ABSTRACT
Adequate facilities, resources, and support services are essential for effective teaching and learning activities. In Vietnam, many universities have faced a shortage of learning resources, poorly equipped facilities, and inadequate student support services, making the overall learning environment less favourable for students’ learning. In the last 10 years, substantial investment has been made to upgrade university campuses and related services to provide a better learning environment for students. This chapter reports on 828 students’ experiences with the physical, academic, and service learning environment in more than 58 institutions across Vietnam. Although students were generally satisfied with the learning environment established by their institutions, they suggested that more attention should be paid to the maintenance of facilities and the operation of student-related services. Likewise, acknowledging the professional staff’s contribution, they believed that these staff should be more professional to make the academic environment more conducive to their learning. The study also suggested variation in the experiences of students of different genders, at different types of institutions, and in different types of programs. This chapter interprets the findings with reference to the Confucian educational heritage embedded in the university culture and calls for a change in the perception of the students’ role and status in the university.
