Revised 7th curriculum on demand announced to establish ‘East Asian History' newly as selective history subject. At present moment that we need to integrate the education of Korean history and World history, 'East Asian History', which integrates Ko...
Revised 7th curriculum on demand announced to establish ‘East Asian History' newly as selective history subject. At present moment that we need to integrate the education of Korean history and World history, 'East Asian History', which integrates Korea and neighboring countries' history, will be the starting point.
This paper pointed out the problem of history education in Korea with current curriculum first that Korean history and World history were separated, and then renewed understanding of the necessity of 'East Asian history'. And this study examined the description of the opening of a port which is the beginning of East Asian modern history in current textbook on history, and then examined the limit in recognizing accurate East Asian modern history. Then this study examined how 'East Asian History' overcame the problem of history education in current curriculum by analyzing the model unit, ‘The meaning of the opening of a port and the aspect of establishing a nation-state’. Accordingly, this study proposed the desirable direction and contents of describing ‘East Asian History’ in textbook.
Current history education suggests the period of Korean history differently in ‘World history’ and ‘Korean history’, thus students became confused in understanding Korean history. And World History and Korean History describe units with different standard, so it is difficult for students to organically understand World history and Korean history. In particular, Korea, China, and Japan, these 3 countries have close relation on the basis of the unique feature of cultural area which is the relation of tribute and installation in former and modern age. This had great influence on modern history of each country, but it is difficult to understand history with grasping influence of neighboring countries and unique characteristic in each country in balance, because curriculum separates Korean history and World history and textbook on 'World History' describes each country separately. Accordingly, Establishing ‘East Asian History' newly in this revised curriculum is desirable to consider the characteristics of East Asian cultural area, and organically understand Korean history and World history.
'East Asian History' in revised curriculum classified the period on the basis of great social change in East Asian area, selected remarkable subject matters in each period, and then made out units. It made an effort in trying to reflect the unique feature of East Asian cultural area in contents. However, some parts of model unit, ‘The meaning of the opening of a port and the aspect of establishing a nation-state’ describe existing Western-oriented world history like the description that western modern age is the tide-mark of development in human history.
Textbook on ‘East Asian History’ should focus on the unique process of each country's premodern development to secure the identity of East Asian history with centering on unique characteristics of East Asia. And it must address how the relation of tribute and installation, which was unique international relation in East Asia, was changed by the opening of a port to understand East Asian history and premodern history together after the opening of a port.
The authors of ‘East Asian History’ actively utilize teaching materials as much as possible to complement the body of book because it can be described on the basis of Korean history or Korean viewpoint of East Asian history. Textbook on ‘East Asian History’ describes the history of various countries and regions, so it must suggest the historical materials in teaching materials from various viewpoint, and lead students to have open mind with being free from narrow-minded historical view. Therefore it must suggest teaching materials in a type of challenge like activities of exploration, and be made out to help students master knowledge by themselves in the process of approaching to correct answers.