REFORMING ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHING  FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT FPT UNIVERSITY  THROUGH A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH

Lai Xuan Thu

Lai Xuan Thu	thulx@fe.edu.vn	FPT University Education Zone, Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park, Km29 Thang Long Boulevard, Hoa Lac ward, Hanoi, Vietnam

Summary:

Reforming assessment and evaluation in foreign language education, including Japanese, is particularly important for private universities in the context of international integration. Grounded in social constructivist theory, which emphasizes that knowledge is co-constructed through social interaction and learner collaboration, assessment needs to move beyond outcome-based testing to process oriented approaches such as peer assessment and self-assessment. This study examined the current practices of Japanese language assessment for Information Technology students at FPT University by surveying 15 lecturers and 100 students. The findings show that both lecturers and students demonstrate readiness and positive attitudes toward social constructivist-oriented assessment. However, challenges remain, including students’ limited awareness of the approach, the uneven capacity of some lecturers, and insufficient institutional support. Based on these results, the paper proposes practical solutions to strengthen the effectiveness of applying social constructivist theory in assessment and evaluation within Japanese language education at the tertiary level. In particular, the study identified three focal aspects of assessment reform, namely objectives, criteria, and formats.

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Keywords:

Social constructivism

reform

Japanese

Assessment

evaluation.

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Journal:

No. 3, December 2025

VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

THE VIETNAM NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

REFORMING ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN JAPANESE LANGUAGE TEACHING FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AT FPT UNIVERSITY THROUGH A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH