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A Sociocultural Perspective on Scholars Developing Research Skills via Research Communities in Vietnam

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Abstract

Given the importance of research communities and research mentoring activities in developing research skills, universities around the world have paid special attention to improving these two dimensions. However, developing research communities and research mentoring culture in Vietnamese universities largely remain at a nascent stage because these universities often have a short history of conducting research and limited research capacity. Drawing on a sociocultural perspective, this qualitative case study explores the experience of Vietnamese scholars in developing their research skills via their research communities and their perspectives towards domestic and international research communities. Interview data show that participants were active in establishing their own networks and tended to look outward, searching for support from international communities and mentors, since their institutes lacked collegiality and research collaborations. To develop institutional research communities and positive research culture, universities’ managers should consider factors including collective values, researcher individualism, and research traditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

    Cuong Huu Hoang

  2. Mitchell Institute, Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia

    Cuong Huu Hoang

  3. Graduate School, Ho Chi Minh City Open University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Trang Thi Doan Dang

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  1. Cuong Huu Hoang
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  2. Trang Thi Doan Dang
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Correspondence to Cuong Huu Hoang.

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Hoang, C.H., Dang, T.T.D. A Sociocultural Perspective on Scholars Developing Research Skills via Research Communities in Vietnam. Minerva 60, 81–104 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-021-09454-5

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