The role of teachers in creating digital citizenship: The pillar of educational innovation

Amidst the constant changes of the digital age, they remain steadfast, constantly innovating, contributing, and spreading the spirit of lifelong learning.

The "fire" of innovation and creativity

Mr. Nguyen Tan - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Hue City said that in the journey of fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training, the teaching staff of Hue City is always the core force. They not only impart knowledge, but also arouse creativity, preserve tradition, foster humanistic values, ethics and Hue cultural identity for students. At any level of education, the spirit of dedication, creativity and responsibility of teachers is always a solid foundation for the development of the industry.

Many exemplary teachers were respectfully mentioned by the Director of the Department of Education and Training of Hue City. Among them was Mr. Nguyen Van Khuyen - Physics teacher, Phong Hoa Secondary School, who is always passionate about research and innovation in science and technology.

Mr. Nguyen Van Can - teacher of Thuy Phuong Secondary School, with 30 years of Party membership, was twice awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Prime Minister, four times received the Certificate of Creative Labor from the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor , along with dozens of Certificates of Merit at the central and provincial levels. Ms. Le Thi Phuong Chau - teacher of An Cuu Primary School, with her dedication and efforts in teaching on television during the two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, and constantly being creative in designing STEM lessons.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nghia - Chemistry teacher at A Luoi High School, a highland school in the province, has won many awards in youth and children's creativity competitions and science and technology creativity competitions at district, provincial and national levels. Mr. Le Ngoc Thuy - teacher at Huong Vinh High School, did not fear danger and bravely saved people in the flood.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dieu Hanh - Head of Biology Department, together with the teachers of Quoc Hoc High School for the Gifted - Hue, have devoted themselves day and night to nurturing talents for the country. In just 5 years of innovation, the school has won 275 national awards, 10 international and regional awards; in Biology alone, under the leadership of Ms. Hanh and the department, it has brought home 1 Gold Medal, 3 international Silver Medals, always being in the leading group nationwide...

These stories vividly depict the image of teachers in Hue, with their intelligence, humanity, dedication and compassion. They are the “warm flames” spreading love, passion for their profession and dedication in the educational community of the ancient capital.

Dr. Kieu Phuong Hao - Faculty of Chemistry, Hanoi National University of Education 2 emphasized the contribution of the teaching staff in the effort to innovate teaching methods, contributing significantly to the effective implementation of the 2018 General Education Program. Teachers every day transform the orientation of the 2018 General Education Program into practical and lively teaching activities. Each innovative teaching hour, each flexible and creative way of organizing the class reflects the teachers' enthusiasm, intelligence and love for the teaching profession.

Dr. Kieu Phuong Hao believes that innovation in teaching methods is not simply about using modern teaching techniques, teaching methods or teaching aids, but is a journey of transformation and change from the teacher himself: Dare to change, dare to experiment, believe in himself and believe in the abilities of his students.

“Directly training on the topic of Innovation in teaching methods towards developing learners’ qualities and abilities, I had the opportunity to meet many high school teachers. It was touching to see many teachers, despite their seniority, still persevere in learning technology, actively researching and practicing active teaching methods and techniques.

They themselves have demonstrated the spirit of lifelong learning, being a shining example for students. It can be seen that when teaching with all their heart, when learning with students with the spirit of innovation and creativity, teachers will become a flame spreading inspiration, helping students find joy in learning and belief in themselves," Dr. Kieu Phuong Hao shared.

Teachers of Ngo Quyen Primary School (Vinh Yen) during a training session on innovative teaching methods. Photo: NVCC.

Overcome pressure, maintain professional integrity

Dr. Cu Ngoc Phuong - Head of the Department of Political Theory, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, said that the teaching staff is the decisive factor for the success of educational innovation. The 2018 General Education Program shifts from imparting content to developing the capacity and qualities of learners.

But all programs, textbooks, assessments, and technologies are just tools. The quality of reform depends on the professional competence, academic ethics, and pedagogical autonomy of the teacher. The role of the teacher is not only to “teach,” but also to “awaken the courage to know,” thereby nurturing intelligence, training independent judgment, fostering the ability to pose questions, dialogue, and take responsibility for the truth.

Recognizing the difficulties and challenges of teachers in the journey of innovation, Dr. Cu Ngoc Phuong mentioned the institutional, professional and school culture aspects.

Specifically, the rapid pace of reform creates pressure on time, learning materials and professional development, while the shortage of teachers forces teachers to multi-task, making it difficult to have enough time for pedagogical innovation. Procedures and administrative work sometimes overwhelm the core work of teachers. Digital transformation and artificial intelligence open up opportunities to personalize learning, allowing for faster feedback; but also require new capabilities in data, security, transparency, and age-appropriate technology usage rules.

Teachers also need to inspire students to dare to ask “what” and “why”, to respect evidence, and to fight against cheating – tasks that require a lot of time, patience, and professional perseverance… These challenges require teachers to be given professional autonomy and academic freedom, and to link teaching with research so that knowledge can grow through dialogue.

“Therefore, in addition to the policies that have paved the way, what teachers need most are resources for implementation, in-depth training, administrative reduction, and above all, trust and empowerment so that they can truly fulfill the role of “learning architects” in each classroom,” Dr. Cu Ngoc Phuong shared.

Talking about the challenges facing the teaching staff, Mr. Nguyen Tan - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Hue City said that educational innovation is not only about innovating programs or methods, but also a process of changing thinking, requiring teachers to continuously learn, update, and adapt to the new General Education Program.

Along with that is the increasing demand for technological capacity, pedagogical skills, integrated teaching methods and the ability to adapt to the rapid changes of modern society. Meanwhile, in many suburban or disadvantaged areas, the physical conditions and infrastructure for digital teaching are still limited. In addition, the shift in the allocation of teaching human resources, especially when changing administrative boundaries, requires the team to be ready to adjust for the common goal.

In addition, in the context of the information technology boom, teachers face many opportunities but also many challenges. Technology opens up modern teaching methods, making learning more vivid and richer; but at the same time, it also requires teachers to constantly learn, update new knowledge, skillfully apply digital tools, and innovate teaching methods to best fulfill the role of guiding and guiding students in the digital age.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Nghia - Chemistry teacher, A Luoi High School (Hue City) during class.

Creating an environment for teachers to shine

Clearly identifying the advantages and challenges, Mr. Nguyen Tan said that the viewpoint of Hue City's education is to build a team of teachers that is sufficient in quantity, has the right structure and is strong in quality, meeting the requirements of educational development in the new period.

Firstly, the Department of Education and Training has been implementing a project to develop staff; focusing on fostering teaching capacity, developing students' qualities and abilities, enhancing digital transformation skills, applying artificial intelligence in teaching, while also paying attention to professional ethics and pedagogical culture.

Second, transfer and rearrange the teaching staff in a scientific, public and transparent manner, ensuring balance between regions and levels of education to solve the problem of local surplus and shortage of staff, overcome waste of resources and motivation for teachers and staff. The recent transfer of civil servants in the 2025-2026 school year was the first time the Department of Education and Training directly regulated and arranged the teaching staff throughout the area.

This is something that the previous 3-level local government management mechanism could not solve. This is a strategic step, demonstrating the unified management role and long-term vision in planning and using human resources in the education sector. For the first time, the regulation and transfer are carried out publicly and transparently, based on the legitimate wishes of teachers and the actual needs of schools.

Third, the education sector should strengthen policies to encourage, recognize, and honor outstanding teachers, create a humane working environment, encourage creativity, and spread the spirit of "every teacher is an example of morality, self-study, and creativity".

“Entering a new phase, a phase of transformation of the country, from administrative management to creation, associated with the Law on Teachers and Resolution No. 71-NQ/TW, bottlenecks in education and training will be resolved, bringing back the position and role of education and teachers in social life...

This requires greater efforts from the entire education sector, especially the role and responsibility of teachers. Teachers must be good at their profession, proficient in their work and worthy of being a shining example of personality and ethics for students to follow,” said Mr. Nguyen Tan.

In order for teachers' abilities to be fully developed, Dr. Cu Ngoc Phuong believes that schools and management agencies must create a trustworthy ecosystem, not just "assign work". The core is to empower real expertise, teachers can co-design the school's curriculum, and proactively choose assessment methods and forms appropriate to the classroom context.

Next is to reduce procedures, digitize processes, and allocate time for teachers to prepare lessons, give feedback, and research. Along with empowerment, ensure infrastructure and standards by investing in digital infrastructure, issuing safe AI policies, implementing continuous training according to the coaching-mentoring model, recognizing progress through micro-certifications, and flexible career development paths. The accreditation and assessment system also needs to shift from monitoring compliance to accompanying improvement, along with welfare and mental health care for teachers to be persistently creative.

Sharing the same view, according to Dr. Kieu Phuong Hao, teachers need trust, support, and practical policies, not formalities. Schools and management agencies need to become true companions, create an open environment, encourage teachers to experiment, and reduce administrative pressure. When teachers are trusted and recognized, they will have enough confidence and inspiration to create effective teaching hours.

“The majority of Vietnamese teachers are dedicated to their profession; always investing their intelligence and efforts in the cause of educating people, for the goal of forming and developing the personality of a new Vietnamese person. The contribution of the team to education and to the development of the country has been affirmed, especially in the past 80 years.

Nowadays, to meet the demands of the times, teachers must keep up with the trends of the digital age, of the development in the era of national growth, constantly learning, learning more, learning forever. However, no matter how much the times change, the core values that make up the qualities of a teacher remain unchanged - that is professional ethics, exemplary style, intellectual investment, along with a heart that loves the profession and is dedicated to each lecture, each student." - People's Teacher, Dr. Dang Huynh Mai - former Deputy Minister of Education and Training

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/vai-tro-nguoi-thay-trong-kien-tao-he-cong-dan-so-tru-cot-cua-doi-moi-giao-duc-post755649.html