Collaborative learning in the Vietnam Escuela Nueva Model and students' learning behaviors: A mixed methods longitudinal study

Int J Educ Dev. 2024 Apr:106:103017. doi: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2024.103017. Epub 2024 Feb 23.

Abstract

We study how Vietnam's Escuela Nueva, a pedagogical reform that promotes participatory and collaborative learning in primary schools, affects students' learning behaviors in short and long run. Using a propensity score matching approach, we find that the model increases the likelihood of giving and receiving feedback from peers as well as asking questions in class. The peer-learning effects appear to persist in the long run as students enter lower secondary school. Qualitative interviews with lower secondary teachers and school principals also provide evidence of these long-term effects. However, teachers also highlighted important concerns of this model.

Keywords: Basic education; Escuela Nueva; Learning behaviors; Peer learning; Vietnam.