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Academic Contributions to the UNESCO 2019 Forum on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2020) | Viewed by 104887

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Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Centre for Interdisciplinary Social Research, Phenikaa University, Hanoi, Vietnam
Interests: emerging capital markets; data management; scientific data; applied statistics (frequentist and Bayesian); emerging market economics; financial database systems; sustainable financial management; entrepreneurial finance
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Guest Editor
Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi, Vietnam
Interests: Mathematics, probability, science and education policy, education sciences, STEM education, and global citizenship education

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Co-Guest Editor
Vietnam Academy for Ethnic Minorities, Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
Interests: Mathematics education, science editing, ethnic policy for sustainable development, education sciences

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The UNESCO 2019 Forum on Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship will be organized by the UNESCO, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) of Vietnam. This global and important event reflects the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through policy and academic discussions and debates, which aim at education for the betterment of development sustainability and the mobility and success of future global citizenship.

As a contribution to the aforementioned UNESCO event, the Vietnam Minister of Education and Training, Prof. Dr. Phung Xuan Nha, takes the initiative in setting up a venue for publication of important policy and academic papers with the journal Sustainability.

On his behalf, the guest editors would like to invite scholars in different disciplines as well as policy-makers and practitioners from different walks of life to submit manuscripts to this Special Issue. We welcome topical discussions in the forms of research articles, review articles, essays, perspectives, which address such research areas as:

  • Global mobility and future citizens
  • The implications of UN SDGs and international and national-level education policy
  • The education-global citizen-social sustainability nexus
  • Regulatory frameworks and political agenda for better education and sustainable development
  • Lagging regions in education and sciences
  • Socio-economic inequality and the future of UN SDGs
  • Pre-school and K12 education goals, curricula and policies in compliance with UN SDGs
  • Higher education and research concerning natural and social sustainability and UN SDGs
  • Long-term impacts of pre-school, grade-school and tertiary education on strategic SDGs and inclusive growth
  • Education and science funding, and basic research in the developed world and the Global South
  • Impacts of social networks and technologies on societal education and future citizens
  • STI/STEM knowledge base and the betterment of education for future global citizenship
  • Lifelong learning for sustainable development

We sincerely believe that your contributions will help to improve the future agenda on addressing issues that hamper developmental sustainability, and on improving global citizenship through educational attainments in compliance with the UN SDGs.

Dr. Quan-Hoang Vuong
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Le Anh Vinh
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Trung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Global citizenship
  • UN SDGs
  • education policy
  • science-technology-innovation (STI), STEM
  • education-global
  • lifelong learning
  • citizenship-developmental sustainability
  • pre-school/K12/higher education
  • social networks and technologies
  • evidence-based policy making

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 871 KiB  
Article
Toward Sustainable Learning during School Suspension: Socioeconomic, Occupational Aspirations, and Learning Behavior of Vietnamese Students during COVID-19
by Trung Tran, Anh-Duc Hoang, Yen-Chi Nguyen, Linh-Chi Nguyen, Ngoc-Thuy Ta, Quang-Hong Pham, Chung-Xuan Pham, Quynh-Anh Le, Viet-Hung Dinh and Tien-Trung Nguyen
Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4195; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104195 - 20 May 2020
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 17553
Abstract
The overspread of the novel coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—over the globe has caused significant damage to manufacturing and service businesses, regardless of whether they are commercial, public, or not-for-profit sectors. While both the short-term and long-term impacts of most companies can be approximately measured or estimated, [...] Read more.
The overspread of the novel coronavirus—SARS-CoV-2—over the globe has caused significant damage to manufacturing and service businesses, regardless of whether they are commercial, public, or not-for-profit sectors. While both the short-term and long-term impacts of most companies can be approximately measured or estimated, it is challenging to address the enduring effects of COVID-19 on teaching and learning activities. The target of this research is to investigate students’ manners of studying at home during the school suspension time as a result of COVID-19. Through analyzing original survey data from 420 K6–12 students in Hanoi, Vietnam, this work demonstrates the different learning habits of students with different socioeconomic statuses and occupational aspirations during the disease’s outbreak. In particular, we featured the differences in students’ learning behaviors between private schools and public schools, as well as between students who plan to follow STEM-related careers and those who intend to engage in social science-related careers. The empirical evidence of this study can be used for the consideration of the local government to increase the sustainability of coming policies and regulations to boost students’ self-efficacy, as it will affect 1.4 million students in Hanoi, as well as the larger population of nearly 10 million Vietnamese students. These results can also be the foundation for future investigations on how to elevate students’ learning habits toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)—Quality Education—especially in fanciful situations in which the regular school operation has been disrupted, counting with limited observation and support from teachers and parents. Full article
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18 pages, 903 KiB  
Article
A Human Rights-Based Approach in Implementing Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education) for Ethnic Minorities in Vietnam
by Doanh-Ngan-Mac Do, Linh-Khanh Hoang, Cuong-Minh Le and Trung Tran
Sustainability 2020, 12(10), 4179; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12104179 - 20 May 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7480
Abstract
Seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG) by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda have been nationalized and implemented in Vietnam. One of the country’s priorities is making educational provision accessible to all of its residents, especially for marginalized groups, while enforcing their human [...] Read more.
Seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG) by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda have been nationalized and implemented in Vietnam. One of the country’s priorities is making educational provision accessible to all of its residents, especially for marginalized groups, while enforcing their human rights. In this context, this article examines the implementation of SDG4 (quality education) in combination with the practice of human rights for ethnic minorities in Vietnam. With access to jurisprudence, this research provides a detailed assessment of the compatibility between SDG targets and the legal rights to education of ethnic minorities. Additionally, this research employs an exploratory method to investigate the four major conditions for the implementation of quality education for ethnic minorities, namely legal–political, economic, socio-cultural factors, and participation pride. We also investigate three main barriers that hinder SDG4 implementation and human rights practices, namely child labor, language, and gender inequality. The contribution of this study is necessary for establishing more informed strategies and policies towards sustainable development in education for multi-ethnic countries. Full article
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24 pages, 3862 KiB  
Article
How Digital Natives Learn and Thrive in the Digital Age: Evidence from an Emerging Economy
by Trung Tran, Manh-Toan Ho, Thanh-Hang Pham, Minh-Hoang Nguyen, Khanh-Linh P. Nguyen, Thu-Trang Vuong, Thanh-Huyen T. Nguyen, Thanh-Dung Nguyen, Thi-Linh Nguyen, Quy Khuc, Viet-Phuong La and Quan-Hoang Vuong
Sustainability 2020, 12(9), 3819; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093819 - 7 May 2020
Cited by 54 | Viewed by 16755
Abstract
As a generation of ‘digital natives,’ secondary students who were born from 2002 to 2010 have various approaches to acquiring digital knowledge. Digital literacy and resilience are crucial for them to navigate the digital world as much as the real world; however, these [...] Read more.
As a generation of ‘digital natives,’ secondary students who were born from 2002 to 2010 have various approaches to acquiring digital knowledge. Digital literacy and resilience are crucial for them to navigate the digital world as much as the real world; however, these remain under-researched subjects, especially in developing countries. In Vietnam, the education system has put considerable effort into teaching students these skills to promote quality education as part of the United Nations-defined Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4). This issue has proven especially salient amid the COVID−19 pandemic lockdowns, which had obliged most schools to switch to online forms of teaching. This study, which utilizes a dataset of 1061 Vietnamese students taken from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)’s “Digital Kids Asia Pacific (DKAP)” project, employs Bayesian statistics to explore the relationship between the students’ background and their digital abilities. Results show that economic status and parents’ level of education are positively correlated with digital literacy. Students from urban schools have only a slightly higher level of digital literacy than their rural counterparts, suggesting that school location may not be a defining explanatory element in the variation of digital literacy and resilience among Vietnamese students. Students’ digital literacy and, especially resilience, also have associations with their gender. Moreover, as students are digitally literate, they are more likely to be digitally resilient. Following SDG4, i.e., Quality Education, it is advisable for schools, and especially parents, to seriously invest in creating a safe, educational environment to enhance digital literacy among students. Full article
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16 pages, 589 KiB  
Article
Research as a Base for Sustainable Development of Universities: Using the Delphi Method to Explore Factors Affecting International Publishing among Vietnamese Academic Staff
by Trung Tran, Thao-Phuong-Thi Trinh, Cuong-Minh Le, Linh-Khanh Hoang and Hiep-Hung Pham
Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3449; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083449 - 23 Apr 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7470
Abstract
In recent years, the Vietnamese government has put significant effort into the internationalization of research in the higher education system via the use of international publications (i.e., publications indexed by citation databases such as ISI Web of Science and Scopus) in evaluating their [...] Read more.
In recent years, the Vietnamese government has put significant effort into the internationalization of research in the higher education system via the use of international publications (i.e., publications indexed by citation databases such as ISI Web of Science and Scopus) in evaluating their academic staff and doctoral students. Academic staff in Vietnam, who traditionally have low numbers of international publications, have thus been pushed to improve their competencies in order to meet the new requirements for research productivity. However, we have little understanding of the factors influencing international publication as perceived by Vietnamese academic staff. This study aims to fill the gap by using the Delphi method. Academic staff with at least one international publication were invited, via purposeful sampling, to participate in a two-round Delphi survey. The survey revealed 14 key factors, which were further classified into three dimensions: “policy-related factors,” “capability-related factors,” and “networking-related factors”. These factors were the key determinants in the success of international publishing, according to the study participants. The findings provide implications for policymakers and university leaders for enhancing the research capacities of Vietnamese universities, forming a basis for the sustainable development of the higher education sector in Vietnam. Full article
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16 pages, 1668 KiB  
Article
Sociocultural Adaptation Profiles of Ethnic Minority Senior High School Students in Mainland China: A Latent Class Analysis
by Aoxue Su, Wei He and Taichao Huang
Sustainability 2019, 11(24), 6942; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11246942 - 5 Dec 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3962 | Correction
Abstract
This study aimed to quantitatively determine the sociocultural adaptation profiles of ethnic minority senior high school students in mainland China. A large-scale questionnaire survey of 1873 Grade 12 students from 31 interior ethnic boarding schools throughout China was conducted. Through exploratory and confirmatory [...] Read more.
This study aimed to quantitatively determine the sociocultural adaptation profiles of ethnic minority senior high school students in mainland China. A large-scale questionnaire survey of 1873 Grade 12 students from 31 interior ethnic boarding schools throughout China was conducted. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the underlying structure of the sociocultural adaptation questionnaire was uncovered as consisting of three domains and six factors: General adaptation (daily life and school management), academic adaption (learning strategies and learning self-efficacy), and interaction adaptation (interethnic contact and cultural identity). By performing latent class analysis, four distinct sociocultural adaptation profiles of students were distinguished: The well-adapted group (28.0%), the general adaptation group (31.0%), the interaction adaptation group (24.4%), and the maladaptation group (16.6%). The results of chi-squared and variance analyses showed that the sociocultural adaptation profiles of ethnic minority senior high school students were significantly related to sociodemographic variables, such as ethnicity, class organization, hometown location, and family socioeconomic status. These profiles can be used to evaluate changes in ethnic minority students’ sociocultural adaptation and will contribute to the perfection of the ethnic minority boarding school system and the ultimate realization of inclusive and equitable quality education in China. Full article
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13 pages, 431 KiB  
Article
Exploring Key Competencies of Mid-Level Academic Managers in Higher Education in Vietnam
by Thuan Van Pham, Thanh Thi Nghiem, Loc My Thi Nguyen, Thanh Xuan Mai and Trung Tran
Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6818; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236818 - 1 Dec 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4640
Abstract
Vietnamese higher education has been subjected to constant pressures and major changes in the last few decades so as to meet the country’s needs for socio-economic development and to better prepare graduates for employment and personal growth. There has been greater recognition for [...] Read more.
Vietnamese higher education has been subjected to constant pressures and major changes in the last few decades so as to meet the country’s needs for socio-economic development and to better prepare graduates for employment and personal growth. There has been greater recognition for the role of mid-level academic managers as key contributors to effective institutional performance and success. However, an understanding of what constitutes a competent mid-level academic manager, who are heads of faculties, departments, academic offices and specialized centers, for the context of Vietnam is limited. This study employs an exploratory and mixed-method approach to identify the core competencies required for mid-level academic managers at Vietnamese higher education institutions. Findings from focus group discussions and a survey conclude five professional domains for effective mid-level academic management and sustainable development yet, in the meantime, reveal the gap between institutional expectations and the actual competencies of academic heads as perceived by academic heads themselves, their supervisors and their team members. Full article
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29 pages, 2289 KiB  
Article
Reading Habits, Socioeconomic Conditions, Occupational Aspiration and Academic Achievement in Vietnamese Junior High School Students
by Thi-Thu-Hien Le, Trung Tran, Thi-Phuong-Thao Trinh, Chi-Thanh Nguyen, Thuy-Phuong-Tram Nguyen, Thu-Trang Vuong, Thi-Hanh Vu, Dieu-Quynh Bui, Ha-My Vuong, Phuong-Hanh Hoang, Minh-Hoang Nguyen, Manh-Toan Ho and Quan-Hoang Vuong
Sustainability 2019, 11(18), 5113; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11185113 - 18 Sep 2019
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 19277
Abstract
Reading practices play an important role in the learning process of students. Especially in a fast-changing world where knowledge about nature and society is in a constant state of flux, book reading helps students foster skills such as thinking, valuing, adaptability and creativity [...] Read more.
Reading practices play an important role in the learning process of students. Especially in a fast-changing world where knowledge about nature and society is in a constant state of flux, book reading helps students foster skills such as thinking, valuing, adaptability and creativity for sustainable development. This research study used a dataset of 1676 observations of junior high school students from Northern Vietnam to explore students’ academic achievement and its association with their reading passion, family socio economic condition, parental education and occupational aspiration. The empirical results show that higher grades in STEM-related subjects are predicted by reading interest (βReadbook = 0.425, p < 0.0001), with students who love reading books achieve higher score than those who take no interest in books. Remarkably, the education level of the mother strongly enhances academic performance, with β = 0.721 (p < 0.0001) in cases of mother having a university diploma or higher. Students coming from wealthy families are more likely to buy books whereas borrowing from the library is the main source of books for students who grow up in not-rich families. However, even among wealthy families, investment into buying books still rely more on personal interest, despite the aforementioned educational benefits of book reading, as evidenced by an over 7 percentage point disparity between the likelihood of purchasing books among wealthy-family students who took an interest in reading (45%) versus students of the same background who did not like to read (38.7%). The results present implications for education policy making with a vision towards United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. Full article
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26 pages, 1185 KiB  
Article
The Relationship between Birth Order, Sex, Home Scholarly Culture and Youths’ Reading Practices in Promoting Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Development in Vietnam
by Trung Tran, Thi-Thu-Hien Le, Thu-Trang Nguyen, Anh-Giang Pham, Thi-Hanh Vu, Minh-Hoang Nguyen, Ha-My Vuong, Thu-Trang Vuong, Phuong-Hanh Hoang, Manh-Toan Ho and Quan-Hoang Vuong
Sustainability 2019, 11(16), 4389; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11164389 - 13 Aug 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 9497
Abstract
Book reading is an important factor contributing to children’s cognitive development and education for sustainable development. However, in a developing country like Vietnam, statistics have reported a low figure in book reading: only 1.2 books a year. This research study used a dataset [...] Read more.
Book reading is an important factor contributing to children’s cognitive development and education for sustainable development. However, in a developing country like Vietnam, statistics have reported a low figure in book reading: only 1.2 books a year. This research study used a dataset of 1676 observations of junior high school students from Northern Vietnam to explore students’ reading behavior and its association with demographic factors, and the family’s reading culture. Data analysis suggests the older the student gets, the less inclined they are to read, and being female and having hobbies of low sensory stimulation are linked to higher preference for reading. Regarding scholarly culture at home, students who read more varied types of books and spend more time on books are correlated with higher reading interest. Reading habits are also positively reinforced by the capacity to access books and parental book reading. Full article
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20 pages, 1291 KiB  
Article
Internationalization and Its Discontents: Help-Seeking Behaviors of Students in a Multicultural Environment Regarding Acculturative Stress and Depression
by Minh-Hoang Nguyen, Meirmanov Serik, Thu-Trang Vuong and Manh-Tung Ho
Sustainability 2019, 11(7), 1865; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11071865 - 28 Mar 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 9900
Abstract
Stress and depression can be seen as the major obstacles for sustained education and attainment of foreign students, and in turn, the sustainability of an education system as a whole. However, the mainstream consideration following Berry’s model on acculturation does not take into [...] Read more.
Stress and depression can be seen as the major obstacles for sustained education and attainment of foreign students, and in turn, the sustainability of an education system as a whole. However, the mainstream consideration following Berry’s model on acculturation does not take into account whether students of the host countries are immune to these problems. This study aims to examine the prevalence and predictors of help-seeking behaviors among international and domestic students in a multicultural environment by employing ANOVA and polynomial regression. Some significant results from this study are: (1) Informal sources were the most prevalent sources of help-seeking among international and domestic students, while formal help-seeking was not popular; (2) international students were more likely to overcome emotional difficulties alone and seek help on the Internet than domestic students; (3) acculturative stress was a positive predictor of formal, informal, and miscellaneous help-seeking behaviors among international students and informal help-seeking behaviors or among domestic students; and (4) depression was negatively correlated with the willingness of international students to seek help from informal sources. The findings hint at the risk of acculturative stress faced by domestic students in a multicultural environment being overlooked and the lack of help-seeking sources for international students. The study also provides empirical evidence for policy-planners to design a sustainable education system better at supporting students dealing with depression and acculturative stress. Full article
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17 pages, 555 KiB  
Article
Toward Sustainable Overseas Mobility of Vietnamese Students: Understanding Determinants of Attitudinal and Behavioral Loyalty in Students of Higher Education
by Sue Ling Lai, Hiep-Hung Pham, Hong-Kong To Nguyen, The-Cuong Nguyen and Anh-Vinh Le
Sustainability 2019, 11(2), 383; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11020383 - 14 Jan 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 6729
Abstract
Research on internationalization in higher education has not shed enough light on how cross-border student mobility might contribute to the issue of sustainability. Given that a sustainable movement of loyal international students could help sustain the financial income, ranking, and prospective human resources [...] Read more.
Research on internationalization in higher education has not shed enough light on how cross-border student mobility might contribute to the issue of sustainability. Given that a sustainable movement of loyal international students could help sustain the financial income, ranking, and prospective human resources of the host universities and countries, this study aims to investigate the mechanisms that lead to such loyalty. Specifically, this study adds to the literature by examining how switching cost interacts with disconfirmation and satisfaction in generating attitudinal and behavioral loyalty among international students. The study, surveying 410 Vietnamese students who are studying at either at the undergraduate or graduate level in 15 countries across the globe, first adopts confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using software SAS 9.3 to evaluate if multiple fit indices, the standardized factor loading, and the average variance extracted scores are satisfactory. It then employs the Structural Equation Model (SEM) to test five hypotheses concerning the interaction between disconfirmation and satisfaction as well as among satisfaction, switching cost and behavioral/attitudinal loyalty. The results find that disconfirmation has both direct and indirect impact, while satisfaction only has a direct impact on attitudinal loyalty. Meanwhile, switching cost is found to have a direct impact on behavioral loyalty, but not on attitudinal loyalty. Based on these findings, the study proposes some theoretical and managerial implications for sustainability in general and sustainability of higher education in particular as well as direction for future studies. Full article
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