Diffusion of the CEFR among Vietnamese teachers: A mixed methods investigation

The study was conducted in Vietnam, a developing Asian country where the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR) has been designated as the official standard of its foreign language education sector. Despite the CEFR’s authoritative role, there has been a serious lack of research about this framework and how it is diffused among classroom teachers, the group of stakeholders that plays a decisive role in its
successful implementation. In an attempt to bridge this gap, the current study aims to cast light on Vietnamese teachers’ perceptions and use of the CEFR as well as on their related needs, based on the diffusion of innovations model (Rogers, 2003), and its reinterpretation in Van den Branden (2009). Via the convergent parallel design, a type of mixed methods research which involves triangulating qualitative and quantitative data (Creswell, 2012), the study has found that Vietnamese teachers were generally positive about its impact, but adopted it at significantly different levels in their practice. Moreover, they demonstrated a serious need for learning further about the framework. In light of these findings, the study recommends that a formal peer support network for teachers should be established and that the current assessment practice
should be reformed in line with the CEFR to ensure the ultimate successful adoption of this innovative framework.