Abstract

This study investigates classroom practices and teachers’ beliefs regarding technology-assisted learning and teaching within a collectivistic culture. The research involved 293 students and 14 teachers from higher institutions in Vietnam. These participants shared their experiences and beliefs about classroom practices through three online learning courses conducted between the academic years 2020 and 2021. Primary research instruments included questionnaires and interviews, utilizing a mixed-method design to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings indicate that, despite operating within a collectivistic culture, learners tend to exhibit a preference for traditional individual tasks over innovative technology–assisted academic activities. Students also highlighted various concerns regarding classroom practices, including goals, competition, contribution, learning style preference, pedagogy, training skills, student and teacher roles, and differential assessment. Upon analyzing classroom practices and considering the features of collectivism recommended by Hofstede’s model, the study identified some consistency in power distance and ambiguity avoidance. However, contrasting conclusions arose regarding collectivism and individualism, time orientation, and masculinity–femininity. To strike a balance between educational innovation and cultural identity, the authors present recommendations in pedagogy to establish an effective and flexible academic environment.