PROJECT-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND SELF-ASSESSED INNOVATION, PROBLEM-SOLVING COMPETENCIES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS: A DESCRIPTIVE SURVEY IN THREE VIETNAMESE CITIES

This study describes project-based learning experiences and university students’ self-assessed innovation and problem-solving competencies. It adopts a descriptive-exploratory survey design and uses online questionnaire data from 1,200 students in Hanoi, Hue, and Ho Chi Minh City. The instrument collected background information, the number of courses in the most recent academic year that students identified as involving project-based learning, their ratings of six project design elements, and self-assessment scores for innovation and problem solving competencies. Data was processed using descriptive statistics only; the study does not test causal effects and measure students’ actual performance through learning products, classroom observation, or lecturer assessment. The results show observable differences across the three locations. Ho Chi Minh City had a higher proportion of students reporting three or more project-based courses and a higher level of perceived project-experience quality. At the same time, Hue tended to show lower descriptive indicators. Students with more frequent and higher-quality project experiences showed a descriptive trend toward higher self-assessment scores for both competencies.