Identification of the target audience group:

- All of the teachers in every high school, college, university,

- Educator
- Students, parents
The structure of a country's education system indicates the levels of the education
system and the regulations on qualifications related to it. To begin with find out
the similarities and differences between educational methods in Vietnam and
American
In this article, we discuss teaching methods in public and private schools
according to the Vietnamese curriculum and do not mention international
schools. As most international schools have adopted Western teaching methods
into their curriculum. Therefore, the teaching method in the U.S.A will be more
like international schools in Vietnam than regular Vietnamese schools.
Educational System Overview
For Vietnam,
Students are required to complete 12 years of study before taking further courses.
12 years of study is divided into 4 stages as follows. The first is preschool
education for children from 3 to 6 years old, then primary education is carried
out for 5 school years (Grades 1-5). After completing elementary education, they
will continue secondary education in 4 school years (Grades 6 – 9). And finally,
after high school education (grades 10 – 12), after graduating from high school,
students can continue to study at university or vocational education programs.
For America,
At the age of six, American students begin elementary school. After five years,
they will continue their education to high school (grades 6-8), then high school
(grades 9-12). After 12 years of studying according to the prescribed levels, like in
Vietnam, students in the US can continue to study at a university or college
(called Higher education).
Although there are differences between Vietnam and the U.S.A in terms of middle
school and high school grades, most students are required to complete 12 years of
schooling.
Teaching styles
In the Vietnamese classroom: The teachers tend to convey many pieces of
knowledge by theory without any practice, if yes, just take some time. Therefore,
students lost the chance to practice in a real life. They will lack the necessary
skills to apply for their careers in the future. When the exams come, students just
need to prove to examiners how they can remember and understand the
knowledge that they receive from teachers. Moreover, most Vietnamese public
schools, there will have large class sizes (ranging from 40-45 students in each
class). For private schools, class sizes are typically under 25 students. Based on
that, the students often study passively both at grammar schools and universities.
They don’t usually interact with the teacher. When living in this environment, it
will be hard for them to take control of the students’ studying as well as their
questions in real life.
Teachers in Vietnam concentrate on textbooks a lot. Remembering this
knowledge is paramount for students. However, it will be considered an outdated
teaching method because students just learn materials or concepts in textbooks
and lost the ability to acknowledge social issues in life.
In America, schools create a good environment for students to practice and learn
to their maximum potential. They will have several opportunities to interact with
teachers. Of course, American students don’t have to use their memorization a lot
like Vietnamese students because practicing is the best method for them to
experience all things that they have learned in class. Schools can pick them up for
laboratory experiments or have some field trips to practice. It is an effective way.
In general, class sizes tend to be quite small (ranging from 8-10 students in each
class) in private schools. Teachers can control and manage the class actively and
enthusiastically. Students will have more time to ask questions and discuss topics
together. Furthermore, current news is also combined with the teaching
curriculum by teachers so that students can gather news for discussion with
many friends in class.

Teaching technology
In Vietnam, only a few state and independent schools have regular access to
projectors for presentations. This problem has been improved in college.
However, using a blackboard is still the most common method. Meanwhile,
compare with the education method in the US, where educational technology
such as Google Slides, PowerPoint Presentation, projectors, and digital
whiteboards are commonly used in teaching, discussion, and question-solving. To
communicate between teachers and students inside and outside the classroom,
schools in the United States often implement Learning Management Systems
(LMS) or use other LMS such as Canvas, Moodle, Google Classroom, etc.

Subject
Along with other subjects in Natural Science and Social Science, the Vietnamese
curriculum requires that students take courses in English, Vietnamese Literature,
and Math. Beginning in 2020, English will frequently be incorporated into the
elementary school curriculum, while pupils can start learning the language in
classes outside of school as early as age 4. In addition to offering classes in
English, secondary high schools in Vietnam such as the Vo Truong Toan
Secondary School, Marie Curie High School,  and Foreign Language Specialized
Schools also provide instruction in Japanese, Chinese, and French.
Students take more Natural Science courses (Physics, Biology, and Chemistry) or
Social Science courses (Geography, History, and Civic Education) depending on
the specialization they desire (Natural Science or Social Science). Because
entrance examinations (middle school, high school, and college) are so
challenging and each subject is so demanding, students frequently attend extra
tutoring sessions outside of regular class hours to catch up and improve their
knowledge. Therefore, students typically lack the time to hone their unique
abilities and soft skills. Some institutions compel students to take lessons in the
performing arts and sports, but the course options are not varied.
In contrast, American students can choose from a variety of classes at various
levels that are suited to their abilities and interests. In America, students are
expected to complete at least one year of both sports and the arts (visual and
performing arts), allowing them to develop their abilities and discover their
unique talents.
Academic Awards
Students in middle and high school in Vietnam are encouraged and even forced,
to compete in several regional and national tournaments. For courses like Math,
Science, and English, students who are in a "Highly Selective Class" are expected
to study those subjects in-depth as well as engage in various contests. Depending
on their grade level, children who place in the top 3 in these national events will
get bonus points on their high school admission exam or college entrance exam.
Vietnamese students are therefore strongly encouraged to enroll in additional
courses outside of school and put in extra effort to prepare for such events. In
contrary to American schools, participation in competitions is encouraged but
not mandatory. In general, students who want to participate in contests must do
independent research about the competition and register.

Examination
In Vietnam, a grade is the only way to value a student's learning outcomes at the
end of a course. Scores come from homework, early oral exams, monthly exams,
and midterm and final exams. With new lessons being taught each term and the
difficulty of the exams, as discussed earlier, students feel pressure to take extra
lessons outside of school hours to better memorize the lessons and practice more.
In Vietnam, at the end of secondary school, students must take the high school
entrance exam. The exam consists of Math, Literature, and 1 randomly selected
test. The random exam will be announced by the Hanoi Ministry of Education
and Training in March. For the Language test, students can choose from English,
French, German, Japanese, and Korean. This test system varies by region and the
scoring method is also different.

In grade 12, students must take the National High School Examination, which is
eligible for the graduation and university entrance exams. Students must sit at
least 4 exams in 6 subjects namely Math, English, Literature, Natural Science
Complex, or Social Science Complex (an integrated test consisting of History,
Geography, and Social Sciences) Civic education). This score allows students to
choose their school and major. Each different major of each college in Vietnam
has a different benchmark.

This testing system is significantly different from American schools. In the US,
most schools measure performance based on a variety of factors such as class
participation, quizzes, homework, and end-of-course exams, in addition to final
exams. Students also have the opportunity to earn extra credits to improve their
grade point average (GPA). For admission to schools and universities in the US,
standardized test scores from the SSAT, SCT, and/or ACT will be considered.
Recently, most schools and colleges have become optional. As a result,
admissions officers evaluate students based on teacher recommendation letters,
personal statements, participation in extracurricular activities, and expressions of
interest and "fit" with the school.

Extracurricular Activities
Most of the schools in America or Viet Nam also have a variety of extracurricular
activities for students. The general purpose is to develop their social skills, and
know how to reinforce the lessons learned in class. There are many captivating
clubs so that they can have chances to join school-wide events which are
organized every month for students. Besides, there also have some interesting
organizations. Schools always want to encourage students to participate in these
activities actively and excitedly.

Educational methods affect students

We are in university and have spent 12 years of compulsory education in the
Vietnamese educational program, we see the positives and negatives from the
educational methods we have learned.
The first is about the subjects, with the number of subjects being too many and
focusing only on learning theory has made us feel bored. Almost not being able to
practice what they learn in class makes students passive and consider studying at
school as a form of answering.
Next is a very common concept in Vietnam: "high scores are valued", which has
caused students to be pressured about their scores, especially when they feel
afraid when going to school because they have to face a series of tests. We don't
deny that improving grades makes students try harder in their studies, but in
fact, most students just feel pressured because they have to study too much. This
educational method creates restraint and does not bring into full play the
creativity of students.
Next in terms of curriculum, teachers in Vietnam focus a lot on textbooks. Most
of the knowledge found in textbooks comes from tests so most teachers teach the
content from there. However, it is because of that teaching method that students
are not able to analyze a problem, they are just learning what is available.
From the above, we can see that regardless of any country, the method of
education is always the issue that needs to be put on the top because it is essential
and has a great influence on the whole of humanity. An effective educational
method will create a generation of students who are not only knowledgeable but
also creative and leave many achievements to the next generation.