Lecturer perspectives on EMI assessment practices at Nguyen Tat Thanh University: Explaining GPA improvement

Khanh Do

doi:10.65956/procia.2026.104

Authors

Do Quoc Khanh Corresponding author email: dqk.btant@gmail.com Nguyen Tat Thanh University , Tra Vinh University https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6742-6123

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65956/procia.2026.104

Keywords:

English-Medium Instruction, assessment literacy, peer moderation, bilingual feedback, Vietnam

Abstract

English-Medium Instruction (EMI) is expanding rapidly in Vietnamese higher education, yet the reasons behind recent grade improvements remain unclear. This qualitative case study explores how lecturers explain the single-year rise in credit-weighted grade-point averages between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 first-year EMI cohorts at Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU). Engaging with literature that links assessment reliability and language scaffolding to student performance, but seldom foregrounds teacher perspectives, we conducted semi-structured interviews with six purposively selected lecturers (three STEM, three non-STEM). A five-prompt guide elicited narratives on rubric use, marking consistency, language-content balance, feedback practices, and perceived grade validity. Transcripts were analysed inductively using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) with double-coding. The intercoder agreement on an overlap sample reached κ = .85. Five interrelated themes emerged, namely (1) clearer rubric interpretation through collaborative discussion, (2) informal peer-moderation circles that foster shared interpretation of rubric criteria and curb leniency drift, (3) wider use of bilingual and multimodal feedback that reduce language-related content loss and help students revise more effectively, (4) a more equitable balance between content mastery and linguistic accuracy in marking, and (5) lecturers’ attribution of the GPA rise to improved transparency and fairness rather than reduced rigor. By linking these lecturer-driven practices to archived cohort GPA shifts, the study adds process-level evidence to EMI quality-assurance debates and offers a scalable, low-cost model for strengthening assessment literacy and feedback uptake in similar contexts.

Author Biography

Do Quoc Khanh, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Tra Vinh University

Do Quoc Khanh is a Lecturer at Nguyen Tat Thanh University and a PhD student in TESOL, combining academic rigor with practical expertise. He has taught experimental English classes, coordinated and designed innovative curricula, and managed a range of teaching and learning activities. He has also compiled and co-compiled numerous English language textbooks published by leading houses such as Oxford University Press and Vietnam Educational Publishing House, contributing to the advancement of English education.

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