Innovation in Vietnamese Higher Education Teaching Methods - Approach from Rational Choice Theory

Education and training at all levels in Vietnam are considered the national priorities, along with science and technology development. Innovation in higher education teaching methods in Vietnam has been implemented for many years and is based on selecting, inheriting traditional teaching methods, and absorbing and applying modern teaching methods to meet social needs. Rational choice theory is an approach used by social scientists to understand human behavior. In recent years, this method has been widely used in many fields: society, economy, politics, culture, religion. The main purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the rational choice theory, on which basis to apply in innovating higher education teaching methods in the context of Vietnam's renewal and integration. Applying rational choice theory to innovate higher education teaching methods in Vietnam focuses on three main issues: (1) The rationale in educational choices; (2) Maximize the benefits of learners; (3) Highlighting students' choices requires teachers to renew their thinking about how to teach, taking learners as the center to promote student initiative. The role of the teacher in the dynamic and intelligent university environment of the twenty-first century is not only the imparting knowledge but also as a guide, problem-raising person, and maximizer of self-study and independent thinking of students with the support of information technology, communication, and modern equipment and teaching facilities. The article concludes with some guidance that lecturers should follow.