Consequences of using materials outside of textbooks.

Avoiding the use of textbook material in tests and exams aims to limit the practice of learning model essays, but this can easily lead to controversial exam questions.

Break free from model essays

In its guidelines for the 2024-2025 school year, the Ministry of Education and Training requires schools not to use materials from textbooks for periodic assessments. Prior to this, the Ministry issued a document specifying the direction for reforming testing and assessment in the 2018 general education program, which stipulated that textbook materials should not be used to assess students' reading and writing skills in end-of-term, end-of-year, and end-of-level exams. These regulations have created a new reality in schools, forming the basis for reforming the 2025 high school graduation exam.

Literature exam/test questions always spark controversy in public opinion. Photo: NHU Y

Associate Professor Bui Manh Hung, former chief coordinator of the 2018 General Education Curriculum Development Board and General Editor of the Vietnamese Language and Literature textbook, believes that because the practice of teaching using "model essays" has been quite serious and prolonged for a long time, the Ministry of Education and Training's regulation to avoid using learned materials from textbooks for periodic tests and assessments can be considered a technical solution, appropriate to the current situation.

Tests and mid-term and end-of-term exams in localities have been designed with a new orientation to assess students' abilities, gradually eliminating the ability to answer questions based solely on memorization and copying. “In recent times, the reform of testing and assessment has encouraged teachers to change themselves. Many teachers are more diligent in reading books, more proactive in searching for materials and texts, especially literary works, and improving their text evaluation skills,” Mr. Hung said.

Due to inaccurate data

Recently, a mid-term exam in Literature for 10th graders at Mac Dinh Chi High School in Ho Chi Minh City sparked controversy when it required students to write an argumentative essay discussing the "showy" lifestyle of today's youth. At the end of 2023, public opinion criticized flaws in the 12th grade Literature exam and answer key regarding the "Dạ cổ hoài lang" poem from An Giang province. The Literature exam for the 2023-2024 National High School Student Excellence Competition, administered by the Ministry of Education and Training, also received mixed reviews for its social commentary question which included an excerpt from Antoine Compagnon's work, "The Destiny of Theory: Literature and Common Sense."

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy from Hanoi Pedagogical University argues that exam questions that spark controversy often do not adhere to the standard texts that students have studied. Therefore, when using materials outside of textbooks, exam setters should use texts equivalent to those already covered in the curriculum.

Using texts that are not representative of the genre can be risky. “Authors may not be conscious of the genre when writing their works. When including them in exams, examiners must select texts that ensure the genre's characteristics and scientific accuracy,” Ms. Thuy noted. Having previously set exam questions for the high school graduation exam and the national high school exam, she often argues against texts that do not adhere to the correct genre.

Many teachers believe that controversial exam/test questions often arise from a failure to comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. For example, the test at Mac Dinh Chi High School did not meet the requirement of testing at least two student abilities: reading comprehension and writing.

From the perspective of a curriculum developer, Associate Professor Bui Manh Hung is concerned that exam questions using only materials outside of textbooks could lead to students neglecting the works in their textbooks. "Students might not value or pay attention to the texts in their textbooks, but instead focus on preparing for exams based on the Ministry of Education and Training's exam format, creating a misalignment."

"If that's the case, students won't be able to master literary knowledge and will struggle to develop the skills to apply that knowledge to reading and writing, meeting the requirements of exams and assessments," Mr. Hung commented. According to him, the risks need to be foreseen and appropriate solutions implemented. For a long time, students have been accustomed to studying only what's tested in exams.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, a Literature teacher at the High School for Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, believes that the Ministry of Education and Training should have unified regulations regarding teaching materials, authorships, and works that have stood the test of time. Teachers should also carefully consider which texts to use as teaching materials for assessment and testing, ensuring they are appropriate in terms of ideology, education, and the psychological development of students at each educational level.

Source: https://danviet.vn/de-thi-kiem-tra-mon-ngu-van-gay-tranh-cai-he-luy-tu-viec-lay-ngu-lieu-ngoai-sgk-20241101143913024.htm