Exploring the alleged effect of lower academic achievement after the free semester in Korean Middle Schools
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Exploring the alleged effect of lower academic achievement after the free semester in Korean Middle Schools Hyekyung Jung1 · Young‑Eun Kim2 · Insuk Kim2 Received: 9 February 2020 / Revised: 28 July 2020 / Accepted: 28 August 2020 © Education Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea 2020
Abstract The Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary School Act (2015) mandates that from 2016 all middle schools in Korea must administer one semester as a free semester (FS), called an exam-free semester or, alternatively, a free learning semester. Consequently, some Korean parents and students have expressed a feeling of anxiety about having no exams during the FS. This anxiety arises primarily from their concern about academic loss and neglect of study in the absence of exams, with ensuing lower achievement in future tests. There are many studies showing a positive effect of the FS on learning, but little is known about its practical effect on student achievement. Thus, this study explored if the FS affects students’ achievement by estimating the average population treatment effect of the FS policy on academic achievement in Seoul schools. Based on the inverse probability of treatment weight (IPTW) approach with existing empirical data, the study found that, overall, no substantial differences were noticed in the academic achievement between the pilot FS schools and the non-FS schools. The findings provide empirical evidence for the effect of the FS on academic achievement, as well as critical information for policy makers. Keywords Free semester · Achievement · Causal effects · Inverse probability of treatment weight
Introduction The Enforcement Decree of the Elementary and Secondary School Act (2015.9.15) mandates that from 2016 all middle schools in Korea must administer a free semester (FS) for one semester, called an exam-free semester or, alternatively, a free learning semester. This act specifies that one semester among the first or second year of middle school should be implemented as a FS during which classroom assessment consists of a variety of performance tests instead of regular * Young‑Eun Kim [email protected] Hyekyung Jung [email protected] Insuk Kim [email protected] 1
Korea University of Technology and Education, 1600, Chungjeol‑ro, Byeongcheon‑myeon, Dongnam‑gu, Cheonan‑si, Chungcheongnam‑do 31253, South Korea
Korea Institute for Curriculum & Evaluation, 8, Gyohak‑ro, Deoksan‑eup, Jincheon‑gun, Chungcheongbuk‑do 27873, South Korea
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paper and pencil tests such as the mid-term and final exams which are normally carried out (Ministry of Education 2015a). The purpose of the FS is to let students explore their aptitude and possible future career, experience the delight of learning, and develop the ability of self-directed learning (Ministry of Education 2015a). This policy is a brake on the time-honored school convention which depends on regular paper and pencil tests in evaluating student achievement. The policy has, however, initiated a debate about the relati
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