Interdisciplinary STEM+ reform in Vietnamese higher education: Bridging education and the AI workforce

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and digital technologies necessitates the adoption of interdisciplinary educational frameworks that merge technical proficiency with ethical and human-centered competencies. It examines stakeholders’ readiness to implement a STEM+ framework in Vietnamese higher education. This study employed a primarily quantitative research design. Survey data from 302 lecturers and students were analyzed to assess perceptions of AI literacy, experiential pedagogy, ethical awareness, and institutional support. In addition, supplementary semi-structured interviews with 18 participants were conducted to provide contextual insights that helped interpret the survey findings. The main analysis was quantitative and included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation, and regression. The regression analysis reveals that ethical-contextual awareness and perceived institutional support are the most significant predictors of STEM+ education acceptance, with maker-based pedagogy and AI literacy also positively contributing. The findings suggest that resistance to reform is minimal, with primary barriers to implementation being institutional readiness. The study recommends that sustainable interdisciplinary innovation requires aligning curriculum redesign with faculty development and enhancing digital infrastructure. These findings offer an evidence-based framework for universities seeking to strengthen workforce readiness in an AI-driven economy.

Keywords

References

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