Moral Education in a Non-Traditional Setting in Vietnam

BENDING BAMBOO: MORAL EDUCATION IN A NON-TRADITIONAL SETTING IN VIETNAM Eric J. Buetikofer A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of The requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2009 Committee: Patricia Kubow, Advisor Christopher Frey William Wiseman ii © 2009 Eric Buetikofer All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Patricia Kubow, Advisor Vietnam is a country rich with culture and tradition. This thesis examines the cultural practice of teaching morality in a non-traditional school in Vietnam. This qualitative case study took place in a non-traditional school located in central Vietnam that caters to street children. Findings from the participant interviews are discussed through the use of vignettes. The vignette themes include morality, citizenship, philosophical association, gender and one’s ability to be moral, bending bamboo and morality, morality and role playing, street children and moral education, learning and importance of language, learning English as a Second Language in the school, and debates and learning good citizenship. Each vignette is discussed using information from participant interviews and Western and Eastern moral education practices. Research for this paper has been completed utilizing educational and psychological theoretical literature concerning moral education and moral philosophy in conjunction with empirical studies conducted in Vietnam. iv This thesis is dedicated to my wife Jessica Turos and my mother Kathy Buetikofer, who have been supportive in all of my educational endeavors. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my Thesis committee, Dr. Kubow, Dr. Frey, and Dr. Wiseman, for all of their guidance. I could not have completed this formidable project without you. Specifically, I would like to thank Dr. Kubow for all of her patience and encouragement. I cannot thank you enough for your willingness to read and give feedback on the numerous revisions of my thesis. Dr. Frey, thank you for all of your assistance with the review of related literature and methodological portions of this thesis. Dr. Wiseman, thank you for your expertise and support. I would also like to thank the participants and all my friends in Vietnam. Without your support and participation I would not have been able to start or complete this study. Finally, I would like to thank my family, especially my wife Jessica and my dog Dakota who kept me company while spending long hours at my desk writing this thesis. Jessica, I would never have finished without your editorial skills and gentle prodding to finish this thesis. I appreciate all of your genuine interest and encouragement throughout this process. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………… 1 The Setting…………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Purpose of the school………………………………………………………….. 6 Courses Taught at the School…………………………………………………. 7 School Funding……………………………………………………………….. 10 Impact on Local Community…………………………………………………. 12 CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE……………………………………. 16 The Vietnamese Education System…………………………………………………… 17 Vietnamese Identity and Moral Education…………………………………………… 21 Moral Education……………………………………………………………………… 27 Approaches to Moral Education……………………………………………………… 29 Moral Development Theory………………………………………………………….. 30 Role of Language on Identity and Morality…………………………………………... 41 CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………… 44 Qualitative Methodology……………………………………………………………… 44 Case Study Research…………………………………………………………………... 45 Limitations and Validity……………………………………………………………….. 49 Participant Selection…………………………………………………………………… 53 Research Process………………………………………………………………………. 56 CHAPTER IV. FINDINGS…………………………………………………………………… 60 Morality and Citizenship………………………………………………………………. 60 vii Page Morality………………………………………………………………………... 61 Moral Education……………………………………………………………….. 62 Citizenship Education…………………………………………………………. 63 Philosophy Associated with Citizenship and Morality………………………………… 64 Traditional Morality and Socialist Morality…………………………………………… 67 Gender and One’s Ability to be Moral………………………………………………… 68 Teaching Morality……………………………………………………………………... 69 Street Children and Moral Education…………………………………………………. 71 Learning in the School………………………………………………………………… 72 Learning English as a Second Language and Morality……………………………….. 73 Student Attendance and what Learned………………………………………………… 75 CHAPTER V. DISCUSSION…………………………………………………………………. 78 Morality……………………………………………………………………………….. 79 Citizenship…………………………………………………………………………….. 81 Philosophical Association…………………………………………………………….. 83 Gender and One’s Ability to be Moral………………………………………………... 85 Bending Bamboo: Morality…………………………………………………………… 87 Morality and Role Playing…………………………………………………………….. 89 Street Children and Moral Education…………………………………………………. 91 Learning and the Importance of Language……………………………………………. 93 Leaning English as a Second Language in the School………………………………... 95 Debates and Learning Good Citizenship…………………………………………….... 97 viii Page Driving Research Questions and Perceptions…………………………………………. 100 Moral Education Taught in Non-Traditional Schools in Vietnam……………. 100 How Moral Education is Being Taught in this School....................................... 102 What it Means to be a Good Citizen................................................................... 103 Street Children and Good Citizenship................................................................ 104 How Students are Learning to be Good Citizens............................................... 106 Students Contributing to Their Community....................................................... 107 CHAPTER VI. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………...….. 109 Recommendations for Further Study............................................................................. 110 Concluding Thoughts..................................................................................................... 111 REFRENCES............................................................................................................................. 112 APPENDIX A: HSRB APPROVAL......................................................................................... 117 APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT CONCENT LETTER……………………………………… 118 APPENDIX C : DEFINITIONS……………………………………………………………… 120 APPENDIX D: INTERVIEW PROTOCOL…………………………………………………. 121 1 CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION This case study examined Vietnamese moral education in a non-traditional setting. The study took place in a non-traditional school located in central Vietnam that caters to street children. A street child is defined as a child between the ages of five and 17 who can often be found on the streets selling small items. Classes are taught twice a day, 6 days a week, in a two room school located behind a bar. Below is a quote from an adult student participant who regularly attends one of the evening conversational English classes. She indicated that she helped teach one of the beginner English classes for a short time. In one of her interviews she stated: I know one student in your [the researcher’s]class. When I taught, he was a kid, and his mother is really cruel. He have some burns in his ear, and I saw and I ask but he didn’t answer but some other student in the class answer … that his mother hit him or something like that and he blood. (Female, Student, Participant 7) This participant’s statement is important for two reasons. First, it reveals an unfortunate situation that is affecting street children in Vietnam. Second, this statement demonstrates the common need for individuals to have their own conception of morality. Any response to this situation would reflect an individual’s notion of morality and give insight as to what she has been taught to believe is morally right. The arrangement of this case study is as follows. Chapter I consists of the introduction. In this section, the issues and driving research questions of the study will be revealed to the reader. This section also will include defined terms used to clarify central themes used in this case study, as well as explaining the importance of the study. Next will follow an extensive narrative description of the setting in which the case study takes place. This setting description will include relatively uncontestable data; much like what the reader would have identified had 2 he/she been to the research site. Chapter II contains a review of relating literature in which the key issues being studied will be developed. The literature review, will present information regarding Vietnam and the Vietnamese education system. Next Vietnamese identity and moral education will be discussed,followed by an explanation of Western moral education. This portion includes information on approaches to moral education, moral development theory, and the role of language on identity and morality. Chapter III presents the methodology used during the course of research. First, qualitative methods will be discussed in regards to this study. Second, information concerning case study research and how it applies to this study will be provided. Third, limitations of the study and validity concerns will be addressed. Fourth, the participant process will be discussed. Finally, the research process from conception to finished research paper will be presented. Chapter IVconsists of the findings in which the key themes identified from the participant interviews are delineated. Topics discussed include: morality and citizenship, participant philosophy associated with

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