Developing Grade 3 Students’ Communication and Collaboration Competence Through Speaking and Listening Instruction: A Quasi-Experimental Study in Vietnam

Abstract

This study examined whether a structured instructional sequence embedded in Grade 3 Vietnamese speaking and listening lessons was associated with stronger communication and collaboration performance. A post-intervention quasi-experimental design involved 124 students in four intact classes at two primary schools in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. At each school, one class received an instructional sequence combining structured small-group discussion, language games, a mini-project, role allocation, peer response, and a transparent performance rubric; one comparison class followed regular instruction. Students were observed during two curriculum-aligned lessons and rated on confidence in presenting, clarity and coherence of expression, active listening and response, and group coordination. Scores were classified as Good, Achieved, or Needs Improvement. In the first lesson, 41.9% of intervention students versus 19.4% of comparison students were rated Good; in the second lesson, the corresponding proportions were 48.4% and 22.6%. Pooled ordinal comparisons favored the intervention classes in both lessons (Mann–Whitney U = 2512.0, p = .001, rank-biserial correlation = .307; U = 2562.0, p < .001, rank-biserial correlation = .333). Classroom evidence suggested more confident participation, more specific peer feedback, and clearer division of group responsibilities. The findings provide promising evidence that speaking and listening instruction can serve as a purposeful context for developing communication and collaboration competence. Because intact classes were used and no pretest or reliability estimate was available, the results should be interpreted as associative rather than causal.