Factors Contribute to Developing Digital Competencies in Economics Education in Vietnamese Universities: Evidence from A Lecturer Survey

Tran Thi Thuy Ngoc; Nguyen Nghi Thanh

doi:10.17275/per.25.62.12.5

Factors Contribute to Developing Digital Competencies in Economics Education in Vietnamese Universities: Evidence from A Lecturer Survey

Abstract

With the rise of the digital economy being a salient feature of Vietnam's higher education sector, the pressure is on universities to provide their students with the digital competencies needed to enable academic achievement and future professional success. This study examined the antecedents of digital competencies in economics education by identifying four important areas: curriculum, faculty development and expertise, technology, and institutional supports and policies. Data were collected from 200 faculty members from six of Vietnam's leading economics universities and analysed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The study found that while technological infrastructure is a necessary condition for digital competencies, it has a limited ability to explain when it is not localized within supportive frameworks of regulations and policies in their pedagogies. Moreover, we found a robust relationship between students' digital competencies and their ability to engage in academic life and apply economic concepts in real-world experiences. This suggests that digital competences are not only technical skills, but also fundamental enablers of valuable learning and being adaptable professionals. In conclusion, if universities are to provide economics education that contributes to the expectations stemming from a digital economy, it is essential to develop and sustain faculty development in curriculum redesign, establish supportive institutional policies, and use technology for design not coincidental purposes to reduce the likelihood of careless mistakes..

Keywords

Digital Competencies , Economics Education , Vietnamese Universities , Curriculum Integration , Faculty Expertise , Institutional Support

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Education Management

Journal Section

Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis

Authors

Tran Thi Thuy Ngoc This is me
0009-0000-8117-6101
Vietnam

Nguyen Nghi Thanh ^*
0000-0002-0791-8063
Vietnam

Early Pub Date

September 6, 2025

Publication Date

September 1, 2025

Submission Date

November 3, 2024

Acceptance Date

May 13, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 12 Number: 5

DOI

https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.62.12.5

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA53DK96ZN

APA

Ngoc, T. T. T., & Nghi Thanh, N. (2025). Factors Contribute to Developing Digital Competencies in Economics Education in Vietnamese Universities: Evidence from A Lecturer Survey. Participatory Educational Research, 12(5), 23-42. https://doi.org/10.17275/per.25.62.12.5