National Economics University

Faculty of International Education

IBD program
-----0O0-----

Project

Submitted to : Le Thi Thu Mai

By : Vu Thi Thai Phuong
Class : I4P – Intake 4 Spring

November 2009

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 Acknowledgements

I wish, first of all, to gratefully acknowledge my deep indebtedness to my teacher,

Mrs Le Thi Thu Mai who has always been willing and enthusiastic to give me valuable
advice and instructions, as well as useful lessons, without which this study can hardly have
been well accomplished.
I would like to express particular thanks to all IBD students of National Economics
University (Intake 4) who have helped me to collect the data for this study and supported
me during the completion of this paper.
Lastly, I want to extend the best wishes to my teacher and friends.

Vu Thi Thai Phuong

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 Index

 Part I: Abstract.......................................................................................4
 Part II: Introduction...............................................................................5
1. Background information

2. Rationale

3. Scope of the study

4. Research questions

5. Methodology

6. Overview of the outline

 Part III: Literature review......................................................................8

 Part IV: Major findings........................................................................10
 Part V: Conclusion...............................................................................19
 Part VI: Recommendation...................................................................20
 Part VII: Reference..............................................................................21
 Part VIII: Appendix.............................................................................22

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 Table of contents

Table of contents...............................................................................................................................4
Part I: Introduction............................................................................................................................5
Background information:...............................................................................................................5
Rationale:......................................................................................................................................6
Scope of the study:........................................................................................................................6
Research questions:......................................................................................................................6
Methodology:................................................................................................................................7
Overview of the outline:................................................................................................................7
Part II: Major findings........................................................................................................................9
Real truancy situation of IBD students:.........................................................................................9

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 Part I: Introduction

Background information:

This day, society is very concerned about the changes of the education branch. It is
attached great importance to because the achievements of education in the country are no
small offer. Therefore, Vietnam is no exception to improve the quality of education of the
country with many prestigious universities and colleges. Typical is the National Economics
University.
It was founded on January 25, 1956, as Finance and Economics University. However,
then it was changed the Economic Planning University, finally the National Economics
University (NEU). In addition, it is one of the top universities of Vietnam in economic
field, specializing in training managers and economic business managements. Moreover,
there are modern equipment, quality classrooms and enthusiastic lecturers. Therefore, NEU
always has many achievements in education. Besides, it has many corporate activities in
school and society. All things have contributed no small part for the general education and
the development of Vietnam on the global integration way to prove itself. Furthermore,
NEU also is working with the foreign universities to exchange and learn useful study
methods of their countries, which are the most developing countries in the world with
advanced education. It is the Faculty of International Education. This faculty has
international classrooms, excellent lecturers and prestigious foreign lecturers. In addition,
students are studious, enthusiastic and dynamic here with study and activities. However,
the truancy appears here and it becomes stronger with increasing general truancy situation,
which is quite common in other departments as well as universities and other colleges in
the country. So why this situation has developed strongly in an international faculty where
brings many benefits for study of students? That is a problem which needs to be cared
more. Therefore, this paper is conducted to investigate about this truancy trend.

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Rationale:
Regarding students, we often think of work education, which is their main task.
Moreover, the images of students are absorbed in lectures on the lecture-hall. Nevertheless,
more and more students play truant because of many reasons. As far as we are concerned,
the learning environment at universities and colleges are completely different with high
schools. Here students have more freedom and no longer subjects to strict controls of the
family and school. In addition, most universities and colleges are in large cities, and the
huge students in school are increasing. Therefore, the popularity of truancy trend of
students is increasing and the management is very difficult. This situation has led to many
bad effects. Especially, this reality causes poor academic performance in students and also
creates more unfairness when the school will affect the end period study result of them, or
they maybe have to retake. This problem, which I noticed when I study here, is happening
with IBD students and increasingly trending. This has given me the idea of conducting a
study on the truancy trend. In this paper, the writer will investigate the truancy trend of
IBD students in NEU. In particular, it attempts to:
 The real truancy situation of IBD students
 Reasons
 Effects
 Some solutions to reduce this problem

Scope of the study:

In this paper, it is impossible to mention a large number of IBD students. Therefore, it
concentrates on researching a small part of them. Because of limited time, this paper deals
only with IBD students of intake 4 at NEU.

Research questions:
With its aims suggested in the first part, the study raises four research questions:
*What is the real truancy situation of IBD students?
*Why do students play truant?
*How does truancy affect students?
*What are solutions of the problem?

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Methodology:
In order to collect data, I used both primary data and secondary data.
For the primary data, 100 questionnaires which include 11 survey questions were
distributed to 100 IBD students. Then, the data were classified, synthesized and analyzed.
Besides, I also used a quite great document on Internet such as: http://ftu-
forum.net/f-news, http://www.pup.edu.vn, http://www.giaovien.net... Because the truancy
trend of students is a problem shared by society and a growing trend, so the consulting of
specialists is so important. Last ones, I also come up with more information, brainstorming
is always necessary to make a perfect study.
To sum up, the corpus of the study included 100 questionnaires which include 11
survey questions about the truancy of IBD students and some information of truancy
situation from Internet. Then, the data were analyzed based on the frameworks mentioned
in literature review part.

Overview of the outline:

* What is the real truancy situation of IBD students?
- Evaluation of IBD students’ truancy
- Thinking about the truancy situation
* Why do students play truant?
- Boring learning environment
- Students’ attitudes
- Lack of attention from the faculty and family
* How does truancy affect students?
- Present:
+ Getting bad exam results
+ Missing valuable lessons in class
+ Missing team work skills
+ Lacking responsibility
- Future:
+ Bad degree
+ Difficulty in finding a good job
* What are solutions of the problem?

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- School and faculty’s responsibility
- Improvement of learning environment
- Parents’ responsibility

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 Part II: Major findings

1. Real truancy situation of IBD students:

Truancy is a serious problem and it is also becoming a top concern in the
development of education. Moreover, this phenomenon tends to increase. It seems to
become a very normal phenomenon for students at universities and colleges, IBD students
of NEU are of no exception.
Primarily, there are students’ opinions about real truancy situation. It seems that the
number of students claim that the real truancy situation is a normal issue and it will not
affect them. To collect the data, I have offered students one question: “What do you think
about the real truancy situation of IBD students?”

What do you think about the real

truanc y s ituation of IB D s tudents ?

6% 0%

21%
A : It is normal is s ue
B : It is very s erious
C : I do not c are
D: O ther ideas

73%

It is undoubtedly true that a large number of students choose A (accounting for 73%).
Another feature is that 21% claim that it is very serious while only 6% indicate few
students do not care for this problem and nobody has any other ideas. From these results,
as can be concluded that the truancy situation has become very normal for IBD students.
Moreover, this problem has been increasingly expanded because it is becoming a deviatory
point of view or perception in students’ minds. Therefore, they usually play truant. Only
45% choose “usually” when they are asked “How often do you play truant?” and this

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answer also makes up 57% in the question “How often do your classmates play truant?”
Their classmates, however, sometimes play truant, only accounting for 32%. In
comparison with the question “How often do you play truant?” this result comprises less
than 12% (44%). When we see the results, it is clear that more IBD students tend to play
truant increasingly. They often play truant or are absent despite it may be accepted or not.
Therefore, 7% students said that they seldom play truant and 4% said “never”. In addition,
when they evaluate their classmates, 9% chose “seldom” and only 2% chose “never”.
Thus, “What time do students often play truant?” After the results were synthesized
from the investigation, a large number of students chose “near the holidays” (accounting
for 51%). It was followed by a variety of students choosing “the mid time of the term”,
making up 27%. The number of students answering “the end of the term” was 14%,
whereas, just a few of them answered “the beginning of the term”, standing at 8%. It seems
that the majority of students often play truant when it is near the holidays. This problem is
natural because most IBD students are from other provinces. They do not have much time
to visit their family because they are very busy with both learning problems in Hanoi city
and travel is difficult and complicated. In the survey, a student said “my hometown is in
Quang Ninh city, I rarely visit my family because my learning is quite heavy here and I
also do not have enough time. Therefore, when there are holidays, I often play truant from
some classes to visit my hometown. I will have more time to relax and visit my parents.”
However, this is not only the reason, but also quite a lot of other reasons. As 27% selected
the answer “the mid time of the term” with a general reason, “there is more spare time
because there are not many pressures as in the beginning of the term or the end of the term.
At the beginning of the term, I am very worried about a new term and I am very busy for
the final test at the end of the term.” However, 14% students who selected the answer “the
end of the term” giving the general reason that “the final test is difficult, there are many
students who have to resit or retake level. Therefore, I see that I self study better than
studying at classes so I always play truant.” Furthermore, almost of them often play truant
from extracurricular classes (62%). It is the result from the survey question “Which classes
do you often play truant?” They chose it because “extracurricular classes are not important
and it is a sheer waste of my time” or “if I am absent, I will not be affected. My teacher
also does not care or punish me.” In addition, many students chose “classes with foreign
lecturers” answer (29%) because they said “I do not understand my teachers’ lectures”;

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only 9% chose “classes with Vietnamese lecturers” answer with a reason “sometime they
teach boringly” or “grammar is boring and difficult”; and nobody had any other ideas.
To sum up, the real truancy situation of IBD students has been increasingly becoming
and it also is a controversial issue. This issue occurs with many inadequate problems. So
why has this situation developed strongly in an international faculty which brings many
benefits for study of students? What is the main reason?

2. Reasons of truancy at IBD:

Students have many reasons for their truancy. However, this situation has developed
strongly in an international faculty, especially IBD which brings many benefits for study of
students with the modern equipment. Thus, “What is the main reason why students play
truant?”

2.1. Boring learning environment:

In your opinion, What is the main

reas on why s tudents play truant?
A : B oring learning
environment
B : Individual reas ons
5%
C : S elf-s tudy is better 13%

D: P res s ures of retaking

level
52%

30%

After the answers of this question are collected, the result illustrates that the majority
of students answered “boring learning environment” (making up 52%). Besides, 30%
students played truant for individual reasons such as sickness, their family’s work…
Furthermore, 13% students said “I can self study” and finally only 5% students said that
they had to face to the pressures of retaking level. They always grow tired of retaking level

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and they feel unconfident, so they often play truant or even break off their study.
From this result, we can see the main causes of truancy here is the boring learning
environment. There are boring lessons, somber classes, or bad teachers…An IBD student
said that “English is very difficult. We are learning another language and it is no our
mother tongue. I can not understand the whole lectures of teachers so I feel disagreeable
and discouraged.” Or another one said “some teachers are no enthusiastic so we hardly
gain any new knowledge.”

2.2. Students’ attitudes:

However, this situation is not only caused by objective reasons, but also by
subjective reasons. It is the studying attitudes of students. As it would seem they do not
have good studying attitudes because only 23% students feel very regretful and 9% feel a
little worried when they play truant. A large number of them feel normal (67%) or even
mere 1% student feel happy when they play truant. There are the actual results from my
investigation with the question “How do you feel when you play truant?” From these
results, we can realize that students are not really concentrate on their studying.

2.3. Lack of attention from the faculty and family:

If the students receive a proper attention and are tightly managed by their family and
the faculty, they will have good studying attitudes. Moreover, they will find inspirations
from the difficult problems of their study and try to overcome the difficulties with
enthusiastic helpings of the teachers. In the fact, however, they do not receive much
attention. When they were asked “How does the faculty manage students?” the majority of
students answered “lack of attention” and “normal”, 52% and 41%, respectively. However,
just a few of them answered “no attention”, standing at 5% and only 2% chose “strict”.
This thing shows that the faculty still lack attention for students. Therefore, students often
play truant without being reminded and the truancy situation seems increasing. In addition,
their parents also do not care their learning (45%) when the students answered the question
“How do your parents care your learning?” Many students chose this answer because they
said “my parents are busy with their work so they do not have time to care me”; or “I am
mature person, they think that I can be able to realize my behavior.” However, 36% chose
“normal” answer, only 19% said “my parents are very interested”, and there were no other

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ideas.
There are many objective reasons and subjective reasons of the truancy situation, but
generally, the learning environment is still major reason. Although the interest of the
faculty and family also creates truancy psychological of students, they have to recognize
that the learning environment at universities and colleges are completely different with
high schools, here students have more freedom and no longer subjects to strict controls of
the family and school. Therefore, they have to know how to control their self. They have to
know their learning is very important. If they often play truant, they will naturally receive
bad results.

3. Effects of the truancy:

Truancy, dropping out, not present so much in class are numerous invisible causes of
bad effects to students. It is harmful for students at the present, but also can affect the long
time to their future.

3.1. Present:
IBD students’ truancy has been increasingly becoming, so does it bring many bad
effects on their study at the moment. For instance, they can lack many important
knowledge, team work skills, tests, or have to retake. To make clearly the things, the paper
will provide specific data with the question “What will consequently happen if you often
play truant?”

a. Getting bad exam results:

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 What will c ons equently happen if you
often play truant?
A : L ac k of knowledge
B : L ac k of team work s kills 8%
C : L ac k of the tes ts 11%
D: R etake

18%
63%

It can be noticeable that most students who often play truant have to retake (63%).
This is worst for all IBD students because it wastes much their money and time.
Especially, they will be subject to many pressures and sometimes they feel unconfident
with their self. Therefore, it leads to a depression in learning. In addition, if the students
often play truant, they also will lack the tests (18%), team work skills (11%), or some
important knowledge (8%). Furthermore, they will miss many other things.

b. Missing valuable lessons in class:

Many students say that they can self study at home but they do not know that they
will receive the benefit of the teacher’s knowledge if they attend class. The best teachers
do more than just go over the material in the class text book. They draw their students into
discussion of the material. They present opposing points of view. They provide additional
information by inviting guest speakers or showing documentary films.

c. Missing team work skills:

Moreover, if you often play truant, you will lack team work skills because going to
class also teaches students how to work with other people. In class, students have to
present their ideas to their classmates. They have to defend their ideas if their classmates
disagree with them, but still remain friendly when the discussion is over. They have to
learn to work in groups to complete class projects.

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 d. Lacking responsibility:
Finally, the most important thing is responsibility. You can become irresponsible
because attending classes teaches students responsibility. Having to be at a particular place
at a particular time prepares them for getting a job. Having to complete assignments on
time also helps develop responsibility.
To sum up, anyone can get information from books, but students get a great many
more advantages when they usually attend class. They get the benefit of the teacher’s
knowledge, experience, and even more than that they can learn how to work with others
and to develop a sense of responsibility. These are not optional skills in life, so attending
classes should not be optional at a university. If not, there are many bad effects to students’
future.

3.2. Future:
You often play truant, do not do enough tests, or lack some important information
and knowledge. Therefore, you may experience many bad problems or affect your future.

a. Bad degree:
At the first point, you can not be received a good degree if you have not just finish
your study process well. Of course, this thing wastes much your time and money because
you will have resits of tests or have to retake level to complete your course. Especially,
IBD requires a very high quality study and the study here is quite heavy. That is why IBD
students ought to usually attend classes.

b. Difficulty in finding a good job:

If you do not concentrate on your study, lack of experience, skills, no qualifications, or a
degree is not good, you will be very hard and difficult to find a suitable job. As you know,
Vietnam is on the path of international integration, the competition to survive is very large, so
finding a job is difficult; especially it is more and more difficult to find a good job and suit for
your ability. Many people have been unemployed or laid off by the strict requirements of the
society to adapt with the renovation and development of the country.
In general, there are many other adverse effects to the future of students who did not

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concentrate on their study or often play truant. It seems to be a long-term impact. So what
solutions should be implemented to reduce the truancy situation and to not lead to the
consequences?

4. Solutions:
Truancy is a common phenomenon and it has existed from long time. It does not only
appear at universities and colleges, but also exist at schools such as high schools.
Therefore, this problem can not be hardly resolved immediately and it needs a lot of time.
However, this paper will deal with some solutions which should be implemented to reduce
the real truancy situation of IBD students through collected data of the research
questionnaires.

4.1. School and faculty’s responsibility:

The faculty and school should pay more attention to IBD students’ study. Especially,
the faculty should regularly update the problems of students about their learning process to
help them find ways to solve them. Although each class has a management but it seems to
be not efficient because the classes of meetings take place very little or almost no. The
most efficient solution is that each week should have a meeting on the weekend to
synthesis and recognized these problems again, or the situations have occurred in that
week. In addition, the meeting also should have a teacher who will take notes about
students’ studying problems. To sum up, every problem can be solved in this discussion.
This is the best way for the faculty and school can manage and know clearly their students’
study. It does not only reduce the phenomenon of truancy, but also creates a friendly and
the best learning environment for their students.

4.2. Improvement of learning environment:

The learning environment of classes is also important to student performance.
Teachers must be on time, give students frequent praise, interact with the entire class
(preferably asking open-ended questions), minimize verbal reprimands and other forms of
punishment, and deemphasize competition in the classroom. Moreover, teachers should set
up study groups for students to help them study together in their classes. They should
always encourage their students or help them find the inspiration to learn from their

16
classmates. Therefore, students will have to strive more in their study.

4.3. Parents’ responsibility:

Attention of students’ parents is also an important factor to help reduce this truancy
situation. Despite in the fact that they are busy with their work and they do not have much
time to care their children’s study, they ought to spend more time to concern about their
children because the future of their children is really the most important. This problem
need be supported from schools, teachers in informing the learning situation of students to
their family. If they are interested and supported by their family properly, they will study
better and take more responsible for the future of them.
The solutions may partially support the students; cause them to be inspired in the
class or their study. Furthermore, these solutions may reduce the real truancy situation of
IBD students today. However, the essential is still the students’ self. When students
resolutely say “no”, the temptations can not say “yes”, do not they? You look at yourself
and take more responsibility for your future.

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 Part III: Conclusion

In general, truancy is a situation that existed for a long time and today it tends to
increase rapidly at universities. This issue also tends to increase at the faculty of
international education with IBD program of NEU. Therefore, this paper indicates some
general information of the real truancy situation of IBD students. Through the study, the
answers to the research questions have been completed. It seems most students think that
the real truancy situation is a normal issue and it will not affect them. In addition, there are
many reasons that cause them often play truant, especially the boring learning
environment. Of course, truancy, dropping out or not present so much in class are
numerous invisible causes of bad effects to students. The most serious consequence is
retake level. It does not only waste much the students’ time, money but also affects to the
students’ future seriously. That is why this paper also deals with some solutions which
should implemented to reduce the real truancy situation of IBD students through collected
data of the research questionnaires. Nevertheless, the essential is still the students’ self.
They should concern their future more than if they want to succeed in their career.

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 Part IV: References

1. Rohrman, Definition of truancy. Retrieved from http://www.teenissues 12 May

2001
2. Unknown, general opinions of reason of truancy. . Retrieved from
http://sinhvienbinhdinh.com.vn 8 November 2007
3. Mai Lien, a student of National University, Opinion of truancy. Retrieved from
http://dantri.com.vn 26 July 2009
4. Unknown, a student, Opinion of the study. Retrieved from http://xemblog.com.vn 8
November 2007
5 & 6. Unknown, Solutions of truancy. Retrieved from http://donga.edu.vn/Diendan
17 Jun 2009

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 Part V: Appendix

I’m doing a project about the topic: “Truancy trend of IBD students”. This survey is
conducted in order to find some figures and data related to this topic. I highly appreciate
your help answering these questions below.
Please circle following answers if they are your choice:

1. What do you think about the real truancy situation of IBD students?
A. It is a normal issue
B. It is very serious
C. I do not care
D. Other ideas: ……………………………………..

2. How often do you play truant?

A. Usually
B. Sometimes
C. Seldom
D. Never

3. How often do your classmates play truant?

A. Usually
B. Sometimes
C. Seldom
D. Never

4. How do you feel when you play truant?

A. Very regretful
B. A little worried
C. Normal
D. Happy

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5. You see what time do students often play truant?
A. The beginning of the term
B. The mid time of the term
C. The end of the term
D. Near the holidays
(When you answer this question, please give the reasons)
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..

6. Which classes do you often play truant?

A. Classes with foreign lecturers
B. Classes with Vietnamese lecturers
C. Extracurricular classes
D. Other ideas: ………………………………………….
(When you answer this question, please give the reasons)
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..

7. In your opinion, what is the main reason why students play truant?
A. Boring learning environment (boring lessons, bad teacher,…)
B. Individual reasons
C. Self-study is better
D. Pressures of retaking level

8. In your opinion, how does the faculty manage students?

A. Strict
B. Normal
C. Lack of attention
D. No attention

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 9. How do your parents care your learning?
A. They are very interested
B. Normal
C. They do not care
D. Other ideas: …………………………………………
(When you answer this question, please give the reasons)
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………..

10. What will consequently happen if you often play truant?

A. Lack of knowledge
B. Lack of team work skills
C. Lack of the tests
D. Retake

11. In your opinion, what solutions should be implemented to reduce the truancy
situation?
Answer: ………………………………………………
………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………..........

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…. * Thank you for spending time reading my project*…
Good luck, good health and good work!

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