Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology
Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study
Phuong Thuy La 1, Kim Mạnh Tuấn 1 * , Thi Thu Hien Le 1, Chi Thanh Nguyen 1, Thi Thanh Nghiem 1
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1 Vietnam National University Hanoi - University of Education, Vietnam
* Corresponding Author
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Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 2026 - Volume 8 Issue 2, Article No: e45129
https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129

Article Type: Research Article

Published Online: 09 Jun 2026

Views: 9 | Downloads: 6

ABSTRACT
Joy-centred pedagogy has emerged as a response to declining student engagement and rising emotional fatigue across contemporary higher education systems. Generative learning theory conceptualizes durable understanding as the outcome of selecting, organizing, and integrating processes that require sustained cognitive effort. This study examined whether relational climate dimensions associated with joy-centred pedagogy and structured generative activities predicted student agency, academic engagement, and cumulative GPA within Vietnamese universities. A convergent mixed-methods design combined survey data from 652 undergraduates with interviews conducted with 12 faculty members across disciplinary clusters. Hierarchical regression modelling indicated that intellectual vitality and relational care predicted student agency, while self-explanation frequency and retrieval practice frequency demonstrated significant associations with engagement and performance. Interaction analysis demonstrated that intellectual vitality amplified the positive association between self-explanation frequency and both academic engagement and cumulative GPA within reform-oriented Vietnamese universities. Qualitative evidence illustrated how faculty members framed productive struggle as meaningful academic effort under reform-oriented governance conditions. Integrated interpretation suggests that disciplined intellectual vitality stabilizes generative effort within accountability-driven institutional contexts.
KEYWORDS
agency engagement generative learning higher education joy
In-text citation: (La et al., 2026)
Reference: La, P. T., Tuấn, K. M., Le, T. T. H., Nguyen, C. T., & Nghiem, T. T. (2026). Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 8(2), e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: La PT, Tuấn KM, Le TTH, Nguyen CT, Nghiem TT. Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2026;8(2), e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: La PT, Tuấn KM, Le TTH, Nguyen CT, Nghiem TT. Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology. 2026;8(2):e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
In-text citation: (La et al., 2026)
Reference: La, Phuong Thuy, Kim Mạnh Tuấn, Thi Thu Hien Le, Chi Thanh Nguyen, and Thi Thanh Nghiem. "Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology 2026 8 no. 2 (2026): e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
In-text citation: (La et al., 2026)
Reference: La, P. T., Tuấn, K. M., Le, T. T. H., Nguyen, C. T., and Nghiem, T. T. (2026). Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, 8(2), e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
In-text citation: (La et al., 2026)
Reference: La, Phuong Thuy et al. "Joy-centred pedagogy and generative learning in Vietnamese higher education: A mixed-methods study". Journal of Pedagogical Sociology and Psychology, vol. 8, no. 2, 2026, e45129. https://doi.org/10.33902/JPSP.202645129
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