UNDERSTANDING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY THROUGH LECTURERS’ VOICES: A MIXED-METHODS APPROACH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63506/jilc.1001.422Keywords:
educational equity, teachers’ perceptions;, higher educationAbstract
Educational equity has become an increasingly important concern in higher education as universities seek to respond to the diverse backgrounds, abilities, and learning needs of students. This mixed-methods research investigates lecturers' perceptions and practices regarding educational equity at a Vietnamese university. A total of 40 lecturers took part in the study through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data, and thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative data. The results indicate that lecturers demonstrated high levels of equity awareness in their teaching, particularly in terms of fairness in assessment, inclusive teaching practices, and sensitivity to student diversity. However, larger institutional challenges and variation in students’ backgrounds continued to pose barriers. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of lecturers’ perspectives within equity-oriented education initiatives; implications are drawn for professional development and institution-level policies to promote more equitable teaching.
Downloads
References
Ainscow, M., Booth, T., & Dyson, A. (2006). Improving schools, developing inclusion. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Improving-Schools-Developing-Inclusion/Ainscow-Booth-Dyson/p/book/9780415372794
Bukko, D., & Liu, K. (2021). Developing preservice teachers’ equity consciousness and equity literacy. Frontiers in Education, 6, Article 586708. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.586708
Cochran-Smith, M., Ell, F., Grudnoff, L., Haigh, M., Hill, M., & Ludlow, L. (2016). Initial teacher education: What does it take to put equity at the center? Teaching and Teacher Education, 57, 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2016.03.006
DeJaeghere, J., Dao, V., & Nguyen, T. (2024). Education systems change: Cultural beliefs and practices that support and inhibit deep learning in Vietnam. Journal of Educational Change, 25(3), 555–577. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-024-09505-0
Espinoza, O. (2007). Solving the equity–equality conceptual dilemma: A new model for analysis of the educational process. Educational Research, 49(4), 343–363. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131880701717198
Fives, H. M., & Buehl, M. M. (2012). Spring cleaning for the “messy” construct of teachers’ beliefs: What are they? Which have been examined? What can they tell us? In K. R. Harris, S. Graham, & T. Urdan (Eds.), APA educational psychology handbook, Vol. 2, (pp. 471–499). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13274-019
Haneda, M., Madany-Saa, M., Teemant, A., & Sherman, B. (2024). Tensions in school context and teacher praxis in equity-oriented professional learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 140, 104480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104480
Jurado de Los Santos, P., Moreno-Guerrero, A.-J., Marín-Marín, J.-A., & Soler Costa, R. (2020). The term equity in education: A literature review with scientific mapping in Web of Science. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(10), Article 3526. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17103526
Louie, N. L. (2017). Supporting teachers’ equity-oriented learning and identities: A resource-centered perspective. Teachers College Record, 119(2), 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811711900203
Nguyen, T. T. N., Doi, V. T., Nguyen, V. L., & Tran, T. T. (2025). Policies ensuring equity in access to basic and higher education: Lessons from developed countries for Vietnam. Veredas do Direito, 22(5), 1-19. e223834. https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n5.3834
Pantić, N., & Florian, L. (2015). Developing teachers as agents of inclusion and social justice. Education Inquiry, 6(3), Article 27311. https://doi.org/10.3402/edui.v6.27311
Schleicher, A., & Zoido, P. (2016). Global equality of educational opportunity: Creating the conditions for all students to succeed. Journal of Social Issues, 72(4), 696–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12190
Strunk, K. K., & Locke, L. A. (2019). Research methods for social justice and equity in education. Springer. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-05900-2
Tran, L. T., & Marginson, S. (2018). Internationalisation of Vietnamese higher education: An overview. In L. T. Tran & S. Marginson (Eds.), Internationalisation in Vietnamese higher education (pp. 1–16). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78492-2_1
Varier, D., Powell, M. G., Dodman, S., View, J. L., & DeMulder, E. (2024). The relationship between teachers’ equity orientation and instructional usefulness of assessments of and for learning. Education Sciences, 14(11), Article 1183. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14111183











