Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education
This study explores the contemporary relevance of Confucian educational thought in the context of Vietnam’s ongoing educational reform. It examines how foundational Confucian principles—particularly those related to moral cultivation, pedagogical methods, and the role of the learner—can be adapted t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Philosophies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/70 |
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| author | Phuong Thi Nguyen Khoa Ngoc Vo Nguyen Huyen Thanh Thi Do Quyet Thi Nguyen |
| author_facet | Phuong Thi Nguyen Khoa Ngoc Vo Nguyen Huyen Thanh Thi Do Quyet Thi Nguyen |
| author_sort | Phuong Thi Nguyen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the contemporary relevance of Confucian educational thought in the context of Vietnam’s ongoing educational reform. It examines how foundational Confucian principles—particularly those related to moral cultivation, pedagogical methods, and the role of the learner—can be adapted to align with modern educational objectives. Employing a qualitative, comparative methodology, the research analyzes classical Confucian texts, historical records, and current Vietnamese education policy documents, alongside Humboldtian liberal ideals. The findings demonstrate that Confucian values such as benevolence (<i>ren</i>), ritual propriety (<i>li</i>), and exemplary moral conduct continue to offer meaningful frameworks for promoting ethical development and civic responsibility. Pedagogical techniques, including heuristic questioning, modeling, and situational teaching, remain relevant to modern goals like critical thinking and learner autonomy. While some critiques highlight limitations in Confucianism’s hierarchical structure or insufficient scientific orientation, this study also incorporates existing research showing that Confucian education—particularly across East Asia—has been positively associated with fostering students’ creativity and critical thinking. This paper distinguishes itself by proposing a hybrid model that critically adapts Confucian pedagogy in conjunction with Humboldtian liberalism to enhance both moral grounding and cognitive autonomy in Vietnamese education. The research concludes that a critically integrative approach can support Vietnam in building a culturally grounded, morally resilient, and globally competitive education system. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b2288de256d46a68f5e6513859d2f0e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2409-9287 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Philosophies |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b2288de256d46a68f5e6513859d2f0e2025-08-20T03:27:36ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872025-06-011037010.3390/philosophies10030070Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese EducationPhuong Thi Nguyen0Khoa Ngoc Vo Nguyen1Huyen Thanh Thi Do2Quyet Thi Nguyen3Faculty of Political Science and Law, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Ho Chi Minh City 71300, VietnamFaculty of Political Theory, University of Finance–Marketing, Ho Chi Minh City 71300, VietnamFaculty of Political Theory, University of Finance–Marketing, Ho Chi Minh City 71300, VietnamFaculty of Political Science and Law, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, Ho Chi Minh City 71300, VietnamThis study explores the contemporary relevance of Confucian educational thought in the context of Vietnam’s ongoing educational reform. It examines how foundational Confucian principles—particularly those related to moral cultivation, pedagogical methods, and the role of the learner—can be adapted to align with modern educational objectives. Employing a qualitative, comparative methodology, the research analyzes classical Confucian texts, historical records, and current Vietnamese education policy documents, alongside Humboldtian liberal ideals. The findings demonstrate that Confucian values such as benevolence (<i>ren</i>), ritual propriety (<i>li</i>), and exemplary moral conduct continue to offer meaningful frameworks for promoting ethical development and civic responsibility. Pedagogical techniques, including heuristic questioning, modeling, and situational teaching, remain relevant to modern goals like critical thinking and learner autonomy. While some critiques highlight limitations in Confucianism’s hierarchical structure or insufficient scientific orientation, this study also incorporates existing research showing that Confucian education—particularly across East Asia—has been positively associated with fostering students’ creativity and critical thinking. This paper distinguishes itself by proposing a hybrid model that critically adapts Confucian pedagogy in conjunction with Humboldtian liberalism to enhance both moral grounding and cognitive autonomy in Vietnamese education. The research concludes that a critically integrative approach can support Vietnam in building a culturally grounded, morally resilient, and globally competitive education system.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/70Confuciuseducational thoughtmoral educationmethodsreformVietnam |
| spellingShingle | Phuong Thi Nguyen Khoa Ngoc Vo Nguyen Huyen Thanh Thi Do Quyet Thi Nguyen Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education Philosophies Confucius educational thought moral education methods reform Vietnam |
| title | Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education |
| title_full | Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education |
| title_fullStr | Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education |
| title_full_unstemmed | Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education |
| title_short | Confucian Educational Thought and Its Relevance to Contemporary Vietnamese Education |
| title_sort | confucian educational thought and its relevance to contemporary vietnamese education |
| topic | Confucius educational thought moral education methods reform Vietnam |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/70 |
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