991) said that it needs to combine the two models because the focus
is only on one of the two models will lead to overestimation and risky to some specific
functionality and implementation of the university. According to him, higher education
always needs the quality in both internal and external. Quality from the inside is to seek
truth and pursue knowledge. Quality from the outside is intended to provide social services.
Any system of quality assurance in the university would have to rely on this combination.
However, as studies have shown, the external value now increasingly turn into a major
driving force towards higher education from quality control model and toward the opposite
36
in sequence between the two extremes to control the quality and the autonomy of colleges
in the Western societies.
Unlike the study of quality impacts from within which there is a long history of
development, the study of quality impacts from the outside only began in the 1960s
(Weinberg, 1963, quoted in van Vught, 1991). However, it is becoming increasingly
important as the world of higher education is changing its mission: the mission of research
and teaching, the social missions such as encouraging economic development now, is
becoming the focus of attention.
According to Goddard Leaks (1992), the increasing concern of parents, teachers,
and politicians about the quality of the education system in their country, and the priorities
for the future development has led educators to focus on quality assurance. In a modern
society, values and attitudes are transmitted to students from the adults those who are
responsible for parenting and through education, through public broadcasting, and through
the colleges. The future of a nation depends on improving the quality of each generation.
The quality of education depends not only on the quality and motivation of the teaching
force but also on the motivation of students. The values and attitudes of society have a
direct impact to both engines.
As stated above, in education, quality associated with many aspects such as input,
process and output of the education system. The main quality assurance is the review of
input, process and output (Barnett, 1987; Church, 1988). Lawrence and Dangerfield (2001)
defined "academics have a long history of quality measurement based on inputs rather than
outputs". According to Annesley, King, and Harte (1994), to ensure that the results of an
education system can achieve the same quality as standard, a system of quality assurance
37
in the new century must be interested in the following process: design and content of the
course, the transmission and evaluation, organizational assessment, monitoring and review,
and management in general.
What is needed for a framework to ensure the quality of the current education
system is the government and officials of the university should establish a legal system to
ensure the quality of the colleges. Key characteristic of this system is self-responsibility of
the university to the community for its quality of education and training. The government
is likely to support initiatives to strengthen the system of higher education by focusing on
results. At the University of the West, particularly in Australia, the annual survey such as
Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) (Ramsden, 1991; McInnis, Griffin, James, &
Coates , 2001) aimed at obtaining the second part of the students on their level of
satisfaction with the course, and Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) to monitor the results
of the work graduates, are designed to ensure that students are satisfied with the quality of
the course and that can compare with other universities openly when based on this
measurement.
Model BS 5750/ ISO 9000. The essence of the model BS 5750 / ISO 9000 is a set
of written rules and standard procedures in detail, rigorous at each stage of the production
process to ensure that all products or services must be consistent with designs,
specifications and technical parameters previously defined with the goal of creating an
output which fits for the purpose". BS 5750 / ISO 9000 give a strict discipline for those
who use, and require the investment of human and financial resources and time. People
have to understand the requirements and compliance processes seriously. The model
BS5750 / ISO 9000 is stranger to higher education. Because the field is derived from the
38
production of goods so the language used in this standard is not appropriate for applying
in education.
In the 1980s and 1990s, along with neo-art management and marketing of
movement, ISO began to be put into the field of business, and then introduced into the field
of higher education (Russo, 1995). The leading thought of ISO seems very simple: say
what you do, do what you say, write down what you did, check results and actions when
there is a difference (Russo, 1995; Woodhouse, 1999). It can be seen that if the quality of
a company is carried out smoothly, it will produce the qualified products.
Unlike the quality control, ISO is not the features inspection system but it is
required by the ISO certification. ISO is written for the manufacturing sector, and is made
for the business organization of certain products. Therefore, the criteria must be precise
and rigorous (Russo, 1995). In education, in order to get the appropriate criteria the
organization needs to have the appropriate changes, so the questions can be posed is: What
are the products of education? There are many arguments that the products of education
are the graduates, they are not entirely in the production line, and the students are like
empty vessels to be filled with the wisdom of the teaching and during the college sing –
the process of getting education and skills training. Another idea is that graduates play
three roles in the educational process: as customers, as the actors in the educational process
which is taking place and as part of the product.
The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) is an example of a
version of ISO in education (Russo, 1995). The MBNQA criteria are specified by the
generic terms rather than in business. The Baldrige National Quality is essentially based
on self-assessment and feedback from the participants, and rewards those who perform
39
outstandingly. However, The Education Pilot Criteria (EPC) is not the version of MBNQA,
it is similar structure awards which has the same value as MBNQA criteria (Woodhouse,
1999).
The educational criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige Education Criteria for
Performance Excellence have four purposes: 1) Helps to improve job performance, practice
and improve organizations ability; 2) Make it easier to communicate, share information
and best experience among the education units as well as among other types of
organization; 3) Encourage the development of partners’ relationship, including
Universities, business companies, manpower agencies, and other organizations, to that the
evaluation criteria are related; and 4) Serve as a working tool to help understand and
improve the work of the agency, guidance as well as training.
Total Quality Management (TQM). As the same as quality assurance system,
TQM focuses on five areas: mission and customer focuses, systematic operation approach;
the strong development of human resources; the long-term thinking; and outstanding
serving (Lewis & Smith, 1994; Sherr& Lozier, 1991). According to Sherr and Lozier
(1991), there are five key components affecting the quality improvement in high education:
honesty, view sharing, patient, devoted to work, and TQM theory. Among five above key
components, only the last one can be taught and learned.
Theoretically, TQM requires the participation of all sections and all employees of
an organization (Ellis, 1993; 1993a). However, whether TQM is considered as an effective
system to ensure quality in the business sector, only a small number of universities
announced that they think about the possibility of the application of TQM in his University
(Aly &Akpovi, 2001). This shows that the majority of Universities seem to doubt the
40
effectiveness of TQM in the professional field. For Universities who have thought of the
application TQM, then, they mostly apply in management area only because it looks like
business management in industry (Aly &Akpovi, 2001).
Total Quality Management - a model comes from commercial and industrial, but it
proved more suitable for higher education. Characteristic of TQM model is that it does not
impose a rigid system for any higher education organization, it creates a background of
"quality culture" covers the entire training process. According to the philosophy of total
quality management, people at any position, at any time shall be quality manager for their
assigned work and shall complete the work in the best way with the supreme target is to
satisfy the needs of customers.
Continuous improvement. The most important philosophy of total quality
management is constantly improving, and can be achieved by the masses and through the
masses. The continuous improvement is reflected in the strategic plan of the university by
the cycle of improving, enhancing gradually to the shellfish round from immediate to longterm benefit, from the starting level in a certain time and then continuously reaching to
higher and higher levels.
Total Quality Management is a process of self-management in order to reduce
errors in each production cycle/ production phase. The inspectors are replaced by the
workers and the workers themselves are personnel joining in the process of total quality
management which can make their work better. Although the total quality management so
far has been applied in industrial production process, but the same principle can also be
applied in the service sectors such as education. However, to be able to apply this model
in the service sector, Vietnam must have some adjustment in thinking.
41
But how can a graduate with qualified degree shall not make “mistake” be
identified?. There is no set of standards that can help measure accurately the effectiveness
of the "production" of a graduated student. Instead, universities often look at the skills that
graduates have been trained rather than the issue of whether students have the capacity to
use it or have the potential to succeed in the future or not. In other words, a "perfect" student
must be considered from the perspective of the accomplishments they have achieved
besides the basic capabilities they have been trained. For graduated students, the quality
concept does not mean "non-defect product" but is the success level of students in work
beside the basic qualifications.
The status of "non-defect" could be called “ceiling standard". It can only be applied
to those objects defined as "perfect" in terms of quantitative analysis, i.e. at the best
condition in a given situation. However, education experience shows that teaching and
learning issues cannot apply this method. The graduates with the highest qualityalways
exceeded the ceiling standards that Vietnam can set up before and Vietnam are trying to
train the best students. On the other hand, Vietnam also needs to ensure that all students
after finish the course must have a minimum capacity and have spent the training program
to perform certain tasks. Thus, Vietnam often uses a minimum set of capabilities, or the
"floor standards" for ourselves, for recruitment agencies and society to feel secure with
these students who after graduating, they have trained to be able to perform the tasks or
have been trained for a certain number of capacities.
For quality assurance in services such as education, Vietnam cannot identify a
“non- defect product” without much reduced ability to achieve the perfect level. Therefore,
the process of quality assurance is necessarily derived from a quality assurance system in
42
which the emphasis on the concept of continuous improvement of quality. The concept of
non-defect graduated student is considered in a very limited way - that is, in terms of the
minimum qualifications.
Step by step improvement. Total Quality Management is accomplished by a series
of small-scale projects with gradually increasing scales. Overall, total quality management
has a broad scale, covering all activities of the university, but the implementation of tasks
actually has a narrow scope, is feasible, practical with gradually increasing scale. The
intervention is not the best policy to make a major change in the total quality management.
The massive project is sometimes not the best way because of lack of funding, in case of
failure; it will lead to apathy and resentment. It will be easier for small projects to be
successful which create confidence and as a basis for the following bigger projects
(Harvey& Green, 1993).
Approach of quality improvement by increasing levels suggests that the
improvement is not necessary to be an expensive process. The cost itself does not create
quality, even if costs have clear objectives are feasible, they work great.
The organizational system must be customer oriented. The key of the successful
total quality management is to create an organic bond between supply and demand,
between the parts together in University and society. In university’s management and
organization system, the role managing staff is to support, to give favorable conditions for
teachers, students, but not just to manage and check them. In total quality management,
model of hierarchical organization system must be a reversed model (find illustration in
next page).
43
The reverse in order of the university management and organization system as per
the model of total quality management is not prejudice to the power structure of the
university, and do also not diminish the leadership role of Management Managers of the
University and Faculties. In fact, the leadership of the management staff keeps a crucial
role to Total Quality Management. The order of reverse level is only to emphasize the
hierarchical relationship in the training process: students’ orientation and students are main
characters (Harvey& Green, 1993).
Staff of
University
Staff of Faculty
Teaching and
serving staff
Students
Teaching and
serving staff
Staff of Faculty
Staff of
University
Figure 2-1 Total Quality Management in higher education
Organizational Elements Model. This model consists of five factors to evaluate
as follows (SEAMEO, 1999):
1. Input: students, University’s staff, facilities, training programs, regulation,
legal, finance.
44
2. The training process: method and training process, training management.
3. Results of training: the level of completion of the course, the capacity to achieve
and adaptability of students.
4. Output: graduates, research results and other services to meet the needs of
economy and society.
5. Effectiveness: results of higher education and its influence on society.
Based on five factors of evaluation, scholars gave five concepts of higher education
quality as follows:
✓ The quality of input: input level meets the criteria, objectives.
✓ The quality of the training process: the extent to meet the requirements of
teaching and learning processes and other training.
✓ The quality of output: the achievement of outputs (graduates, the results of
scientific research and other services) to compare with either set of criteria or
the set target.
✓ Product quality: achievement level graduated student obtained for required
work evaluated by themselves, parents, their working companies and society.
✓ Quality of value added: competence levels of graduates (knowledge, skills, and
attitudes) contribute to society and the special higher education system.
In the model of quality management of Higher Education (HE) above, if you see
“the quality of higher education is coincident with the objectives” the use of TQM model
shall be more appropriate. This model allows researchers set out the strategic goals of
higher education in each period basing on the level of socio-economic development of the
country and the policies of the Government for higher education. From the above,
45
depending on available resources, managers of higher education quality management can
actively affect the stitching, the critical areas which have a direct impact on the quality and
thereby gradually raising the quality of higher education as the proposed plan.
“Quality is consistent with the goal” is a most appropriate definition for higher
education in Vietnam in general and for each educational sector in particular. The aim of
this definition is broadly defined and determined by each university. Quality assurance is
a model of higher education quality management in accordance with the current conditions
of Vietnam. Quality assurance is the views, guidelines, policies, objectives, actions, tools,
processes and procedures, and by their presence and use can ensure that the objectives is
being done, the appropriate academic standards are maintained and constantly improved in
University and University training programs
Although it is difficult to give a definition of quality in higher education that
everyone recognizes, but the researchers try to find out the most common approaches. The
basis of this approach considers the quality as a relative, dynamic, multi-dimensional
concept, and with people in different positions may have different priorities when
considering it. For example, for faculty lecturers and students, the priority of the concept
of quality is the training process, the technical facilities to serve the teaching and learning
process. For the employer, the priority for the quality is the output such as: the capacity
and knowledge of students. Therefore, quality should be determined together with the
objectives or the meaning of them. From this aspect, a university may be of high quality in
this field but may be of low quality in other fields.
This is necessary to build a system having clear, connected standards with
quantifying indicators, having clear methods of quality assurance and quality control to be
46
used in higher education or in other sectors which must gradually approach to the standards
of the region and the world so that Vietnam’s higher education can be integrated with
higher education of the world.
2.3.3 The important elements in establishing a quality assurance system of
higher education
People can hypothesize that quality assurance and quality control depends on how
the system is arranged, depends on the adequacy of human resources and finance, and
depends on the assessment in and out of the organization. It also depends on the mission
of a higher education system, the purpose and professional objectives (Freeman, 1994;
Lim, 2001). Quality assurance shall review the input, process and output (Barnett, 1987;
Church, 1988). According to Annesley, King, and Harte (1994), to ensure that the results
of an education system will achieve the desired quality, a quality assurance system must
pay attention to following teaching process: the design and content of the course;
transferring and evaluation; assessment, monitoring and reviewing, and managing.
According to Freeman, (1994), there are three basic steps in establishing a quality
assurance system: setting the University's mission, designing methods, setting up
standards.
An important characteristic of quality assurance given by Frazer (1992): there are
four main components of a quality assurance system. First, everyone in the system should
be responsible for maintaining the quality of the products or services that the organization
produces. Second, everyone should be responsible for strengthening the quality of the
product or service. Third, everyone understands, uses, and feels he- himself is the owner
of the system and the system is running in the right way in order to maintain and strengthen
47
the quality. Forth, the beneficiaries (Managers or Clients) must regularly check the system
and are responsible for checking the quality of the product or service.
Lim (2001) suggested that there should be more detailed steps in the approach of
establishing a quality assurance system. The steps are:
1. To define the mission and goals of the university;
2. To define the functions of the university, and importance of the mission’s
implementation;
3. To define the objectives of each function and to set up the index of qualitative
and quantitative items;
4. To establish a quality assurance management system and the management
process to ensure that these goals can be achieved as well as to set up a quality
inspection system to evaluate the how universities perform their functions and
to find out sectors needs the improvement also.
The suggestions are related to: how to establish a quality assurance system
generally focusing on getting the internal and external assessments. This shows the
importance of internal and external evaluation of quality assurance. However, the studies
(Freeman, 1994; Peters, 1977) suggest that the unique decisive factor of the quality in a
university is from the inside of the university. It is determined by the quality of
management, the ability of leaders and managers. It is also very important when
responsible people, the decision makers of development purposes and objectives for the
university find out and develop the common characteristics of quality control applied for
all University’s activities. Once the regulations on quality control are applied in University,
48
colleagues and other people’s appraisal should be strengthened and help University to
focus on developing the strengths and overcoming the weaknesses.
2.3.4 Obstacles to QM Implementation
The major barriers or obstacles to the successful implementation of QM such as
TQM are presented in the following table.
Table 2-2 Obstacles to successful QM implementation
1
Obstacles to QM
Lack of management commitment
2
Poor Vision and Plan Statement
3
The Government Influence
4
Lack of highly qualified professionals
5
Lack of knowledge about the self-assessment mechanisms
6
Resistance of institutional assessment/change
7
Poor coordination between employees and departments
8
Lack of interest in training
9
Expectation of immediate results
10
Instability of leaders and departments
11
Rigid organizational structures
12
Lack of clarity about role and responsibilities
13
Lack of employees’ commitment
Source: Modified from Yarahmadi & Magd (2016)
Buddhism emphasizes the importance of counseling to the people. It is the role of
monks in the society as a spiritual instructor. ‘Counseling psychology’ integrated with
Buddhist counseling would enhance the power of counseling and can be of another way to
fulfill the social needs.
49
“It’s also a mistake to think that psychotherapy is only used to solve problems or
end a crisis. Even a person is doing already well, therapy can be a way to promote
personal growth” (Bloch, 2006).
Therefore, counseling is not only for people who have problems in life but it can
be also applied to common people in order to improve their life with well-informed choices
and problem-solving.
There are many definitions of the term ‘counseling’ by different experts of the field
including offering advice and encouragement, sharing wisdom and skills, setting goals and
resolving conflict, etc.
Colin Feltham (1995) describes, “It may be considered quite obvious that
counseling is a form of help for people who need it; that counseling usually involves
two people discussing the problems or concerns that one of them has and the other
is willing to listen” (Feltham, 1995).
Another definition of the term: Counseling denotes a professional relationship
between a trained counselor and a client. This relationship is usually person-to-person,
although it may sometimes involve more two people. It is designed to help clients to
understand and clarify their views of their life space, and to learn to reach their selfdetermined goals through meaningful, well-informed choices and through the resolution of
problems of an emotional or interpersonal nature (Burks & Stefflre, 1979). Counseling is
a process between a counselor and a client that focuses on enhancing the psychological
well-being of a client. It takes place when the counselee seeks for counseling and the
counselor, after a careful analysis, applies proper techniques in counseling process.
50
Consequently, some positive outcomes can be achieved by any counselor though not all as
Colin Feltham gives a list of fifteen benefits that a counselor can offer to (McLeod, 2009).
The technique of mindfulness meditation would be the most effective though there
might be other techniques. It is because mindfulness meditation or mental culture purely
deals with the mind. And it is the mind which is the root of all the mental illnesses though
causes can be influence by outside factors. So mental illness should be treated with mental
treatment rather than psycho-surgery, chemotherapy, or electroconvulsive therapy. More
importantly, counseling through mindfulness emphasizes on the self-healing by the
individual counselee himself/herself. It is true according to the words of Jung who said that
it is individual numinous that cure the patient. Ultimately, it is individual’s effort and spirit
who cures himself/herself through a kind of self-healing. The ancient practice of
mindfulness is coping with the modern world and importantly its blend to modern sciences.
The expansion of mindfulness meditation to other field of sciences would enrich the studies
and experiments of those sciences and also study of mindfulness meditation. Scientists and
researchers should be encouraged to continue their experimentations with the mindfulness
meditation so that it can be applied as a useful tool in human society.
When talking about the techniques of Buddhist psychotherapy or counseling,
people usually think of mindfulness techniques only (Carlson & Speca, 2010). There are
other techniques of counseling found in Buddhism like counseling through instruction
which can be brought into play to modern psychotherapy and counseling like mindfulness
meditation is being blended. The methods of counseling through instruction are
instructions; guidelines, advice, suggestions, etc. that are counseled to the clients (Burks &
Stefflre, 1979).
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2.4 Factors affecting education quality
The elements constituting the quality of training is a system of criteria to quantify
the degree of fulfillment of the training objectives of human resources determined by the
state, social community, locality and each training institution itself in each period (Doan
Van Dung, 2015). The development of a system of criteria for assessing the quality of
student outcomes after graduation, will be the basis for universities/schools to most
accurately assess the training quality of each school, on the basis of that will help higher
education institutions make timely adjustment policies, contributing to improving the
quality of higher education at each institution to meet the practical needs of society.
2.4.1 Learning Resources
Learning resources are the texts and other materials learners and teachers use in
class. Mugambi (2006) in enumerating the factors that could be responsible for varying
intra-and inter-school/academic achievement, listed the acute scarcity of instructional
resources which he said constrained educational systems from responding more fully to
new demands. He claimed that, in order to do their part in meeting the crisis in education,
educational systems will need real resources that money can buy, they will need a fuller
share of the nations’ manpower, not merely to carry on the present work of education, but
to raise its quality, efficiency and productivity. They will need buildings, equipment and
more learning materials.
Hanushek, Kain and Rivkin (2008) carried out a study on the roles of school,
teachers and academic performance. In this study, the effect of teaching and learning
materials was tested with the quantity and quality of these materials on learners. The study
concluded that the quality of teaching and learning materials affected the academic
52
performance of learners. Schools that had more teaching and learning materials per learner
posted better results compared to schools that had fewer materials per learner.
Guloba, Wokadala and Bategeka (2010) carried out a study in Uganda. Among the
major findings of this study was that supply of teaching resources is found to have adverse
effects on education quality and the government should prioritize effective teaching rather
than supply more teaching resources. Omaiyo (2013) carried out a study in Migori Kenya
on the effects of instructional resources on children’s performance, a study that used a
descriptive survey design. A total number of 225 children were selected from a possible
population of 750. Using the questionnaire and observation schedule, the study established
that there was minimal use of teaching and learning resources in these schools. The study
noted that use of teaching and learning resources affected the academic performance of the
pre-schoolers and as such recommended that more teaching and learning resources should
be applied in order to uplift the academic performance of learners in these schools.
However, the area under study, in this case, was a more semi-rural area considering the
current study is in a more peri-urban and highly sophisticated region with advanced
infrastructure. The current study sought to determine if the teaching and learning resources
in the newly established schools influenced academic performance in secondary schools.
A study carried out by Rotich (2004) showed that lack of physical facilities,
materials, equipment and tools were among the major problems that primary school head
teachers were faced with in Kenya. The study found out that in most schools classes had
over 50 pupils. This study showed that free education at the primary level brought about
problems related to over- enrolment, lack of physical facilities and inadequate teachers.
This study evaluated the physical facilities in primary schools whereas this current study
53
concentrated on the newly established secondary schools. This study will be influenced by
the Rotich (2004) in that it will seek to establish the status of the physical infrastructure in
the newly established secondary schools.
Waita (2012) carried out a longitudinal study on pupil-teacher ratio in Kenyan
secondary schools. In this study, the researcher used a sample size of 24 secondary schools
in the peri-urban setting of Machakos. Majority of the secondary school relied on untrained
teachers formed the bulky of the teaching force. The study noted that the student-teacher
ratio in the majority of secondary school was low high and called for the Teachers Service
Commission to employ more teachers.
2.4.2 Teacher Competency
Teachers are very important human resources required to achieve the objectives of
a school system. Teachers are usually responsible for teaching and learning process in the
schools. Orina (2005) posited that teachers are important inputs in the educational system
and incorporate highly-skilled labour resources that undergo specific training aimed at
achieving maximum results out of the classroom and out of classroom interaction with
learners.
According to UNESCO (2004), the role of the teacher, especially in the classroom,
and the impact of the teacher and teaching, have been identified in numerous studies as a
crucial variable for improving learning outcomes. The way teachers teach is of critical
concern in any reform designed to improve quality of education in general and in particular
teaching and learning. UNESCO emphasizes that teachers have the strongest influence on
learning and on a wide variety of other quality factors within schools. Leu and Price-Rom
(2005) contend that, teacher quality, teacher learning, and teacher improvement, are
54
becoming the foci of researchers, policy makers, program designers, implementers and
evaluators.
UNESCO (2004) adds that since quality education is attributed to teachers, there
are five crucial areas of interventions to teacher quality, concerning their role as
contributors to quality education. These interventions are (i) finding the right recruits; (ii)
initial teacher education; (iii) ongoing professional support; (iv) teacher earnings; and (v)
teacher deployment and conditions of service.
The quality of the teaching staff plays an important role in determining the quality
of student output, because this is the team that directly provides intellectual services (Doan
Thi Mai Huong, 2017; Nguyen Khac Binh, 2012). The quality of faculty is reflected in
their subject matter knowledge, ability to communicate, support students in the learning
process, and effective assessment methods. Alos et al (2015) pointed out the importance of
having qualified faculty in the teaching field, and stated that the success of any program is
down to the ability of the instructor. In order to ensure a good quality of student output, it
is necessary to ensure a sufficient number of highly qualified and dedicated faculty
members. According to Nguyen Khac Binh (2012), the quality of student output depends
on many factors such as: training programs and processes, educational management,
qualification structure and network system, etc. Therefore, the factor of lecturers in
universities plays an important role in improving the quality of training in higher education
institutions, as well as improving the quality of student output.
Competency of lecturers is not merely professional competence and teaching
capacity, but the capacity of the teaching staff also includes: communication capacity, test
and evaluation capacity, implementation capacity, organizational capacity and educational
55
capacity. With the teaching function, the teaching staff is responsible for equipping
students with scientific research methods, self-study methods and methodologies;
intellectual development, creative thinking and intellectual capacity; equipped with skills
and techniques on a certain scientific field and modern scientific knowledge; absorb new
things, social norms and professional ethical qualities. In addition, the teaching staff need
to have good character, good qualities, healthy and pure lifestyle ethics, the capacity of a
teacher, respect the personality of students, love students, students. member and love the
profession. Thus, the quality of lecturers is one of the factors that determine the training
results of universities (Church, 1998; Pham Thuy Huong Trieu, 2010). In order to ensure a
good quality of student output, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient number of highly
qualified and dedicated faculty members. Therefore, the school should have policies to
encourage lecturers in improving their teaching/pedagogical skills, research ability and
fostering professional capacity to ensure and improve the output quality (Nguyen Thu
Huong, 2014; Doan Van Dung, 2015; Nguyen Minh Tuan, 2015). Wenglinsky (1997)
showed that the teacher-student ratio affects student achievement. According to Hauptman
(2006), the quality of student output is influenced by the level of expenditure on teaching
staff and teaching facilities and equipment. Doan Thi Mai Huong (2017) also emphasized
that the important factor determining university quality at higher education institutions is
the capacity of the teaching staff. According to the author, the capacity of the teaching staff
is mainly expressed through the capacity of teaching and scientific research. In particular,
scientific research capacity plays a very important role for the teaching staff. The author
also points out the limitations of the teaching staff in recent years in scientific research
56
activities, the limitations in the quantity and quality of the scientific research works of the
lecturers in the universities. current educational institutions.
Dinh Thi Minh Tuyet (2010) pointed out that: The factor "Innovation in teaching
methods" is an important factor that contributes positively to improving the quality of
higher education in general and the quality of student output in particular. . Teaching
method is a combination of methods and jobs of teachers and learners in order to perform
well the teaching tasks, contributing to improving the quality of student output, in order to
create classes of skilled workers. Modern knowledge, creative work ability, solid
professional practice skills, high adaptability to labor market fluctuations, as well as
independent, critical and creative thinking. problem-solving power in response to the
increasing demands of employers. To achieve these achievements, schools need to innovate
teaching methods. Therefore, innovating teaching methods has an important role in
contributing to improving the quality of education and training, as well as the quality of
student output; The factor "Create opportunities for students to brainstorm", according to
Pham Tran Le (2010) is also one of the factors of training quality that graduates have not
met the requirements of employers. This is because the current way of higher education in
our country does not force learners to brainstorm, but students go to class mainly to listen
to teachers' lectures passively without having to brainstorm. Therefore, schools need to
organize many discussions between teachers and students or between learners. As well as
organizing presentations for learners to demonstrate their ability to synthesize and refine
knowledge content. That way, new learners have to brainstorm more, be more active in
learning, as well as be better prepared after graduation. This will contribute to improving
the quality of student outputs of universities.
57
2.4.3 Curriculum, Learning Program
Emphasizing on curriculum design, Iwasiw, Goldenberg and Andrusyszyn (2005),
claim that; physical facilities such as materials, space for classroom, office and laboratories
should match curriculum design and students learning needs. Therefore lack of these can
affect quality education provided to the students, teachers‟ experiences, and teaching and
learning process.
In educational institutions the curriculum has considered as academic program
given to students. Also, the curriculum dimension in various articles is known as subject
content, program issues, academic concerns and course content. Based on the findings of
LeBlanc and Nguyen (1997), the appropriateness of course content and educational
programs, the number of courses offered as well as the range to which the purposes of the
educational programs are described to the students have related to curriculum. The
curriculum also has been stated as one of the factors of perceived service quality by
students. In addition several articles have shown that there is an optimistic association
among overall student perceived quality and curriculum (Athiyaman 1997, Russell 2005,
Ling, Chai et al. 2010). In universities, courses are usually grouped under diverse
classifications such as college primary courses, university-wide prescriptions, essential
courses and electives in major. So, when universities provide numerous course offerings
for their students and provide more options and choices for them it can make students more
satisfied with curriculum (Tessema and Ready 2012). Also, Browne et al. (1998) declare
that course quality and other curriculum-related issues connected with a university can
effect on overall student satisfaction.
58
The training program consists of main parts such as objectives and output
standards; training content, methods and activities; organizational structure, functions and
tasks; and academic activities. The training program is one of the important factors
affecting the quality of student outcomes (Harvery and Green, 1993; Church, 1998; Doan
Van Dung, 2015; Pham Thuy Huong Trieu, 2010). Nguyen Thu Huong (2014) pointed out
the factors affecting the output quality of high-quality classes including: objectives of
training programs, development orientation of training programs, management
mechanism. finance and higher education development trends. The training program will
systematically define the knowledge, skills, competencies and personality that need to be
equipped for students upon graduation. The appropriateness or inappropriateness, the
modernity, updating or obsolescence of the training program will affect the student
outcomes. A good training program will add value to the efforts of lecturers and students,
create more motivation for teachers and learners, and create a basis for a suitable training
program quality. The training program is outdated, not suitable to reality, graduates will
not have the capacity to adapt to reality, university training results will not be able to meet
the requirements of the labor market, local and national socio-economic development
requirements and the global labor market in the context of globalization. A training
program that is in line with the expectations and expectations of the learners will be an
important condition for the training outputs of the students to be guaranteed.
From the above research results, the factor of Curriculum/training program
(abbreviated CTP) has six observed variables including:
CTP1: The objectives of the training program are specific and clear
59
CTP2: Flexibility, meeting the learners' diverse learning needs of the training
program
CTP3:The program content ensures the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills)
and qualities of monks and nuns
CTP4: Teaching, learning, and extra-curricular activities of the program help
learners practice essential skills for the work
CTP5:Teaching and learning activities promote the enhancement of learners' life
CTP6:The forms of examination and assessment in the program accurately,
objectively, and fairly reflect the learning results of learners.
2.4.4 Teaching Quality
Louden (2000) reports that if instructors know about aspects, and criteria, and are
enthusiastic about teaching activities that are directly connected to the professional
development of a lecturer, it can increase the teaching quality of lecturers. In universities
considering the quality of teaching staff is more important for the reason that, one of the
main factors which have the main role in the largest positive effect on student satisfaction
is teaching staff in universities. Consequently professor by knowing more about student
experiences can assist them to adapt their manners and approaches toward the needs of
students. So, it can affect students’ perceived service quality and their satisfaction levels
(Pozo-Munoz, Rebolloso-Pacheco et al. 2000, Voss, Gruber et al. 2010). In a study which
has been conducted by Devinder and Datta (2003) among 168 students shows that the most
important issue based on the perceived service quality for students is the outcome of the
lecture in class such as information and abilities gained, accessibility of class notes and
reading material, attention and effectiveness of the lecture and tutor‟s feedback on
60
evaluated work. Also Hill et al. (2003) find that the important factors for students related
to teaching quality is the quality of the instructor such as lecture delivery, comment to
students during the meeting and on projects, the time the lecturer spends to advise the
learners is enough and convenient, and the connection with students in the classroom.
From the above research results, the factor of quality of teaching staff (abbreviated
QTS) has eight observed variables including:
QTS1:Knowledgeable instructors to answer learners' questions
QTS2:Teachers are always enthusiastic in teaching activities.
QTS3:Instructors are ready to assist learners when needed
QTS4:Teachers are enthusiastic about solving students' problems
QTS5:Teachers have a positive attitude towards students
QTS6:The time the lecturer spends to advise the learners is enough and convenient
QTS7:Instructors have good communication skills
QTS8: Teachers with solid professional knowledge
2.4.5 Facilities for teaching and learning
Facilities are an indispensable component of any university, this is a factor that has
a direct impact on the quality of university education as well as the quality of student
output. improving the quality of higher education nationally and internationally (Kwan and
Ng, 1999; Hauptman, 2006; Chen et al., 2007; Gamage et al., 2008; Nguyen Van Tuan,
2008). School facilities, including the size and quality of the number of classrooms,
laboratories/practices, lecture halls, dormitory rooms and teaching equipment for the living
and learning process. of students. The facilities for university training are diverse and each
school, each training discipline has its own requirements. Facility factors are very diverse,
61
so schools need to pay attention to factors such as the school's premises and area per
student, the system of laboratories, libraries, and classrooms, to ensure the right things.
necessary conditions for the teaching of teachers and the learning of students to achieve
the most effective. The infrastructure factor also plays a very important role in the scientific
research of lecturers and students. Hauptman (2006) also emphasizes that: the quality of
student output is not only influenced by the level of expenditure on teaching staff, but also
by the level of expenditure on investment in teaching facilities and equipment. study during
the training period at the university. Heynerman (2001) pointed out that in order to enhance
the competitive advantage of universities, universities need to increase investment in new
teaching technology and new sources of electronic information. In addition, according to
Mohamed et al (2018), in addition to facilities, which have an important and positive
influence on students' learning and learning outcomes, other factors such as learning
techniques, aspects related to family, study habits have a positive relationship with student
performance and academic performance.
In addition, the adequacy and quality of learning materials for teaching and learning
also affects the quality of student outcomes in universities (Harvery and Green, 1993;
Church, 1998; Pham Thuy Huong Trieu, 2010). . This material includes textbooks,
outlines, lectures, electronic lectures and other learning materials, materials, tools, and
reference materials for learning and research such as: theses, books, scientific journals,
proceedings of scientific conferences, etc. Study materials provided from centers-libraries
at universities will help teachers and learners to have a rich source of learning materials for
teaching, learning and scientific research of lecturers and students. Therefore, libraryinformation centers have a very important role to play in meeting the unique information
62
and document needs of teachers and learners in the face of the current situation of
requesting innovation in training methods of institutions. Department of Higher Education
(Nguyen Huy Chuong, 2008). In addition to traditional learning materials such as books,
textbooks and documents in libraries, some schools also apply electronic learning materials
in teaching of teachers as well as students' learning. Electronic learning materials include:
e-books, teaching software, databases. This makes it easier for students to find materials
for their study and scientific research in large quantities (Tran Duong Quoc Hoa, 2016).
From the above research results, the factor of Facilities (abbreviated FA) has nine
observed variables including:
FA1:The system of classrooms and necessary equipment for teaching and learning
FA2:Classrooms ensure space, light, and sound requirements for learning
FA3:The campus and natural environment are properly planned, green - clean –
beautiful
FA4: The rooms for practice, experiment action, and forging with modern
equipment
FA5:Self-study area with all necessary and convenient conditions
FA6: Dormitory with full equipment, convenient
FA7:The library has a rich and diverse source of materials.
FA8: Information technology infrastructure (computer, internet, wifi, etc.)
FA9:The system of facilities and equipment that serve the needs of sports, culture,
and other extracurricular activities
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2.4.6 Support staff
Support staff are administrative staff who play an important role in determining the
quality of administrative services provided in universities/schools, it affects the quality of
student output. Administrative services include those provided by libraries, faculty offices,
dormitories, sports and wellness centres, etc. Malik et al. (2010) determined that
cooperation , the kindness and responsiveness of the support team play an important role
in determining the quality and satisfaction of students in higher education. Nadiri et al.
(2009) have shown that the quality of services provided by administrative units has a
positive impact on the quality and satisfaction of students. These services include those
provided by providers, libraries, faculty offices, residence halls, sports and student service
centres.
Furthermore, Elliott and Shin (2002) determined that the overall level of student
satisfaction is significantly influenced by excellence in teaching methods, teaching quality,
transparent and impartial treatment of faculty members. non-academic staff. Meanwhile,
no association was found between the quality of university support staff and student
satisfaction in the study of Weerasinghe and Fernando (2018). The findings of Pathmini et
al. (2014) also found that Sri Lankan students at newly established universities were not
very satisfied with the degree of empathy shown and the reliability of an employee on the
support team. In the university system, students rarely connect with administrators, and
they perceive administrators as part of a negative, unhelpful bureaucracy (Aigbavboa and
Thwala, 2013).
From the above research results, the factor of Support staff (abbreviated SLS) has
11 observed variables including:
64
SLS1: Understands the needs and cares about solving the problems of learners
SLS2: Solve learners' problems and difficulties
SLS3: Staff are always available to receive support requests from students
SLS4: Learners contact the units/departments in the school
SLS5: Staff commitments in dealing with students
SLS6: Arrange convenient working times for learners
SLS7: Staff's attitude towards learners
SLS8: Staff have expertise in their field to support learners
SLS9: Staff communicate with learners
SLS10: Learners' peace of mind when interacting with the school
SLS11: Provide support activities to learners on time
2.5 Conceptual Framework and Hypotheses
2.5.1 Some related research models
2.5.1.1 Abdullah's model for measuring service quality in higher education
Abdullah (2006b) developed the HEdPERF scale to measure the quality of higher
education services from the perspective of learners. Service quality has attracted quite a bit
of attention in the field of higher education, however, very few studies have focused on
identifying the determinants of service quality from the point of view of students as
customers. row. Therefore, a new scale that not only incorporates academic factors, but
also factors related to the overall service from the perspective of learners is developed.
Likewise, there is much controversy surrounding service quality measurement tools, and
recent studies have questioned the principles of the existing scales. Although these scales
65
have been tested and have had certain successes in the service sector, they have not been
replicated in the higher education sector.
This article describes the method of developing the HEdPERF scale (for higher
education), a new measurement tool for service quality that includes the determinants of
service quality in the education sector. university education. The scale with 41 variables
has been verified for heterogeneity, reliability and validity through testing and confirming
the results of exploratory factor analysis (CFA). This valid and reliable scale will be a tool
that universities can use to improve service performance in the context of increased
competition as the global education market evolves. The results of this study are important
because previous studies have developed scales suitable for determining service quality,
but may not be completely suitable for assessing quality in higher education. Furthermore,
previous studies have mainly focused on academic factors with little attention paid to nonacademic factors.
Studies have identified six factors as non-academic, academic, reputation, access,
program, and insight. Therefore, it can be assumed that students' perception of service
quality can be considered as a six-factor construct. Therefore, universities need to evaluate
all six of these factors to determine the level of service provided to students and to
determine which factors need to be improved. Evaluating service quality levels and
understanding how factors affect overall service quality will help schools design effective
service delivery processes. In addition, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of these
factors and their relationships can help schools better allocate resources and provide better
services to students.
66
Although service quality attributes affect students' perceptions to a certain extent,
studies have also shown that access rights, related to aspects such as accessibility, ease of
contact, availability, and consensus affect overall service quality. In other words, students
perceive access to be more important than other factors in determining the quality of service
they receive.
Higher education educators are being asked to explain the quality of the education
they provide. While greater accountability is being demanded of higher education, the
mechanisms for its achievement are hotly debated. Hattie (1990) and Soutar and McNeil
(1996) oppose the current system of centralized control, where the government establishes
performance indicators related to funding decisions. There are some problems in
developing performance indicators in higher education. For example, performance
indicators tend to be a measure of performance rather than a true measure of the quality of
services provided to students (Soutar and McNeil, 1996). These performance indicators
certainly do not measure the quality of education as a whole.
Academic
Non-academic
Reputation
Quality of higher
education services
Access
Curriculum
Understanding
Figure 2-2 Abdullah's model for measuring service quality in higher education (2006)
67
Likewise, studies show that there is much controversy about how service quality is
measured. Recent studies have questioned the principles that establish existing scales.
While these scales have been tested with some success in some service industries, this may
not be the case for others, especially higher education. Therefore, continuing to pursue the
development of a standard scale applicable to many types of services will not be fruitful.
Instead, a scale tailored to a specific industry is a more viable research strategy. HEdPERF,
the new quality of service scale, is empirically developed and tested.
The scale includes six groups of factors with 41 observed variables. These groups
of factors include: (1) academic; (2) non-academic; (3) reputation; (4) access; (5)
curriculum: (6) understanding.
2.5.1.2 SEAMEO's five-factor model
From the perspective of evaluating training quality, SEAMEO (1999) has proposed
a model of organizational factors, the quality of higher education based on five factors to
evaluate, including: (1) Input: students, staff in the school, facilities, training programs,
regulations; (2) Training process: training methods and procedures; (3) Training results:
the degree of completion of the course, the ability to achieve and the adaptability of the
students; (4) Output: graduate students, research results and other services that meet
economic and social needs; (5) Efficiency: the outcome of higher education and its effect
on society. From the perspective of the process approach, the quality of higher education
is seen as a result of the inputs, the training process and the outputs (Figure 2-3).
68
-
Input:
Student
Officers in the
school
Infrastructure
Education
program
Regulation
-
-
Training process:
Method
Training process
Output:
Graduted student
Research results
Other services
-
-
-
Training results:
Completion level
Student capacity
Adaptability
Effective:
Result of Higher
Education
The influence of
higher education
on the socioeconomic
Figure 2-3 SEAMEO's five-factor model (1999)
2.5.1.3 Research model of Le Ngoc Thang
Le Ngoc Thang (2017) tested Abullah's HEdPERF scale (2006b) in the context of
Vietnamese higher education services. On the basis of inheriting the scale of Abullah
(2006), the author proposed an adjusted HEdPERF scale consisting of five components:
quality of training programs, quality of teaching activities, quality of facilities, quality
service quality for administrative and academic transactions, and added utility quality
(Figure 2-4).
69
Curriculum Quality
Quality of teaching activities
Quality of facilities
Quality of higher
education services
Quality service for administrative
and academic transactions
Quality of utility
Figure 2-4 Model of factors affecting the quality of higher education (Le N. T., 2017)
2.5.1.4 Research model of Vrana et al.
Varana et al. (2015) built a model to study students' opinions on the quality of
educational services at universities in Greece. The study applied and proposed an adjusted
HEdPERF model consisting of five groups of factors: (1) academic aspects; (2) facilities;
(3) Training program; (4) Staff: (5) Support services (Figure 2-5).
Academic
Facilities
Training program
Quality of higher
education services
Staff
Support services
Figure 2-5 Model of factors affecting student outcomes (Vrana et Al., 2015)
70
2.5.1.5 Research model of Nguyen Minh Nha and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy
Nguyen Minh Nha and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (2018) developed and tested the
influence of a number of factors on the quality of accounting training services at Tien Giang
University. These factors include training programs, qualifications of faculty, facilities,
students, support staff, output quality, and social environment (Figure 2-6). Specifically,
the elements of the training program include: content, updating, structure, objectives of the
training program and extra-curricular activities; factors of lecturer qualifications,
including:
assessment
methods,
professional
qualifications,
teaching
methods,
supplementary skills, dedication of lecturers; Physical factors include: online utilities,
campus, library, textbooks, classrooms, convenient location; group of student factors
include: learning consciousness, interaction with classmates, coursemates, learning
motivation; the group of supporting staff includes: service capacity, enthusiasm of staff
and lecturers; group of output quality factors including: output standards, employment rate,
satisfaction of recruitment units, ability to improve qualifications; The group of socioenvironmental factors includes factors related to economic and social characteristics.
71
Curriculum/training programs
Qualifications of faculty
Facilities
Support staff
Quality of higher
education services
Students
Output quality
Social environment
Figure 2-6 Model of factors affecting the quality of higher education services (Nguyen &
Nguyen, 2018)
2.5.2 Conceptual framework
Through an overview of related models and studies, the author has proposed a
model of factors affecting the quality of student outcomes of Vietnamese pedagogical
universities (as shown in Figure 2-7). The research model is the successor and extension
of the scales in the HEdPERF scale model proposed by Abdullah (2005) and the models
that extend the HEdPERF scale model of Varana et al (2015), Le Ngoc Thang (2017) and
Nguyen Minh Nha and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (2018). The groups of factors that are
likely to affect the outcomes of students in universities of education include: (1)
Curriculum/Training program; (2) Quality of Teaching Staff; (3) Facilities; and (4) Support
learners services.
72
Curriculum/Training program
Quality of Teaching Staff
Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist
Schools
Facilities
Support learners services
Demographics
Figure 2-7 The Conceptual Framework
2.5.3 Hypotheses
The hypothesis for this study is developed based on the research objectives,
research questions, and conceptual framework. This research tests the following
hypothesis:
H1. Curriculum/Training program has a positive impact on Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
H2. Quality of Teaching Staff has a positive impact on Perceived Education Quality
of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
H3. Facilities has a positive impact on Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist
schools in Southern Vietnam.
H4. Support learners services has a positive impact on Perceived Education Quality
of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
2.6 Summary
Chapter 2 has systematized the basic issues of higher education, Buddhist
ecucation, and the quality of education, as well as clarified the influencing factors and
73
criteria for assessing the quality of student outcomes. On the basis of systematizing some
research models of Le Ngoc Thang (2017), Vrana et al. (2015), Nguyen Minh Nha and
Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (2018), and at the same time with the characteristics of
pedagogical universities In Vietnam, the thesis has built a proposed model of the factors
affecting the Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in southern of Vietnam,
including 04 groups of factors: (1) Training program; (2) Faculty & Methods of Instruction;
(3) Facilities; and (4) Support learners services. In addition, on the basis of an overview of
studies and proposed models, the thesis has proposed four research hypotheses about the
factors affecting the perceive quality of education of Buddist schools in southern of
Vietnam.
74
Chapter 3.
Research Method
Chapter 3 includes a description of the research design and details about the
population and the sample population, including discussion of data collection, data
analysis, and appropriateness of the data to the research design. The logic surrounding the
survey selection and the specific survey instruments are covered.
3.1 Research Methods and Design
According to Saunders et al. (2009), there are two major research methods,
including qualitative and quantitative. The difference between these methods refer to the
fact that quantitative research method relies on the numeric data collection and the
application of logical calculation to get the target results, while qualitative research method
takes into consideration of the uses of non-numeric data or on the other hand, it focuses on
the collection of opinions and thinking of target respondents toward social phenomenon
(Bryman and Bell, 2007; Canurran and Blackburn, 2001).
The purpose of this quantitative correlation study is to examine the factors affecting
Quality of Education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam in the Contemporary Age.
This study used a correlational design and a survey research methodology to collect data
for the investigation of education quality in Phat Quang social charity center. The design,
method, and methodology used for this study is supported by a positivist philosophical
paradigm. Quantitative surveys are designed to fit a questionnaire schedule. This is the
most commonly used technique in research (Veal, 2006). Statistical surveys are used to
collect quantitative information about items in a population. Descriptive research describes
75
data and characteristics about the population being studied and is often collected using
statistical surveys.
The research method fits the purpose of the investigation and was well suited for
answering the research questions of the study. Shaughnessy, Zechmeiser, and Zechmeiser
(2005, 2011) asserted that correlational research represents a general approach to research
that focuses on assessing the covariation among naturally occurring variables with a goal
of identifying possible predictive relationships. They argued that results from correlation
have implications for decision-making.
The study is conducted utilizing a quantitative correlation method. Explaining and
describing data using predefined validated instruments in the natural environment of the
organization, without any manipulation by the researcher are characteristics of quantitative
research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). An experimental study is a good follow-up to
correlation research. Descriptive quantitative research is more formulaic and refers to
hypotheses and variables thus reducing the possibility of researcher bias, as compared to
qualitative research (Leedy & Ormrod, 2010). Quantitative research is a popular research
method in the social sciences and involves testing one or more hypotheses. Some
researchers consider this type of research as the only real research (Willis, 2007).
Quantitative research is appropriate because it follows a non-linear path in a natural setting
(Neuman, 2011). Data presented in the form of numbers allow for precise measurement.
Quantitative research is traditionally based on a prespecified method whereas qualitative
research is recursive, and results can be unclear (Willis, 2007).
The quantitative correlation research method, which is used in this study, includes
the following steps:
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- Collecting the preliminary and secondary data, setting up the preliminary scales.
- Expert’s survey, adjusting the scales, collecting the primary information.
- Processing the data, testing the reliability, testing the hypotheses.
- Evaluating the research model and setting up the solutions.
The experts’ survey is to explore the proposed factors relating to the education
quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
After collecting the experts' opinions, the author of the study will adjust the scales,
and then launch a preliminary survey to assess the appropriateness of such scales. The
author of this study cannot fully understand the expert’s opinions, so it should have the
preliminary survey to assess whether respondents have correctly answered the defined
scales or not. After preliminary investigations are completed, the author of the study will
launch the official survey.
After the official survey is completed, the author of the study conduct data entry,
data cleaning, and data processing. The author of the study conduct the reliability of the
scales, rotate the factors and the regression analysis. This step is to find out the relationship
and the impact of each proposed factors on the education quality of the Buddhist schools
in Southern Vietnam.
3.2 Population and Sample
A population consists of all items of interest in a research. According to Evans
(2007), a sample was a subset of a population and it provides insight about populations.
The population of the study were all the monks and nuns who are studying at the Buddhist
schools in the southern Vietnam (not include Vietnam Buddhist Academies). The estimated
total population of the study was about 4,000 monk and nun students.
77
Given the large size of the population and the impossibility of including all its
elements in the study, sampling was necessary. Sampling is the selection process of a
representative subset of a population to determine behaviors and characteristics about the
entire population (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Researchers utilize samples to reach
conclusions about the population without examining the entire population. Despite the
misconception that the sample size must be a certain percentage of the population, the
calculation of sample size is independent of the population size and determined in the same
method regardless of the size of the population (Aaker, Kumar, & Day, 2007). The
sampling frame consists of the actual population of survey participants from which a
random sample is drawn to reach the sample quota specified in Table 1 (Cozby, 2009).
Cozby (2009) asserted probability sampling occurs when “each member of the
population has a specifiable probability of being chosen” for the sample (p. 138). The most
common types of probability sampling are: (a) simple random sampling, (b) stratified
random sampling, (c) systematic random sampling, (d) cluster sampling, and (e) double
sampling (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). In theory, probability sampling is considered better
and more accurate than nonprobability sampling.
In contrast, nonprobability sampling is arbitrary because the probability of selecting
a particular member of the population is unknown. Ensuring that a sample is an accurate
representation of the population is not a goal of nonprobability sampling techniques (Aron,
Coups, & Aron, 2011). Nonprobability sampling occurs when the elements included in the
sample are the result of the judgment of the researcher and when there is much less concern
that the sample is a full reflection of the population (Cooper & Schindler, 2011).
Nonprobability sampling methods are (a) convenience sampling, (b) snowball sampling,
78
(c) quota sampling, and (d) judgment sampling (Aaker et al., 2007). Despite the differences
between both sampling techniques, self-selection cannot be avoided because, in most cases,
participants were deciding for themselves to respond to the surveys, or to ultimately
withdraw from the study.
This study utilized quota-sampling techniques. Quota sampling is the
nonprobability equivalent of stratified sampling. Like stratified sampling, the researcher
first identifies the stratums and their proportions as they are represented in the population.
Then convenience or judgment sampling is used to select the required number of subjects
from each stratum. According to Cooper and Schindler (2006), the size of the strata
samples is calculated with two pieces of information: (1) how large the total sample should
be and (2) how the total sample should be allocated among strata. In deciding how to
allocate a total sample among various strata, there are proportionate and disproportionate
options. One of the formulas to calculate the sample size for research is Slovin’s formula.
The formula (sometimes written as Sloven’s formula) was formulated by Slovin in 1960:
𝑛=
𝑁
(1 + 𝑁𝑒 2 )
Where:
-
n: sample size
-
N: population size
-
e: specified margin of error
With the population of 4,000 and the specified margin error of 0.05, sample size
resulted from Slovin’s formula was 364. Therefore, in gathering data, the sample size was
at least 364 participants, and may have limited the research due to sample size (Trochim,
79
2001). In practice, 370 potential respondents were selected to send with invitation to
participate in the study as Table 3-1.
Table 3-1 Data Sampling (N =370)
Clusters
Buddhist schools in South-Eastern Vietnam
Buddhist schools in Mekong Delta region
Total
Potential respondents
185
185
370
Ratio
50%
50%
100%
3.3 Instruments
The questionnaire is adapted and modified for data collection in this study. The
scale is built based on the factors of the model proposed by the authors and organizations
related to the Buddhist ethics and personalty. The factors will be explained in detail by
observed variables.
Likert scale with 5 levels is used in building the scale and questionnaire. Likert
scale: 1 (poor), 2 (fair), 3 (good), 4 (very good), and 5 (excellent) (Likert, 1932).
Redeveloped as 1. Totally disagree, 2. Disagree, 3. Hesitate, 4. Agree and 5. Completely
agree.
The research instrument used in this study is developed through literature review,
conceptual framework and discussion by a focus group, which was designed to eliminate
the uncertain variables and determine variables of the conceptual model. This is to draw
some conclusions about a population of interest, so the group must consist of representative
members of the larger population (Stewart, Shamdasani, & Rook, 2007). Therefore, the
researcher tried to select participants who are Buddhist monk/nun students as well as
Buddhis lecturers/managers at Buddhist schools in southern of Vietnam. Convenience
sampling is an accepted technique to validate survey instruments (Neuman, 2011). The
chosen participants in a group consist of twenty Buddhist monk/nun students and twenty
80
Buddhist lecturers/managers in Buddhist schools in southern of Vietnam. They were
selected because they understand the education practice at Buddhist Schools well. After
the pilot survey, the research questionnaire was revised and completed for the main
research survey.
The questionnaire was designed with all 46 questions divided into two parts.
Part I: Main body of the questionnaire. There are 34 questions on four independent
variables and 7 questions on dependent variable.
Part II: Demographic Information. There are five questions presented for general
information of participants’ demographic information.
3.4 Data Collection, Processing, and Analysis
For direct survey, the researcher briefly informed each of the participant about the
research and handed them the appropriate consent form (Appendix A). After giving them
time to read and answering their questions, the researcher collects all the forms from those
who agreed to participate.
For online survey, all participants received an introductory electronic mail
containing a link to the online surveys. A follow-up electronic mail reminder is sent to
those who did not take the survey after seven days of the initial electronic mail invitation.
Demographic data on gender, age, seniority in Buddhism, and career is collected from each
participant. Data collection will last approximately 18 weeks from the date of sending the
first electronic mail message. The participants are informed that they could request a copy
of
the
research
summary.
The
online
survey
system
was
hosted
at
https://docs.google.com/forms. No one other than the researcher had access to the
administrative interface of the Website.
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After conducting the survey, the questionnaires collected were cleaned and encoded
into the database. The questionnaires with incomplete or erroneous answers were removed
to ensure that the data have enough reliability when put into analysis. The survey results
were extracted from the online database into a single Microsoft Excel file, together with
the inputted results from direct survey then transformed to an IBM Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSS) data file for subsequent analysis.
Researchers basing their studies on measurement must be concerned with the
reliability, dependability, and accuracy of measurement (Cronbach, 1951). If the tools used
in data collection and analysis are invalid or unreliable, the results would be inconclusive
(Salkind, 2011). In this study, there are four major data analysis techniques that will be
adopted, namely; descriptive statistics, reliability test analysis, exploratory factor analysis
(EFA), Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regressions, and ANOVA analysis.
First, descriptive statistics is conducted and it is considered as univariate statistics
whether each item in the questionnaire is revealed by its characteristics such as frequency
and means value. This analysis also provides basis for recognizing data patterns and trends
as well as the concentration on particular groups.
Second, reliability of the survey scale is put into validation with the application of
Cronbach’s alpha. Kaiser Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test is a measure of sampling
adequacy KMO values range between 0 to 1; values below .60 are at the threshold of
acceptability, values between .70 and .80 are good and values exceeding .80 are very good
and those greater than .90 are excellent (Field, 2005). Alpha is defined as a measure of
reliability that ranges from 0 to 1, with values of .60 to .70 which regarded the lower limit
of acceptability. Bartlett’s test of sphericity (BTS) is a statistical test for the overall
82
significance of all correlations within a correlation matrix. BTS should be less than .001
(Hair, 1995).
Cronbach’s alpha provides a measure of the reliability of a scale formed by a linear
combination of separate items, which in standardized form is a function of the average
correlation of the measures underlying the scale. It ranges from 0 to 1, with values of .60
to .70 which regarded the lower limit of acceptability; reflect that in exploratory research,
values of .60 are acceptable (Hair, 1995).
Finally, ANOVA analysis is conducted with objective of determining the difference
between participants in different demographic variables and their Perceived Education
Quality at VBAs.
The significance level, also known as the alpha (α) level, is used to decide whether
to reject or not reject the null hypothesis (Barber & Korbanka, 2003). A significance level
of p = .05 is used in this correlation study. The t-test is performed to determine the
variability of proposed factors and education quality at VBAs in Southern of Vietnam.
The mean and standard deviation are calculated to determine how tightly distributed
the sample was around the mean to confirm the differences in the participants’ perception
of social ethics based on Buddhist philosophy factors (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Multiple
regression tests are used to determine if the education quality at Buddhist schools in
southern Vietnam could be predicted based on proposed factors.
3.5 Summary
This chapter presented the descriptions of the research design and procedures used
for this study. The descriptions of the methodology covered population and sample,
variables, the instrument, data collection, and ethical considerations.
83
84
Chapter 4.
Findings
4.1 Demographic Profile of the Respondents
Of the total number of 370 potential participants in the survey, 368 responded to it.
After receiving the responded questionnaires, selecting the invalid ones was implemented.
Through the selection, seven questionnaires were invalid due to serveral blanks and the
scores based on one column of Likert measure. Therefore, 361 questionnaires were valid
for the research data. The results of the demographic research indicated that:
Regarding the demographic structure, there are 166 male respondents, accounting
for 45.983% and 195 female respondents, making up 54.017%. It also implies the balance
of gender in the surveyed samples (Table 4-1).
Table 4-1 Frequencies for Gen
Gen
Male
Female
Total
Frequency
166
195
361
Percent
45.983
54.017
100.000
Valid Percent
45.983
54.017
Cumulative Percent
45.983
100.000
Regarding the age, there are 21 respondents under 21 years old, accounting for
5.817% in the total number of surveyed samples; 263 respondents from 21 – 30 years
(72.853%); 68 respondents from 31 – 40 years old (18.837%); and nine respondents over
40 years old (2.493%). It is suitable with the reality that the proportion of number of
Buddhist learners at the ages from 21 to 40 years old is very high while only a few number
of Buddhist learners under 21 years old and above 40 years old. It may be attributed to the
fact that people under 20 years old need to take general education while people above 40
years old may have finished the intermediate Buddhism learning program. It indicates the
surveyed samples are also quite typical by age (Table 4-2).
85
Table 4-2 Frequencies for Age
Age
<21
21-30
31-40
>40
Total
Frequency
21
263
68
9
361
Percent
5.817
72.853
18.837
2.493
100.000
Valid Percent
5.817
72.853
18.837
2.493
Cumulative Percent
5.817
78.670
97.507
100.000
Regarding the participants’ program of learning, 63 participants following
Primary/Short term programs occupied 17.452%; 112 participants following Associate
programs occupied 31.025%; and 186 following undergraduate programs occupied
51.524% (Table 4-3).
Table 4-3 Frequencies for DEG
DEG
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
Primary/Short term
63 17.452
17.452
17.452
Associate
112 31.025
31.025
48.476
College
186 51.524
51.524
100.000
Total
361 100.000
Regarding the Seniority in Buddhism, 104 participants approaching Buddhism
under five years occupied 28.809%; 122 getting cultivation from 5 to 10 years occupied
33.795%; 86 being Buddhist learners between 11 and 15 years occupied 23.823%; and 49
being ordained over 15 years occupied 13.573% (Table 4-4).
Table 4-4 Frequencies for SEN
SEN
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent
< 5 years
104 28.809
28.809
28.809
5 - 10 years
122 33.795
33.795
62.604
10 - 15 years
86 23.823
23.823
86.427
> 15 years
49 13.573
13.573
100.000
Total
361 100.000
Regarding the race of respondents, 265 participants are Viet (Kinh) race occupied
73.407%; 44 respondents are Chinese, accounting for 12.188%; 49 respondents are Khmer,
86
accounting for 13.573% being; and three people of other ethnicities, accounting for 0.831%
(Table 4-5).
Table 4-5 Frequencies for Race
Race
Viet
Hoa
Khmer
Other
Total
Frequency
265
44
49
3
361
Percent
73.407
12.188
13.573
0.831
100.000
Valid Percent
73.407
12.188
13.573
0.831
Cumulative Percent
73.407
85.596
99.169
100.000
From the above descriptive statistics, it can be seen that the surveyed samples are
quite typical for Buddhism learners in the Buddhsit schools in the southern of Vietnam.
4.2 Relationship between the proposed factors and perceived quality of
education of Buddhist schools
In answering the research question of “What is the relationships between the
proposed factors and Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools?”, the writer used
a proposal research model to process the scale verification through the coefficient of
Cronbach’s Alpha and the analysis of EFA. The model consisted of four proposed factors
related to the perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools: (1) CTP:
Curriculum/Training Program; (2) QTS: Quality of Teaching Staff; (3) FA: Facilities; and
(4) SLS: Support Learners Services.
4.2.1 Scales Validity Measurement
The scale validity and realibility is estimated with the internal consistent method
through the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. Using Cronbach’s Alpha analysis before EFA
analysis is to eliminate unsuitable variables forming false factors (Nguyễn Đình Thọ &
Nguyễn Thị Mai Trang, 2011). The study to implement the measurement of the scales
87
depends on norms: (1) Eliminating the observed variables with the Corrected Item-Total
Correlation less than 0.3; and selecting the measure scale with the reliability of Alpha more
than 0.6.
Generally, the coefficients of Cronbach’s Alpha of the scales are quite high and
vacillate from 0.781 to 0.865. The Corrected Item-Total Correlation of the scales over 0.3
meets the correlative norm (Nguyễn Đình Thọ, 2014). The outcome of the analysis of
Cronbach’s Alpha of the five scales is presented in Table 4-6.
Table 4-6 Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficients of Scales
Item-Total Statistics
CTP
Scale Mean if
Scale Variance if
Corrected Item-Total
Cronbach's Alpha if
Item Deleted
Item Deleted
Correlation
Item Deleted
Scale: Curriculum/Training Program, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.786
CTP1
18.63
10.034
.543
.752
CTP2
18.87
9.339
.641
.727
CTP3
18.89
9.301
.640
.727
CTP4
19.11
10.157
.409
.788
CTP5
18.63
10.127
.506
.761
CTP6
18.61
10.295
.492
.764
QTS
Scale: Quality of Teaching Staff, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.865
QTS1
31.30
13.574
.593
.903
QTS2
31.89
12.024
.619
.908
QTS3
31.36
12.997
.773
.890
QTS4
31.37
12.790
.786
.888
QTS5
31.54
12.221
.742
.891
QTS6
31.55
12.454
.671
.898
QTS7
31.36
13.003
.780
.890
QTS8
31.37
12.840
.771
.889
FA
Scale: Facilities, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.711
FA1
32.20
16.005
.370
.690
FA2
32.19
16.061
.345
.693
FA3
32.35
15.641
.378
.688
FA4
32.25
15.552
.413
.682
FA5
32.28
15.498
.420
.681
FA6
33.27
14.762
.342
.697
88
FA7
32.90
15.384
.341
.694
FA8
33.31
13.831
.438
.676
FA9
33.38
13.708
.461
.670
SLS
Scale: Support Learners Services, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.825
SLS1
38.16
26.430
.520
.810
SLS2
38.39
26.006
.476
.813
SLS3
38.40
25.082
.566
.804
SLS4
38.17
25.690
.584
.804
SLS5
38.22
25.690
.586
.804
SLS6
38.38
25.438
.556
.806
SLS7
39.35
24.897
.477
.814
SLS8
39.47
24.899
.483
.814
SLS9
38.91
26.619
.408
.819
SLS10
38.55
27.319
.395
.819
SLS11
39.04
26.223
.440
.816
QE
Scale: Education Quality, Cronbach's Alpha = 0.781
QE1
22.73
9.750
.566
.742
QE2
23.06
10.588
.397
.774
QE3
22.78
9.994
.552
.746
QE4
22.49
9.323
.634
.727
QE5
23.21
9.835
.419
.775
QE6
22.72
9.870
.466
.762
QE7
22.50
10.228
.541
.749
Through the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) in the next steps, we will
concretely see if the scales above are confirmed or divided into new factors or eliminated.
This will estimate the scales more accurately. Simultaneously, this will eliminate the
measuring variables, which do not meet the requests to reach the identity of the scales.
4.2.2 Factor Analysis
After testing the reliability of the scale, the research model has five factors with 41
observed variables. In this study, the factor extraction method used is “Principal
Component Analysis” with “Varimax” rotation. The scale is accepted when 0.5 ≤ KMO ≤
1 (Hair et al., 1998); Sig coefficient. = 0.000 of Bartlett's test shows that the observed
89
variables are statistically significant; The total variance extracted has a value of ≥ 50%
(Gerbing and Anderson, 1988) and the factor loading factor ≥ 0.5, proving that the
reliability is appropriate for factor analysis.
After analyzing Cronbach's Alpha, four factors (independent variables) with 34
observed variables were included for factor analysis. From Table 4-07, the KMO test
coefficient calculated from the survey sample is 0.898 < 1.0. Thus, the survey sample size
is suitable enough to conduct factor analysis. The Bartlett test is significant for Sig. = 0.000
shows that the observed variables are correlated with each other in terms of the total
number of observations.
Table 4-7 The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of
Sphericity (2nd time) for independent variables
KMO and Bartlett's Test
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Approx. Chi-Square
,898
6417,388
df
465
Sig.
,000
To identify the main factors, the thesis used factor extraction method based on
Eigenvalue. The results of EFA analysis showed that, four factors explained 55.955% >
50% of the variation of the data set. Table 4-8 shows that all observed variables have Factor
Loading coefficient > 0.5, the independent variables in the research model have convergent
and discriminant values.
Table 4-8 Rotated Component Matrix for independent variables
Rotated Component Matrixa
Component
1
2
QTS1
,850
QTS4
,809
QTS3
,791
3
4
90
QTS8
,777
QTS2
,771
QTS5
,755
QTS7
,729
QTS6
,634
FA5
,834
FA9
,810
FA1
,726
FA7
,717
FA8
,679
FA2
,662
FA4
,658
FA3
,508
SLS3
,895
SLS4
,876
SLS5
,874
SLS2
,858
SLS6
,819
SLS11
,710
SLS8
,700
SLS10
,675
SLS9
,662
SLS7
,610
CTP2
,789
CTP3
,720
CTP6
,685
CTP4
,661
CTP5
,543
CTP1
,532
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.
a. Rotation converged in 5 iterations.
Thus, after EFA analysis, the model has four factors (independent variables) with
32 observed variables. Specifically, factor of Curriculum/Training Program (CTP) include
CTP2, CTP3, CTP6, CTP4, CTP5, CTP1; factors of Quality of Teaching Staff (QTS)
include QTS1, QTS4, QTS3, QTS8, QTS2, QTS5, QTS7, QTS6; infrastructure factors
91
(FA) include FA5, FA9, FA1, FA7, FA8, FA2, FA4, FA3; Factors of Support Learners
Services (SLS) include SLS3, SLS4, SLS5, SLS2, SLS6, SLS11, SLS8, SLS10, SLS9,
SLS7.
Concerning the factor analytic result for the dependent variable, according to the
proposed conceptual framework, the scale of the perceived education quality of Buddhist
Schools as the unidimensional concept consists of seven observed items coded from QE1
to QE7. After analyzing Cronbach's Alpha, one factor (dependent variable) with seven
observed variables was included for exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Results Table 4-9
obtained KMO coefficient of 0.798 < 1.0, proving the suitability of the EFA model; Bartlett
test is significant for Sig. = 0.000 shows that the observed variables are correlated with
each other in terms of the total number of observations.
Table 4-9 The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s Test of
Sphericity for dependent variable
KMO and Bartlett's Test
Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.
Bartlett's Test of Sphericity
Approx. Chi-Square
df
Sig.
.798
638.526
21
.000
The factor rotation matrix results in Table 4-10 show that all observed variables
have Factor Loading coefficients > 0.5. The results of EFA analysis showed that, 01 factor
explained 61.921% > 50% of the variation of the data set and the Initial Eigenvalues of
1.973. Therefore, the dependent variables in the research model have convergent and
discriminant values.
92
Table 4-10 Rotated Component Matrix for dependent variable
Component Matrixa
Component
1
QE4
Graduated monks and nuns have basic knowledge of Buddhist scriptures such as Pali,
Sanskrit, Tibetan, or ancient Chinese...
QE1
Graduated monks and nuns master the general and interdisciplinary knowledge of the
training program
QE3
.776
.734
Graduated monks and nuns master basic and in-depth knowledge of Buddhist majors
such as Pali, Sanskrit, Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist History, Vietnamese Buddhism,
.711
Chinese Literature, and Dharma Studies
QE7
The quality of the school's training keeps up with the world's Buddhist training trends
QE6
The quality of the school's training meets the expectations of the Vietnam Buddhist
Sangha
QE5
The quality of the school's training meets the expectations of learners
QE2
Graduated monks and nuns master basic Buddhist knowledge from history,
philosophy, tradition and Buddhist scriptures
.683
.610
.557
.553
Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.
a. 1 components extracted.
All the results of the EFA analysis above show us that the scales revealing the
factors influencing the education quality of VBAs in Southern of Vietnam attain the
convergent values. In other words, the observed variables represent the constructs which
need to measure. Therefore, after carrying out the EFA analysis, the conceptual framework
is kept intact. This framework is completely suitable for the research tendency on the
factors influencing perceived quality of education in Buddhist schools in Southern
Vietnam.
4.3 Extent of relationships between proposed factors and perceived
quality of education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam
In answering the research question of “What are the extent of relationships between
proposed factors and Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern
93
Vietnam?” the instrument of the correlative analysis and that of the analysis of the
multiregression analysis were used.
4.3.1 Correlation analysis
There is the correlative verification of the variables in the model: between the
dependent variables and the independent ones and between the independent ones and each
other. Using the Pearson correlation coefficient is to quantify the close levels of the linear
relationships between the two quantitative variables. If the absolute value of the Pearson
coefficient is much closer to 1, the linear correlation of the two variables is much closer
(Hoàng Trọng và Chu Nguyễn Mộng Ngọc, 2008). Table 4-11 summarizes the correlation
of the Pearson statistics on the explication of the variables.
Table 4-11 Correlation between dependent and independent variables
Correlations
CTP
CTP
Pearson Correlation
QTS
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
N
QTS
FA
SLS
QE
Pearson Correlation
361
.188**
FA
SLS
QE
.188**
.172**
.348**
.405**
.000
.001
.000
.000
361
361
361
361
1
.467**
.391**
.504**
.000
.000
.000
361
361
361
1
.436**
.510**
.000
.000
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
361
361
.172**
.467**
Sig. (2-tailed)
.001
.000
N
361
361
361
361
361
.348**
.391**
.436**
1
.520**
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
.000
.000
N
361
361
361
361
361
.405**
.504**
.510**
.520**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
.000
.000
.000
N
361
361
361
361
Pearson Correlation
Pearson Correlation
Pearson Correlation
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
.000
361
94
Table 4-11 shows that there is a linear correlation relationship between the
independent variables and the dependent variables because the P_value is less than 5%. In
addition, the Pearson coefficients between these variables are all positive, showing a
positive relationship. That is, as the value of the independent variables increases, the more
the value of the dependent variables increases. Moreover, the correlative matrix is used to
verify the discriminant validity between the independent variables and each other and
between the independent variables and the dependent ones. The result of the correlation
coefficients under 0.85 shows the discriminant validity can exist between the two variables
(John & Benet-Martinez, 2000). All the absolutely correlation coefficients between the two
variables vacillate from 0.172 to 0.520 and do not exceed the conditional coefficient of
0.85. This indicates the attainment of the discriminant validity. In other words, the scales
in the research have measured the different concepts of the research. The matrix also points
out that the mutual correlation of the independent variables.
4.3.2 Hypotheses testing with Linear MultiRegression Analysis
Defining the relationships of the variables and defining the relationships between
the independent variables (the influencing factors) and the dependent ones (Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam) in the conceptual framework
are implemented with the method of the linear multiregression analysis. The outcome is
used to predict the value of the dependent variable through that of the independent one(s).
The result of the multi-regression analysis with Enter method presents the R2 value of
0.819; the adjusted R2 value is 0.665; and shows that 66.5% of the variable Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam is explained by independent
factors (SLS, CTP, QTS, and FA) (Table 4-12).
95
Table 4-12 Model Summary of MultiRegression Analysis
Model Summaryb
Model
1
R
R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate Durbin-Watson
.819a
.670
.665
.22231
1.880
a. Predictors: (Constant), SLS, CTP, QTS, FA
b. Dependent Variable: QE
Table 4-13 indicates that in ANOVA analysis, the F value of 78.826 has a
considerable statistical signification (Sig. p<0.001). Thus, the Null hypothesis of the nonlinear relationship is rejected. This shows that multiregression model is suitable for
presenting relationships between the independent factors and Perceived Education Quality
of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam (QE).
Table 4-13 Covariance analysis results
ANOVAa
Model
Sum of
df
Mean
Squares
1
F
Sig.
Square
Regression
15.583
4
3.896
Residual
17.594
356
.049
Total
33.177
360
78.826
.000b
a. Dependent Variable: QE
b. Predictors: (Constant), SLS, CTP, QTS, FA
The phenomenon of Collinearity of predict variables is presented on the right of
Table 4-14. The VIF coefficient of the independent variables is mostly between 1.142 and
1.427; and the Tolerance value is from 0.701 to 0.876. That is, the independent level of the
variables is quite high. Values of VIF coefficients (<10) and Durbin-Watson (1 < 1.880 <
3) show that the model does not have multicollinearity and does not have first-order
autocorrelation between adjacent errors (Hoang Trong & Chu Nguyễn Mộng Ngọc, 2005).
96
Table 4-14 Regression Coeeficicents of the factors relating to QE
Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized
Standardized
Coefficients
Coefficients
B
Std.
t
Sig.
Collinearity
Statistics
Beta
Tolerance
VIF
Error
1
(Constant)
1.574
.137
11.506
.000
CTP
.215
.020
.204
5.666
.000
.876
1.142
QTS
.289
.030
.271
5.610
.000
.737
1.357
FA
.207
.039
.193
5.473
.000
.706
1.416
SLS
.189
.028
.131
5.001
.000
.701
1.427
a. Dependent Variable: QE
The coefficients indicate that the relative importance of the independent variables
(CTP, QTS, FL, and SLS) are put into the model to explicate QE because the significant
level of p<0.05 (Table 4-14). The B coefficients point out the strength of the relationship
between the independent variables and the dependent variable and are ranged in the
following order: (1) QTS – Quality of Teaching Staff, (2) CTP – Curriculum/Training
Program, (3) FA – Facilities, and (4) SLS – Support Learner Services.
Through the result of the test of the adjusted R2 parameters, F – test, t- test, and VIF
meet the requirement, the model choice factors affecting Perceived Education Quality of
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam with 04 factors are indicated as follows.
QE = 1.574 + 0.289QTS + 0.215CTP + 0.207FA + 0.189SLS
The regression coefficients contain the positive signs. This shows the positive
relationships between the independent variables and the dependent ones. That is, when the
values of the independent variables increase, those of the dependent ones go up, too. QTS
as a factor reveals the strongest relation for the Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist
schools in Southern Vietnam. The regression coefficient of the factor is the highest. The
97
outcome supports all hypotheses of H1, H2, H3, and H4. The total results of testing the
conceptual framework and the research hypotheses are presented in Table 4-15.
Table 4-15 Hypotheses testing results
Id
Hypotheses
H1 Curriculum/Training program has a positive impact on Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
H2 Quality of Teaching Staff has a positive impact on Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
H3 Facilities has a positive impact on Perceived Education Quality of
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
H4 Support learners services has a positive impact on Perceived
Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam.
Test
Results
Accepted
Accepted
Accepted
Accepted
4.4 Model presenting the relationships between proposed factors and
quality of education in Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam
This section aimed to answer the following research question: What model can be
presented for the relationships between proposed factors and quality of education in
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam?
The research outcomes, through the multiregression analysis and hypotheses test,
show the approval of the research hypotheses (Table 4-15). Therefore, the conceptual
framework of the relationships between the proposed factors and quality of education in
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam remains keeping the four factors of the proposed
framework. Concretely, they are Curriculum/Training program; Quality of Teaching Staff;
Facilities; and Support learners services. This is the final conceptual framework of the
research (Figure 4-1).
98
The linear regression model of the relationships between the proposed factors and
perceived quality of education of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam is determined
through the formula as follows:
QE = 1.574 + 0.289QTS + 0.215CTP + 0.207FA + 0.189SLS
Curriculum/Training program
0.215
Quality of Teaching Staff
Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist
Schools
0.289
Facilities
0.207
Support learners services
0.189
Demographics
Figure 4-1 Final Conceptual Framework of factors affecting the perceived education quality of
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam
4.5 Differences in Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in
Southern Vietnam in terms of other demographic factors
To answer the research question “Are there any differences in Perceived Education
Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam in terms of other demographic factors?”
the author used the descriptive statistical analysis with arithemethic mean and standard
deviation for the items the perceived education quality of Buddhist schools in Southern
Vietnam scale. In this scale, the respondents were asked to evaluate the Perceived
education quality through the five following levels from (1) Totally Disagree to (5)
Completely Agree. Since it is an interval scale, the formula (n-1/n) = 4/5= 0.8 should be
applied (Tague, 2005). Then, the mean value receiving from the survey result of the scale
is explained as follows:
99
✓ From 1 – 1.80: Very low
✓ From 1.81 – 2.60: Low
✓ From 2.61 – 3.40: Medium
✓ From 3.41 – 4.20: High
✓ From 4.21 – 5.0: Very High
Table 4-16 presents the descriptive statistical results of the rating of the statements
about the Perceived education quality of Buddhist schools in Southern of Vietnam. The
statement with the highest score is “Graduated monks and nuns have basic knowledge of
Buddhist scriptures such as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or ancient Chinese...” with the
arithmethic mean of 4.09 in the 5-levels Likert scale. The statement getting the lowest score
is “Graduated monks and nuns master basic Buddhist knowledge from history, philosophy,
tradition and Buddhist scriptures” with its mean value 3.37. In general, the synthetic mean
of the Perceived education quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam is high with
average score of 3.95.
Table 4-16 Descriptive Statistics on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools in Southern
Vietnam
Descriptive Statistics
N
Minimum
Maximum
Mean
Std.
Deviation
QE1
Graduated monks and nuns master the
1
5
3.86
.768
1
5
3.37
.742
2
5
3.52
.726
general and interdisciplinary knowledge of
the training program
QE2
Graduated monks and nuns master basic
Buddhist
knowledge
from
history,
philosophy, tradition and Buddhist scriptures
QE3
Graduated monks and nuns master basic
and in-depth knowledge of Buddhist majors
such as Pali, Sanskrit, Buddhist Philosophy,
100
Buddhist History, Vietnamese Buddhism,
Chinese Literature, and Dharma Studies
QE4
Graduated monks and nuns have basic
2
5
4.09
.799
1
5
3.80
.910
1
5
3.86
.844
2
5
4.08
.682
2.87
4.61
3.95
.304
knowledge of Buddhist scriptures such as
Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or ancient Chinese...
QE5
The quality of the school's training meets the
expectations of learners
QE6
The quality of the school's training meets the
expectations of the Vietnam
Buddhist
Sangha
QE7
The quality of the school's training keeps up
with the world's Buddhist training trends
QE
Perceived Education Quality
To get the detailed analysis, the author carried out the differences testing on the
Perceived education quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam among the
respondents’ demography (Age, Gender, Program studying, Race, and Number of years
after ordained). Regarding the qualitive variables with more than two choices (Age,
Program studying, Race and Number of years after ordained), the author used the analytic
of variance (ANOVA). And concerning the variables of Gender, due to the two ways to
choose, the author used the analysis of Independent Sample T– test. The statistical
differentiate reaches the confident level of 95% (or significant level of Sig. < 0.05).
Implementing the analysis of the Independent Sample T– test is to verify the Gender
to differentiate the Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. Through the table of
the Independent Samples Test, the Levene's Test for Equality of Variances indicates the
significant levels in turn as follows: the Sig. of 0.088, greater than the standard of 0.05.
Then the variance between male and female is not different, at the t-test for Equality of
Means, sig. value is .178, greater than 0.05. Therefore, there was no significant difference
101
of the Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools between monks and nuns students.
(Table 4-17)
Table 4-17 Independent Samples Test for Gender toward Perceived education quality of
Buddhist Schools
Independent Samples Test
Levene's
Test for
Equality of
Variances
F
Sig.
Q
E
Equal
variance
s
assume
d
Equal
variance
s
not
assume
d
2.93
1
.08
8
t-test for Equality of Means
t
df
1.34
8
359
1.34
2
342.03
9
Sig.
(2tailed
)
.178
Mean
Differenc
e
-.04317
Std.
Error
Differenc
e
.03202
.181
-.04317
.03218
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Lower
Upper
.0198
.1061
0
5
.1064
7
.0201
3
Implementing the one-way ANOVA analysis is to verify the differences in
Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. A requirement for the ANOVA test is
that the variances of each comparison group are equal. Field (2009) recommended using
the Levene’s test for homogeneity of variance to conclude if the variance is significantly
different from one group to another. The results in Table 4-18 shows that the signìicance
of Levene statistic = 0.837 (>0.05) so at 95% confidence hypothesis H0: “Equal variances”
was accepted, and reject hypothesis H1: “Different variances”. Then, the results of ANOVA
analysis can be used.
Table 4-18 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Age groups
Test of Homogeneity of Variances
QE
Levene Statistic
.284
df1
df2
3
Sig.
357
.837
102
The ANOVA analysis result in Table 4-19 shows that the F value was 2.460 with
the significant level of 0.062 (>0.05). Therefore, with observational data, it is not enough
to confirm that there is a difference in estimating the Perceived education quality of
Buddhist Schools among the respondents at different age groups.
Table 4-19 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per Age group
ANOVA
QE
Sum of Squares
Between Groups
df
Mean Square
.672
3
.224
Within Groups
32.505
357
.091
Total
33.177
360
F
Sig.
2.460
.062
Implementing the one-way ANOVA nanalysis is to verify the difference of program
that the participants follow for the Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. The
results in Table 4-20 shows that the significance values of the Levene statistics based on a
comparison of medians for all program variables was .821, much greater than .05. This
result means the requirement of homogeneity of variance has been met, and the ANOVA
test can be considered to be robust.
Table 4-20 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Program
Test of Homogeneity of Variances
QE
Levene Statistic
,306
df1
df2
3
Sig.
381
,821
Table 4-22 shows that, the F value is 1.273 with the Sig. value of 0.283, above .05.
Therefore, there is no significant differences among the participant’s program groups in
Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. In other words, students from all different
103
programs in Buddhist Schools do not have significant differences in their evaluation of
education quality of Buddhist schools.
Table 4-21 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per Program
ANOVA
QE
Sum of Squares
Between Groups
df
Mean Square
1,895
3
,632
Within Groups
188,977
381
,496
Total
190,872
384
F
Sig.
1,273
,283
Implementing the one-way ANOVA analysis is to test the difference of the groups
of participants by years after ordained for the Perceived education quality of Buddhist
Schools. The results in Table 4-23 shows that the significance values of the Levene
statistics based on a comparison of medians for all participant groups was .476, greater
than .05. This result means the requirement of homogeneity of variance has been met, and
the ANOVA test can be considered to be robust.
Table 4-22 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Seniority
Test of Homogeneity of Variances
QE
Levene Statistic
df1
,834
df2
3
Sig.
381
,476
Table 4-24 shows that, the F value is 1.714 with the Sig. value of 0.164, above .05.
Therefore, there is no significant differences among the participant’s seniority groups in
Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. In other words, students from all different
seniority groups do not have significant differences in their evaluation of education quality
of Buddhist schools.
104
Table 4-23 ANOVA analysis on Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools per Seniority
ANOVA
QE
Between Groups
Within Groups
Total
Sum of Squares
2,542
188,330
df
3
381
190,872
Mean Square
,847
,494
F
1,714
Sig.
,164
384
Implementing the one-way ANOVA analysis is to test the difference of the race for
the Perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools. The results in Table 4-24 shows that
the significance values of the Levene statistics based on a comparison of medians for all
age groups variables was .04, less than .05. This result means the hypothesis of
homogeneity of variance between groups of qualitative variable values was violated. That
is, the variance between groups of race is not equal. We cannot use the ANOVA table but
will enter the Welch test for the case of violation of the uniform variance assumption.
Table 4-24 Homogeneity of Variances test using Levene Statistic for Race
Test of Homogeneity of Variances
QE
Levene Statistic
df1
df2
Sig.
2.796
3
357
.040
Running ANOVA analysis with the Welch test, Table 4-25 shows that the Robust
Tests of Equality of Means has the Asymptotically F distributed of 2.278 with the Sig. of
0.138, greater than .05. Therefore, there is no significant differences in estimating the
Perceived of education quality of Buddhist Schools among the respondents at different race
groups.
Table 4-25 Analysis of Variance with Welch test for Age
Robust Tests of Equality of Means
QE
Statistica
df1
Welch
2.278
a. Asymptotically F distributed.
3
df2
10.689
Sig.
.138
105
4.6 Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to answer the research questions and present the
results of the study. The research questions were answered through descriptive statistics,
factor analysis, analysis of variance and regression analysis. The descriptive statistics
provided demographic information on the study participants. Regression analysis was
performed to determine the extent to which the extracted factors influence the perceived
education quality of Buddhist schools in Southern of Vietnam.
All the results of the EFA analysis showed that the scales revealing the factors
influencing the perceived education quality of Buddhist Schools in Southern of Vietnam
attain the convergent values. After carrying out the Cronbach alpha and EFA analysis, the
conceptual framework is kept intact. This framework is completely suitable for the research
tendency on the factors influencing the perceived education quality of Buddhist schools in
Southern of Vietnam.
Correlation analysis and regression analysis were employed to determine the extent
to which the extracted factors predict the students’ peerception of education quality of
Buddhist Schools in the southern of Vietnam. Four factors that significantly predicted the
dependent variable were determined.
106
Chapter 5.
Discussion, Recommendations, and
Conclusions
5.1 Discussion of the findings
From the above research results, it is shown that:
Firstly, Theoretical research model built by the author based on research models of
authors such as Abdullah (2006); SEAMEO (1999); Le Ngoc Thang (2017); Varana et al.
(2015); Nguyen Minh Nha and Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy (2018). From these research
models, based on the opinions of experts, the author has identified four core factors that
affect the Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam: Quality
of Teaching Staff, Facilities, Curriculum/Training program, and Support learners services.
From these factors, the author has built a scale including 5 core factors and 41 observed
variables (draft scale). After the results of testing the reliability (Cronbach alpha) and the
compatibility of the sample set (KMO), 9 variables were removed, and the scale remaining
5 factors with 32 observed variables were used in the formal study.
This research model is consistent with the collected data from actual research in
Buddhist schools in southern Vietnam.The results of EFA analysis showed that, four
factors explained 55.955% > 50% of the variation of the data set. The research result shows
that all observed variables have Factor Loading coefficient > 0.5, the independent variables
in the research model have convergent and discriminant values.
Secondly,the research results show the existence of factors affecting the perceived
quality of education in Buddhist schools in Vietnam, namely: Curriculum/Training
program; Quality of Teaching Staff; Facilities; and Support learners services.
107
All four factors above explained 66.5% of the variation in education quality. The
above four factors all have a positive influence on the perceived quality of education at
Buddhist schools. Of the four factors above, the strongest impact belongs to Quality of
Teaching Staff (regression weight is 0.289; p is 0.000<0.05). This result is entirely
consistent with the author's point of view on the position and role of the teaching staff in
the quality of education in schools as Orina (2005); UNESCO (2004); Leu and Price-Rom
(2005); Doan Huong, (2017); and Nguyen Binh (2012). The second strongest is
Curriculum/Training program with a regression weight of 0.215 (p value is 0,000<0,05).
This result shows the role of factor of Curriculum/Training program in the quality of
education and it is also consistent with the views of authors such as Iwasiw, Goldenberg &
Andrusyszyn (2005); LeBlanc & Nguyen (1997); Ling, Chai et al.(2010); Harvery &
Green, (1993); Church, (1998); Doan Van Dung, (2015); and Nguyen Thu Huong (2014).
The third is Facilities with a regression weight of 0.207 (p value is 0,000 <0,05). This result
indicates that the factor of Facilities has a certain influence on the perceived quality of
education in Buddhist schools in Vietnam and this result is also consistent with the views
of the authors such as: Kwan and Ng, (1999); Hauptman, (2006); Chen et al., (2007);
Gamage et al., (2008); Nguyen Van Tuan, (2008); and Mohamed et al (2018). The last is
Support learners services with a regression weight of 0,189. That said, the school's support
has implications for the perception of the quality of education in Buddhist schools. This
result is also consistent with the research results of authors such as Malik et al. (2010)
Nadiri et al. (2009); Weerasinghe and Fernando (2018); Aigbavboa and Thwala, (2013).
The regression coefficients contain the positive signs. This shows the positive
relationships between the independent variables and the dependent ones. That is, when the
108
values of the independent variables increase, those of the dependent ones go up, too.
Therefore, the research hypotheses from H1 to H4 are accepted, that is, there is a positive
impact of the factors (Curriculum/Training program; Quality of Teaching Staff; Facilities;
and Support learners services) on the Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in
Southern Vietnam.
So, in order to increase perceived quality, the management of Buddhist schools
should prioritize supporting policies according to the factors with the above priority.
Thirdly, the extent of the relationships between the proposed factors and the
Perceived Education Quality of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam. Research results
show that There is a correlative verification of the variables in the model: between the
dependent variables and the independent ones and between the independent ones and each
other.
There is a linear correlation relationship between the independent variables and the
dependent variables because the P_value is less than 5%. In addition, the Pearson
coefficients between these variables are all positive, showing a positive relationship. That
is, the value of the independent variables increases, the more the value of the dependent
variables increases. The result of the correlation coefficients under 0.85 shows that
discriminant validity can exist between the two variables (John & Benet-Martinez, 2000).
All the absolute correlation coefficients between the two variables vacillate from 0.172 to
0.520 and do not exceed the conditional coefficient of 0.85. This indicates the attainment
of the discriminant validity.
Regarding the correlation between the independent variables in order from strong
to weak, the research results show that the strongest is Quality of Teaching Staff -Facilities,
109
with a correlation coefficient of 0.467 (P value = 0.000, very significant); followed by
Support learners services - Facilities of 0.436; p=0,000); third is the Quality of Teaching
Staff - Support learners services which is 0.391 (p=0,000); fourth is the
Curriculum/Training program - Support learners services of 0.348 (p=0,000); fifth is
Curriculum/Training program - Quality of Teaching Staff is 0.188 (p=0,000); the final
Curriculum/Training program - Facilities is 0.172 (p=0,001).
Thus, when factor of Quality of Teaching Staff and Support learners services has a
great role in influencing other factors in the research model. Both these factors also have
the strongest impact on the dependent variable. Therefore, in school management, the
leadership should give priority to these two factors.
Fourthly, Out of the total of 361 research samples, female respondents account for
a higher proportion than men, corresponding to 54.01%. This shows that women, especially
nuns, are very enthusiastic participants in this study.The age of participants in this study
from 21 to 30 accounted for the highest percentage (72.85%), this is a young, dynamic
group of students with awareness and deep understanding of the research problem.
Perceptions of research participants about the Perceived education quality of
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam. The descriptive statistical results of the rating of
the statements show that, in general, the synthetic mean of the Perceived education quality
of Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam is high with an average score of 3.95/5 points.
ANOVA analysis and T-test were used to determine the demographic differences
of study participants in terms of gender, age, educational program, and a number of years
of experience). The test results show that there are no statistically significant differences
in terms of gender, age, curriculum, and years of experience in terms of awareness of
110
educational quality in Buddhist schools in the south of Vietnam.Thus, this study has
selected suitable participants to sample the study.
5.2 Recommendations
In order to improve the quality of education at Buddhist schools in southern
Vietnam, solutions to overcome barriers are needed.
Firstly, the biggest weakness of schools is that the teaching method is not flexible.
Many schools lack qualified teachers, especially in the Mekong Delta provinces, so schools
have to invite many teachers, leading to the failure to control the quality of teachers.
Therefore, in order to improve the quality of training, school administrators need to recruit
good teachers. With the characteristics of being a religious school and very high practice
requirements, it is necessary to recruit monks and nuns who not only have good knowledge
but also who have a lot of practical experience and successful cultivation.
School administrators also need to reform teaching methods, taking practice as the
foundation for imparting knowledge to learners. This is the first priority solution of the
schools and it is also consistent with the research results in the model when the quality of
teachers is the factor that has the strongest influence among the factors on the quality of
education at the Buddhist schools.
Secondly, it is necessary to change the training program because it creates great
pressure on learners. To do this, school administrators need to review the training program,
cut out unnecessary subjects, remove overlapping content between subjects and increase
the amount of practice time. Increasing the amount of practice time is highly necessary and
important for monks and nuns because the time for meditation, practical experience, and
exchange of practice experiences is very necessary for their learning process.This is also
111
completely consistent with the results of the research model when this factor ranks second
among the four factors affecting the quality of education at Buddhist schools in the
Vietnam southern.
Thirdly, Facilities and equipment for education such as classrooms, machinery and
equipment, learning materials, boarding houses for monks and nuns, living spaces,
kitchens, toilets, training areas meditation and seminars, etc., are lacking and do not meet
the needs of learners. In general, Buddhist schools find their own funding sources from
benefactors, charitable funds contributed by organizations and individuals. As a result,
schools lack financial resources and facilities to support schools.
To solve this problem, school management needs to increase calls for support from
benefactors and voluntary organizations. On the other hand, the school management needs
to build support funds from the contributions of the Buddhist association, and the Buddhist
families and from activities to generate resources at schools such as canteens, vegetarian
restaurants, and shops. , etc.
Fourthly, the Support learners services in the school. Due to the fact that most of
the monks and nuns are poor students, with special difficult circumstances, they need the
support of the school, especially for living expenses, studying, and other personal needs
such as means of transportation. study document. In addition to the very low support of the
family, they desperately need the support of the school. Therefore, in order for them to
study at school with peace of mind, the management of Buddhist schools needs to have the
policy to support students, especially giving priority to supporting students with extremely
difficult circumstances in order to help and sustain them. maintain this number of students.
112
In addition to financial support, students need advice on how to study and practice
meditation. Due to the high requirements for meditation practice and body and mind repair,
students need advice and guidance from teachers who have practical experience in
meditation and practice. To meet this demand, the management board needs to invite
experienced and successful professors, monks, and nuns to teach and guide students.
The quality of education, especially quality in Buddhist schools has great influence
on the development and prosperity as well as the safety of each country. The training
quality improvement of Buddhism education will make contribution to developing the
national culture, establishing the ethical lifestyle in the society and bringing in the safety
for everyone. Despite a lot of efforts, limitations and deficiencies are unavoidable. The
author hopes to receive contributed ideas from everyone.
-1-
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- 10 -
Appendixes
Appendix A. Questionnaire
Dear Participants – Thưa quý vị,
In order to contribute to improving the education quality of the Buddhist Schools
in Vietnam, we hope that the monks and nuns take some time to fill out the survey to find
out solutions to help the school be more excelent. At the same time, helping the writer of
the Doctoral thesis with the topic: “Factors Affecting Perceived Education Quality of
Buddhist schools in Southern Vietnam” to be completed and more accurate.
Để góp phần nâng cao chất lượng giáo dục của các Trường TCPH Việt Nam, kính
mong quý Tăng Ni sinh bớt chút thời gian điền phiếu khảo sát để tìm ra giải pháp giúp
trường ngày càng phát triển vượt bậc. Đồng thời, giúp cho người viết Luận án Tiến sĩ đề
tài: “Các nhân tố ảnh hưởng đến cảm nhận về chất lượng đào tạo của các Trường Phật
học ở Miền Nam Việt Nam” được hoàn thiện và chính xác hơn.
Your response will be completely anonymous and kept confidential. Only
aggregate figures and general trends will be organized by researcher. Your participation is
important for the successful of this research. Please answer all the questions as candidly
and completely as possible.
Phản hồi của quý vị sẽ hoàn toàn ẩn danh và được giữ bí mật. Chỉ các số liệu tổng
hợp và xu hướng chung sẽ được người nghiên cứu tổ chức. Sự tham gia của quý vị rất quan
trọng đối với thành công của nghiên cứu này. Vui lòng trả lời tất cả các câu hỏi một cách
thẳng thắn và đầy đủ nhất có thể.
- 11 -
PART 1: FACTORS AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION
CÁC NHÂN TỐ ẢNH HƯỞNG ĐẾN CHẤT LƯỢNG GIÁO DỤC
Choice of answer: Circle the most appropriate answer as follows - Lựa chọn câu
trả lời: Khoanh tròn vào câu trả lời thích hợp nhất như sau:
1. Totally Disagree - Hoàn toàn không đồng ý
2. Disagree - Không đồng ý
3. Hesitate - Do dự
4. Agree - Đồng ý
5. Completely Agree - Hoàn toàn đồng ý
Your opinions
Ý kiến của bạn
I. CURRICULUM/TRAINING PROGRAM – CHƯƠNG TRÌNH ĐÀO TẠO (CTP)
CTP1 The objectives of the training program are specific and 1 2 3 4 5
clear, helping learners understand the requirements to
achieve after completing the course - Mục tiêu chương
trình đào tạo cụ thể, rõ ràng, giúp người học hiểu rõ yêu
cầu cần đạt sau khi hoàn thành khóa học
CTP2 The program is designed to ensure flexibility, meeting 1 2 3 4 5
the diverse learning needs of learners - Chương trình
được thiết kế bảo đảm tính linh hoạt, đáp ứng nhu cầu
học tập đa dạng của người học
CTP3 The program content (structure and duration) ensures to 1 2 3 4 5
equip learners with the necessary competencies
(knowledge, skills) and qualities for the work of monks
and nuns - Nội dung chương trình (kết cấu và thời lượng)
bảo đảm trang bị đủ cho người học các năng lực (kiến
thức, kỹ năng) và phẩm chất cần thiết cho công việc của
tăng ni
CTP4 The teaching, learning and extra-curricular activities in 1 2 3 4 5
the Program are designed to help learners practice
essential skills for the work of monks and nuns - Các
hoạt động giảng dạy, học tập và ngoại khóa trong
Chương trình được thiết kế phù hợp giúp người học rèn
luyện các kỹ năng thiết yếu cho công việc của tăng ni
CTP5 Teaching and learning activities promote the 1 2 3 4 5
enhancement of learners' important life/religious skills Các hoạt động dạy và học thúc đẩy việc nâng cao các kỹ
năng quan trọng trong cuộc sống/tu hành của người học.
Code
Statements - Phát biểu
- 12 Your opinions
Ý kiến của bạn
CTP6 The forms of examination and assessment in the program 1 2 3 4 5
are used reasonably to accurately, objectively and fairly
reflect the learning results of learners - Các hình thức
kiểm tra, đánh giá trong chương trình được sử dụng hợp
lý để phản ánh chính xác, khách quan, công bằng kết quả
học tập của người học
II. QUALITY OF TEACHING STAFF – CHẤT LƯỢNG ĐỘI NGŨ GIẢNG VIÊN
(QTS)
QTS1 Knowledgeable instructors to answer learners' questions 1 2 3 4 5
about the training program - Giảng viên có hiểu biết để
giải đáp các thắc mắc của của người học về chương trình
đào tạo
QTS2 Teachers are always enthusiastic in teaching activities - 1 2 3 4 5
Giảng viên luôn nhiệt tình trong hoạt động giảng dạy
QTS3 Instructors are ready to assist learners when needed - 1 2 3 4 5
Giảng viên sẵn sàng hỗ trợ người học khi cần thiết
QTS4 Teachers are enthusiastic about solving students' 1 2 3 4 5
problems - Giảng viên nhiệt tình quan tâm đến việc giải
quyết các vấn đề của người học
QTS5 Teachers have a positive attitude towards students - 1 2 3 4 5
Giảng viên có thái độ tích cực đối với người học
QTS6 The time the lecturer spends to advise the learners is 1 2 3 4 5
enough and convenient - Thời gian giảng viên dành để
tư vấn cho người học là đủ và thuận tiện
QTS7 Instructors have good communication skills - Giảng viên
có kỹ năng truyền đạt tốt các kiến thức
QTS8 Instructors with solid professional knowledge - Giảng
viên có kiến thức chuyên môn vững vàng
III. FACILITIES - CƠ SỞ VẬT CHẤT (FA)
FA1
The system of classrooms has a sufficient number and 1 2 3 4 5
necessary equipment for teaching and learning - Hệ
thống phòng học có đủ số lượng và trang thiết bị cần
thiết cho việc dạy và học
FA2
Classrooms ensure space, light, and sound requirements 1 2 3 4 5
for learning - Các lớp học đảm bảo yêu cầu về không
gian, ánh sáng, âm thanh cho việc học tập
FA3
The campus and natural environment are properly 1 2 3 4 5
planned, ensuring green - clean – beautiful - Khuôn viên,
môi trường tự nhiên được quy hoạch hợp lý, bảo đảm
xanh - sạch - đẹp
FA4
The rooms for practice, experiment and forging have 1 2 3 4 5
sufficient numbers and modern equipment to meet the
learning and research needs of learners - Các phòng thực
hành, thí nghiệm, rèn nghề có đủ số lượng và trang thiết
Code
Statements - Phát biểu
- 13 -
Code
Statements - Phát biểu
Your opinions
Ý kiến của bạn
bị hiện đại, đáp ứng nhu cầu học tập và nghiên cứu của
người học
FA5
The school has a self-study area with all necessary and 1 2 3 4 5
convenient conditions for learners - Trường có khu tự
học có đủ các điều kiện cần thiết và thuận tiện cho người
học
FA6
Dormitory with full equipment, convenient for students 1 2 3 4 5
to live and study - Khu ký túc xá với trang thiết bị đầy
đủ, tiện lợi cho người học sinh hoạt và học tập
FA7
The library ensures a rich and diverse source of materials 1 2 3 4 5
to meet the reference needs of learners - Thư viện đảm
bảo nguồn tài liệu phong phú, đa dạng, đáp ứng nhu cầu
tham khảo của người học
FA8
Information technology infrastructure (computer, 1 2 3 4 5
internet, wifi, etc.) meets the needs of learners - Hạ tầng
công nghệ thông tin (máy tính, mạng internet, wifi…)
đáp ứng tốt nhu cầu của người học
FA9
The school has a system of facilities and equipment to 1 2 3 4 5
ensure sufficient numbers and well serve the needs of
sports, culture and other extracurricular activities of
learners - Trường có hệ thống cơ sở vật chất, trang thiết
bị đảm bảo đủ số lượng và phục vụ tốt nhu cầu thể thao,
văn hóa và các hoạt động ngoại khóa khác của người
học
IV. SUPPORT LEARNERS SERVICES - CÁC DỊCH VỤ HỖ TRỢ NGƯỜI HỌC
(SLS)
SLS1
The school always understands the needs and cares about 1 2 3 4 5
solving problems of learners - Trường luôn thấu hiểu
nhu cầu và quan tâm giải quyết khó khăn của người học
SLS2
The difficulties and questions of learners are promptly 1 2 3 4 5
and effectively resolved by the school - Những khó khăn,
thắc mắc của người học được Nhà trường giải quyết kịp
thời và hiệu quả
SLS3
School staff are always available to receive support 1 2 3 4 5
requests from students - Nhân viên nhà trường luôn sẵn
sàng để nhận các yêu cầu hỗ trợ từ người học
SLS4
Learners can easily contact the units/departments in the 1 2 3 4 5
school - Người học có thể dễ dàng liên hệ với các đơn
vị/bộ phận trong trường
SLS5
School staff always fulfill their commitments in dealing 1 2 3 4 5
with students - Nhân viên của nhà trường luôn thực hiện
đúng những cam kết trong giải quyết công việc với người
học
- 14 Your opinions
Ý kiến của bạn
SLS6
Units/departments in the school arrange convenient 1 2 3 4 5
working time for learners - Các đơn vị/bộ phận trong
trường sắp xếp thời gian làm việc thuận tiện đối với
người học
SLS7
School staff show a positive attitude at work to students 1 2 3 4 5
- Nhân viên của trường thể hiện thái độ tích cực trong
công việc với người học
SLS8
School staff have expertise in their field to support 1 2 3 4 5
learners - Nhân viên của trường nắm vững chuyên môn
trong lĩnh vực của họ để hỗ trợ tốt cho người học
SLS9
School staff communicate well with learners - Nhân viên 1 2 3 4 5
của trường giao tiếp tốt với người học
SLS10 Learners feel secure when interacting with the school's 1 2 3 4 5
functional units/divisions - Người học cảm thấy an tâm
khi tiếp xúc với các đơn vị/bộ phân chức năng của
trường
SLS11 The school provides support activities to learners on time 1 2 3 4 5
- Nhà trường cung cấp các hoạt động hỗ trợ tới người
học đúng hạn
VII. PERCEIVED QUALITY OF EDUCATION - CẢM NHẬN VỀ CHẤT LƯỢNG
ĐÀO TẠO (QE)
QE1
Graduated monks and nuns master the general and 1 2 3 4 5
interdisciplinary knowledge of the training program Tăng ni sinh tốt nghiệp nắm vững khối kiến thức đại
cương và liên ngành của chương trình đào tạo.
QE2
Graduated monks and nuns master basic Buddhist 1 2 3 4 5
knowledge from history, philosophy, tradition and
Buddhist scriptures - Tăng ni sinh tốt nghiệp nắm vững
khối kiến thức Phật học căn bản từ lịch sử, triết học,
truyền thống và kinh điển Phật giáo.
QE3
Graduated monks and nuns master basic and in-depth 1 2 3 4 5
knowledge of Buddhist majors such as Pali, Sanskrit,
Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist History, Vietnamese
Buddhism, Chinese Literature, and Dharma Studies Tăng ni sinh tốt nghiệp nắm vững kiến thức nền tảng và
chuyên sâu về các chuyên ngành Phật học như Pali,
Sanskrit, Triết học Phật giáo, Lịch sử Phật giáo, Phật
giáo Việt Nam, Trung văn và Hoằng pháp học…
QE4
Graduated monks and nuns have basic knowledge of 1 2 3 4 5
Buddhist scriptures such as Pali, Sanskrit, Tibetan, or
ancient Chinese... - Tăng ni sinh tốt nghiệp nắm căn bản
khối kiến thức thánh ngữ Phật giáo như Pali, Sanskrit,
Tây Tạng, hoặc Hán cổ…
Code
Statements - Phát biểu
- 15 -
Code
QE5
QE6
QE7
Your opinions
Ý kiến của bạn
The quality of the school's training meets the 1 2 3 4 5
expectations of learners - Chất lượng đào tạo của trường
đáp ứng được kỳ vọng của người học
The quality of the school's training meets the 1 2 3 4 5
expectations of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha - Chất
lượng đào tạo của trường đáp ứng được kỳ vọng của
Giáo hội Phật giáo Việt nam
The quality of the school's training keeps up with the 1 2 3 4 5
world's Buddhist training trends - Chất lượng đào tạo
của trường theo kịp xu hướng đào tạo của Phật giáo thế
giới
Statements - Phát biểu
PART 2: DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
THÔNG TIN NHÂN KHẨU HỌC
All the responses will be kept confidential. Your cooperation in providing the
demographic information will be greatly appreciated - Tất cả các câu trả lời sẽ được giữ
bí mật. Sự hợp tác của quý vị trong việc cung cấp thông tin nhân khẩu học sẽ được đánh
giá rất cao.
1. What is your gender - Giới tính của quý vị:
 Male - Nam
 Female - Nữ
2. What is your age? – Độ tuổi của quý vị?
 Under 21 years - Dưới 21 tuổi
 21 to 30 years - 21 đến 30 tuổi
 31 to 40 years - 31 đến 40 tuổi
 Age 41 or older - 41 tuổi trở lên
3. What is the level of your current degree program? – Quý vị đang theo học chương trình
nào?
 Primary/Short term - Sơ cấp/Ngắn hạn
 Associate - Trung cấp
 College - Cao đẳng
4. Number of years after ordained - Số năm xuất gia:
- 16  <5 year - dưới 5 năm
 5-10 years - 5-10 năm
 10-15 years - 10-15 năm
 >15 years - trên 15 năm
5. What is your race? Please check one.
 Viet (Kinh)
 Hoa (Chinese Vietnamese)
 Khmer
 Other
Thank you very much for your cooperation – Cám ơn sự hợp tác của quý vị.