Surface enactment of competency-based curriculum reform: Evidence from geography classrooms in Vietnam

Despite the global adoption of competency-based curriculum (CBC), a persistent gap exists between policy intentions and classroom practice. Empirical studies on CBC enactment are scarce, especially in geography education and Asian contexts. This study examines CBC enactment in Vietnamese geography classrooms through video analysis of 24 secondary-level lessons, integrating three frameworks: Curriculum Genre Theory, LUKAS competence-oriented task framework, and foundational CBC principles. The findings reveal a recurring pattern of surface enactment across the lessons analyzed, in which visible reform features coexist with unchanged core pedagogical structures. Across all analyzed dimensions, examination-oriented constraints steer instructional practice toward knowledge reproduction, contrary to reform objectives. The concept of surface enactment provides a theoretical lens to understand partial implementation as a coherent teacher response to conflicting systemic demands. These results suggest that substantive transformation requires addressing assessment culture alongside instructional practices, with significant implications for CBC implementation in centralized, exam-driven educational systems worldwide.