Index

Introduction
Methods
Results
Discussion
Limitations and Implications
Conclusion
References

Abstract

The cultivation of a behavioral culture that is conducive to learning is of utmost significance and must be given top priority for the students who are now enrolled in today's educational institutions. A sample of 339 students and 55 teachers participated in the survey using convenience sampling to determine the relationship between current educational requirements and cultural conventions on behavior. According to the findings, both teachers and students placed a high importance on the cultural norms criteria as well as the components of behavioral culture that are associated with it. Education of educators to make them more aware of the widespread ramifications caused by a culture that fosters unhealthy conduct is the primary emphasis of this research. Because of this insight, educators can build and construct effective techniques for teaching behavioral culture within the setting of Vietnam because of this awareness. This helps to improve the culture of the school, and consequently, a new human personality is established and developed because of the efforts of the students. A new human personality is established and developed as a result of the efforts of the students. These symbolic systems are what give a community its unique traits, thus it's important to pay attention to them.

Keywords: Behavior, Cultural standards, Culture, Education, High school students.

Received: 11 April 2023/ Revised: 5 June 2023/ Accepted: 7 August 2023/ Published: 23 August 2023

Contribution/ Originality

This study emphasizes the significance of fostering a learning-friendly culture in educational institutions. The research contributes by making educators aware of the negative effects of a culture of negativity and facilitating the development of effective teaching techniques. This contributes to enhancing school culture and fostering the personal growth of students.

1. INTRODUCTION

Students' instruction in behavioral culture is crucial for developing their personalities. Watson (2001) forewarned that student performance might suffer if the culture is not conducive to learning. The ideal setting for facilitating teaching and learning programs and involving staff, teachers, and students in the school can be created through culture (Hofstede, 2011). The emphasis on creating a learning environment at the school is essential to raising teacher morale and student achievement (MacNeil, Prater, & Busch, 2009). Particularly in the context of distinctive student, teacher, family, and community characteristics (e.g., race, language, cultural norms, familial practices, and socioeconomic status) (Jones, Caravaca, Cizek, Horner, & Vincent, 2006), interest in the function and meaning of "culture" has grown. It is crucial to consider these characteristics to ensure student success in various contexts, with diverse school populations, and when particularly difficult academic and social behavior problems are encountered. The gradual shortening of geographical distance has brought about an advancement in modern science and technology. It has developed conditions necessary for the cultures of different nations on different continents to interact. The interference and reception of human culture and national culture, which are both random and non-selective, have had a significant impact on traditional and cultural values; in particular, the problems between behavioral culture and the culture of the current school. According to the reports that the authorities gathered during the 2017-2018 school year in Vietnam and the reports that the education and training sector across the country submitted to the Ministry of Education and Training, there were several hundred instances of violence in schools in Vietnam. Nonetheless, according to statistics compiled by the police, the number of incidents related to school violence was over 2,000, with schools accounting for 53% of the total number of instances (Linh, 2019). According to another study (Tran-Thi, 2012), a survey was conducted with over 200 junior high school students in Hue City. The survey results showed that up to 85% of the students believed that acts of school violence occurred at a level that ranged from infrequent to very frequent. Research also demonstrated that language violence in a range of behaviors occurred more frequently than physical, psychological, and financial violence combined.

One recurring idea is that people's "doing" things (e.g., "organized practices," "patterns relative to behavior," "products of human action," "learned behavior," "habits," "activities," "behavior") defines culture (Sugai, O'Keeffe, & Fallon, 2012). A few of these definitions highlight what the person "believes" (e.g., "customs," "social forms," "thought," "language," "values," "perspectives," "interpretations") (Sugai et al., 2012). A group of people is said to have "culture" when they share a similar set of behaviors and beliefs and when these behaviors and beliefs are passed down or learned through generations, helping to keep the cultural group alive. To put it another way, "culture" is defined widely in the social sciences to include common traits and/or behavior within a group context that supports the maintenance of the group's identity (Sugai et al., 2012). Kang and Chang (2016) has studied the impact of culture on the learning behavior of Western students. "Culture significantly impacts how well students learn, including how they communicate in class and interact with others.

The elements constituting culture for high school students include such elements as the moral value system, the school's cultural value system: traditional and modern cultural factors, education level and qualifications level of civilization, the value of the foundation of ethical and legal norms; the value of scientific knowledge, humanity: the value of conscience; the value of the good; kindness, attitude, gestures, behavior, emotional nuances, and transparency in all cases. These elements reflect the connections between the school and society: the connections between the young and the old, the connections between members, and the connections between the school and society with each student. The following components of culture for students are education level and civilization level: all geared toward the ideals of truth, goodness, and beauty. Culture, in general, and the specific culture in particular, carries an identity of its own, the "national," and abides by the common standards and standards of the "time" grand, connecting the value system from tradition to modernity. A higher degree of education is required to unlock the door to the human mind and soul and enter a more developed culture. The degree of civilization in a particular historical era shows development with ever-rising value ladders.

Some of the elements that make up a student's behavior culture is their use of manners, mannerisms, behaviors, and emotional nuance. This is the component of all communication that most obviously demonstrates the attitudes and behaviors between individuals. It shows up in interactions with others, in school, at employment, with friends their age, and even with themselves. People's attitudes and actions toward the environment, society, and one another, as well as how people interact with one another, are all expressions of people's behavioral culture. Behavioral culture can be seen as a way of interacting and dealing with others. Because of this, communication and behavior are not only incredibly important but also necessary for the continued life of each individual and the growth of society as a whole.

2. METHODS

2.1. Participants

This research surveyed instructors and students at Dang Tran Con High School and Phan Dang Luu High School in Hue City, Vietnam. The sample included 55 teachers and 339 students. The students comprised146 males and193 females’ while 112 students belonged to grade 10, 77 students to grade 11 and 150 students to grade 12.

2.2. Procedure

A survey questionnaire was used to gather information from participating teachers and students about the current state of behavioral culture. Volunteers received a briefing on the goals and restrictions of the study prior to the survey's administration, and that their privacy and confidentiality would be respected. Each participant completed a self-reporting survey after providing their informed permission. The research team had also explained the subject through the procedure before they filled out the questionnaire.

2.3. Measurement

To determine how well high school students today comprehend the problem of behavioral culture, this study used a survey specifically created for teachers and students. The survey questions were asked on a range from 1 to 5 (1 = Strongly Disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Relatively agree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly Agree).

3. RESULTS

Table 1 shows the socio-demographic characteristics of the sample. Out of the 55 teachers who participated in this study, 41(74.5%) were male while 14(25.5%) were female. Their designations revealed that 50 (90.9%) of them were teachers while the remaining 5 (9.1) were heads of department. Their academic level showed that 41.8% were postgraduate teachers, 46.4% were university-graduated teachers and 1.8% were college-graduate teachers.

Of the student respondents, male students comprised 43.1% while the female students comprised 56.9% of the sample. About their grades, 112 (33%), 77 (22.7%), and 150 (44.2%) students studied in grade 10, 11 and 12 respectively.

Table 1. Sample’s socio-demographic characteristics.

Factors		N	%
Teachers (n=55)
Gender	Male	41	74.5
Gender	Female	14	25.5
Academic level	College	1	1.8
	University	31	56.4
	Postgraduate	23	41.8
Workplace	School leader	0	0
	Head of the department	5	9.1
	Teacher	50	90.9
Students (n=339)
Gender	Male	146	43.1
Gender	Female	193	56.9
Grade	10	112	33.0
	11	77	22.7
	12	150	44.2
Ranked academic	Weak	4	1.2
	Average	58	17.1
	Good	149	44.0
	Very good	128	37.8

A lot of outstanding students participated in the survey; specifically, 44.0% of them were ranked academically good, followed by 37.8% as very good, 17.1% as average and the remaining 1.2% as weak.

Table 2. Descriptive elements of behavioral culture for high school students.

No	Elements of behavioral culture	Teacher		Student
No	Elements of behavioral culture	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
1	Moral value system	4.16	0.764	4.17	0.956
2	School's cultural value system: traditional and modern cultural elements	4.15	0.756	4.16	0.859
3	Education level and civilization level	3.98	0.733	4.15	0.863
4	Value of ethical and legal foundation; value of scientific knowledge	4.09	0.823	4.18	0.869
5	Kindness	4.25	0.844	4.25	0.897
6	Attitudes, gestures, behavior, emotional nuances	4.18	0.772	4.21	0.878
7	Transparency in all cases	4.07	0.766	4.22	0.886

The elements of behavioral culture for high school students are demonstrated in Table 2. According to teachers, “Kindness” was the highest element of behavioral culture for high school students, with a mean score of 4.25 (SD=0.844), followed by “attitudes, gestures, behavior, emotional nuances” at 4.18 score (SD=0.772). The mean score of the “Moral value system” was 4.16 (SD=0.764). The item “school's cultural value system: traditional and modern cultural elements” had a mean score of 4.15 (SD=0.756). The mean score of “value of the ethical and legal foundation; value of scientific knowledge” and “transparency in all cases” were respectively 4.09 (SD=0.823) and 4.07 (SD=0.766). The content of the item “education level and civilization level” had the lowest mean score of 3.98 (SD=0.823).

Similar to teachers’ score, students also showed “Kindness” with the highest mean score of 4.25 (SD=0.863). The second element of behavioral culture was “Transparency in all cases” with a mean score of 4.22 (SD=0.886), followed by “Attitudes, gestures, behavior, emotional nuances” at 4.21 score (SD=0.878). The item “value of the ethical and legal foundation; the value of scientific knowledge” had a mean score of 4.18 (SD=0.869). “Moral value system” was the fourth element ofbehavioral culture with a mean score of 4.17 (SD=0.956). The item “The school's cultural value system: traditional and modern cultural elements” had a mean score of 4.16 (SD=0.895). The lowest element rated by students was “Education level and civilization level” with a mean score of 4.15 (SD=0,863).

Table 3. Descriptive elements of cultural standards requirements for high school students.

No	The cultural standards requirements	Teacher		Student
No	The cultural standards requirements	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
1	Standard communication language suitable for all situations	4.16	0.898	4.25	0.927
2	Respect differences, treat others fairly, advise, listen and encourage others	4.13	0.747	4.35	0.859
3	Building a safe, healthy and friendly educational environment	4.24	0.922	4.38	0.846
4	Do not offend, cause disunity in any case	4.24	0.793	4.28	0.880
5	Reflect and fight against behavior that violates standards	4.05	0.891	4.26	0.865
6	Respect, friendliness, cooperation, sharing	4.20	0.803	4.37	0.808
7	Respect, politeness, honesty, sharing, compliance with the requirements as prescribed	4.24	0.793	4.40	0.831
8	Do not fabricate information; not offend the spirit, honor, dignity, and commit acts of violence	4.13	1.019	4.31	0.872
9	Behaviors that adhere to ethical standards, are accepted by society, and are in accordance with the provisions of the law	4.16	0.898	4.30	0.939

Table 3 indicates the cultural standards requirements for high school students. According to teachers, the item “Building a safe, healthy and friendly educational environment”, “Do not offend, cause disunity in any case” and “Respect, politeness, honesty, sharing, compliance with the requirements as prescribed” were appreciated at the mean score of 4.24 (respectively SD=0.922, SD=0.793 and SD=0.793). The mean score of “Respect, friendliness, cooperation, sharing” was 4.20 (SD=0.803). Followed by “Standard communication language suitable for all situations” and “Behaviors that adhere to ethical standards, are accepted by society, and are in accordance with the provisions of the law” with the same mean score of 4.16 (SD=0.898). The item “Respect differences, treat others fairly, advise, listen and encourage others” and “Do not fabricate information; not offend the spirit, honor, dignity, and commit acts of violence” had the same the mean score of 4.13 (respectively SD=0.747 and SD=1.019). The lowest cultural standards requirement was “Reflect and fight against behavior that violates standards” at 4.05 score (SD=0.891).

According to students, “Respect, politeness, honesty, sharing, compliance with the requirements as prescribed” was the most appreciated cultural standards requirements with a mean score of 4.40 (SD=0.831). Followed by “Building a safe, healthy and friendly educational environment” and “Respect, friendliness, cooperation, sharing” respectively had the mean score of 4.38 (SD=0.846) and 4.37 (SD=0,808). The item “Respect differences, treat others fairly, advise, listen and encourage others” had a mean score of 4.35 (SD=0.859). The following item was “Do not fabricate information; not offend the spirit, honor, dignity, and commit acts of violence” with a mean score of 4.31 (SD=0.872). The mean score of “Do not offend, cause disunity in any case” and “Reflect and fight against behavior that violates standards” respectively were 4.28 (SD=0.880) and 4.26 (SD=0.865). The lowest item was “Standard communication language suitable for all situations” at a 4.25 score (SD=0.927).

4. DISCUSSION

The research indicated that the elements of behavioral culture were appreciated by both teachers and students. The cultural standards requirements were positively evaluated. Both instructors and students admired the elements of behavioral culture. They rated the characteristic "Kindness" the highest. Kindness is a common term in educational contexts (Binfet & Passmore, 2019). According to the American Psychological Association (APA) Dictionary (VandenBos, 2007), kindness is the intentional performance of acts of beneficence and assistance toward another. Kindness is commonly believed to be motivated by the desire to assist another, rather than by explicit recompense or punishment. There is overwhelming support for the promotion and enthusiasm of prosocial behavior and kindness among students, by teachers in their classrooms and by school administrators through school-wide events with a focus on conducting kind acts. According to Huynh and Tran-Chi (2019), high school pupils with academic difficulties, such as communication problems, must receive guidance on these issues. Teachers instruct students to be kind through classroom discussions centered on the topic of kindness. In the context of schools, it is conceivable that high-quality interpersonal connections are characterized by acts of compassion toward one another. When students highly value kindness and behave kindly in school, their instructors and peers are likely to be viewed as a safe haven. This results in students internalizing the beliefs and values regarding kindness, which then leads to students behaving graciously in the classroom. This conclusion can be drawn from the fact that teachers and peers place a high value on compassion (Lee & Huang, 2021).

The cultural standards requirements were positively evaluated. Students appreciated respect, politeness, honesty, and sharing were some of the cultural standards’ requirements. According to Hruschka (2009), what it means to be a good friend is dependent on the expectations of one's social circle, and attempting to approach a wide cultural norm may be not only unneeded but also counterproductive in that it distracts from locally relevant examples of suitable friendship behaviors. Teachers were the same to students; respect, politeness, honesty and sharing were some of the cultural standard requirements. In addition, teachers highly evaluated building a safe, healthy and friendly educational environment as an important cultural standard requirement. One of the most significant aspects of a school's environment is the relationship between teaching and learning (Thapa, Cohen, Guffey, & Higgins-D’Alessandro, 2013). The administrators of the school and the teachers should work hard to provide a precise definition of the norms, goals, and values that form the environment in which students learn (Thapa et al., 2013). Students are better able to improve their awareness and understanding, better able to regulate their own emotions, and better able to change their behavior for the better when they are in an educational setting that is safe, healthy, and welcoming. This helps to orient good values in the behavior culture and in society.

5. LIMITATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

It is important to note some restrictions on this research. Firstly, this study focused on Vietnamese teachers and high school students, its findings might not apply to other sociocultural contexts or nations. It is essential to carry out a cross-national comparison of the effects of behavioral culture research. Secondly, the research is cross-sectional, because a lengthy analysis of the causal relationship between factors was not possible within the scope of this study. To create strategies and intervention techniques suitable for high school students in the Vietnamese context, empirical and qualitative studies must be conducted to analyze the effects of cultural behavior research on students. The absence of information from the parent’s perspective is another constraint that needs to be considered. The results acquired from complaints based on teachers and students’ self-reported data were the basis for these findings. Because of this, the reliability and accuracy of the responses from the students are affected.

In addition, the information gained from this study may help parents and professionals become more aware of the pervasive repercussions caused by a culture that encourages unhealthy conduct (such as school violence). Instructors can use the findings of this study to develop and design effective techniques for teaching behavioral culture within the context of Vietnam using the information gained from this study.

6. CONCLUSION

Students and teachers in high schools in Hue city have a high level of appreciation for the components that make up the required behavioral culture standards. In light of the fact that behavioral culture plays a significant part in the development of a person's personality and in the education of a younger generation that strives to live up to high ideals and standards, the question of how to establish behavioral culture in a school ought to be regarded as the central and most important concern there and whether that culture provides students with the tools they need to develop the cultural awareness and communication skills necessary to succeed in their academic pursuits, and in various social settings.

Funding: This research is supported by University of Education, Hue University, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam (Grant number: T.21-GD-04).
Institutional Review Board Statement: The Ethical Committee of the University of Education, Hue University, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam has granted approval for this study on 22 March 2021 (Ref. No. T.21-GD-04).
Transparency: The authors state that the manuscript is honest, truthful, and transparent, that no key aspects of the investigation have been omitted, and that any differences from the study as planned have been clarified. This study followed all writing ethics.

Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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