Advancing Student-Centric Education in Korea: Issues and Challenges
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Advancing Student-Centric Education in Korea: Issues and Challenges JeongA Yang1 • Charlene Tan2
De La Salle University 2019
Abstract This article focuses on a major reform goal to advance a student-centric education in South Korea and the associated issues and challenges. This research study draws upon Wittgenstein’s concept of world-picture that brings to the fore the cultural influences on policy enactment. Interview data with teachers and students in Korea revealed two main findings: the curriculum and teaching methods in Korean schools combine teacher-centredness and studentcentredness; and the policy initiative to promote learnercentred education is moderated by socio-cultural beliefs and practices. The significant manifestations of worldpictures in Korea are Confucian norms: the priority of studying, the pursuit of credentialism, the children’s motivation to study hard because of filial piety and parental investment in private tutoring for their children. On the one hand, the policy initaitive to push for learner-centred education reflects the openness of the Korean policymakers, teachers and students towards progressive education. On the other hand, the endeavours of the policymakers to move away from an exam-oriented system are vitiated by local cultural world-pictures. The experience of Korea illustrates the usefulness of the notion of world-picture to illuminate the evolving and complex realities of policy enactment and outcomes.
& Charlene Tan [email protected] 1
College of Education, Sungkyunkwan University, 25-2 Sungkyunkwan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03063, Korea
2
Policy and Leadership Studies, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore
Keywords Confucianism Culture Hagwon South Korea Student-centred education World-picture
Introduction South Korea (hereinafter Korea) is among the East Asian countries that have delivered consistently unrivalled results in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS). Since its participation in PISA 2000, Korea has been ranked among the top ten for reading and science, and among the top 15 for mathematics of all participating countries (Ministry of Education 2017; OECD 2010, 2014, 2016). Likewise, Korean students have outperformed their peers in many countries in mathematics and science in TIMMS (TIMSS & PIRLS International Study Centre 2016). Korea, like other East Asian jurisdictions such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore, are noted for its shared Confucian heritage. Park (2015) observes, ‘‘Many Asian countries, including Korea, have been highly influenced by Confucianism, a system of teachings in which the importance of education is emphasised as a tool for personal development and the primary mechanism promoting mobility’’ (p. 145). Despite an extensive body of literature on high-performing education systems and international assessments (e.g. Ch
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