Bui, Thi Ngoc; (2025) A Critical Examination of Curriculum Implementation in UK and Vietnamese Higher Education: A Multiple Case Study. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The phenomenon of internationalisation has had a significant impact on higher education practices in recent decades (de Wit, 2017; Knight, 2012; Mittelmeier and Yang, 2022). Many countries, including Vietnam, have embraced language curriculum reform as part of their efforts to promote global connectivity. Vietnam has specifically adopted English as the medium of instruction (EMI) in its universities and has drawn inspiration from foreign institutions to enhance the quality of higher education and improve graduate employability (Tran and Nguyen, 2018). To this end, the government of Vietnam (GoV) established the National Foreign Languages 2020 Project, also known as the National Language Teaching and Learning Reform, in 2008. This project aimed to foster students' communicative competence within a multilingual and multicultural context and involved the development of new language curricula at all levels of education. At the tertiary level, universities were granted more autonomy to design their own English curricula that best suited their students and circumstances. GoV encouraged key institutions to implement 'advanced programmes' of English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI). However, initiating and translating the language policy into institutional curriculum plans posed certain challenges, as any misconceptions or mistakes by administrators or teachers could lead to an 'implementation gap'. In light of these challenges, the primary objective of this multiple case study is to examine the implementation of the national language policy in two state institutions in Vietnam, with a specific focus on classroom practices at the tertiary level. Additionally, the study seeks to explore the perspectives and approaches of both teachers and non-English major students, not only within the Vietnamese setting but also within the United Kingdom context, in order to identify appropriate pedagogical approaches for promoting multilingual and intercultural communication in today's globalised society. By adopting a new curriculum framework (Scott, 2016) and drawing on the theoretical framework of 'Teaching English as an International Language' (TEIL) by Selvi et al. (2024) and Rose et al. (2020), this study critically examines the objectives and contents of the curriculum, assesses the extent of its development and implementation, evaluates the adequacy of resources, personnel, ELT methods, and materials, and seeks to understand the intricacies and complexities of curriculum implementation. This examination is informed by successful curriculum designs and ELT pedagogical practices from both contexts and concludes with specific recommendations for a research-based curriculum framework, an effective curriculum design with practical pedagogical implications, and coherent strategies for curriculum implementation in these similar contexts.

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