The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the developmental trajectory of Korea’s national Standard Childcare Curriculum (SCC) from the 1st curriculum in 2010 to the revised version in 2024, focusing on policy, structural, and philosoph...
The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the developmental trajectory of Korea’s national Standard Childcare Curriculum (SCC) from the 1st curriculum in 2010 to the revised version in 2024, focusing on policy, structural, and philosophical dimensions. Using a document analysis method, this study examined key policy documents including the 1st (2010), 2nd (2012), 3rd (2013), and 4th (2020) SCC, as well as the 2024 revised SCC, relevant legislation, explanatory guides, and ministerial policy materials. The analytical framework consisted of three domains: policy criteria, structural criteria, and philosophical criteria. The findings of the study are as follows. First, in the policy dimension, the SCC evolved from a welfare-centered childcare policy system led by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to a structure that strengthened the connection between education and childcare with the introduction of the Nuri Curriculum (2012–2013). In the 2024 revision, the jurisdiction over the SCC was unified under the Ministry of Education, thereby establishing a policy foundation for an integrated perspective on childcare and early childhood education. Notably, the 2024 revision formally incorporated young children’s rights as a core principle of the national curriculum, marking a significant policy shift. Second, in the structural dimension, the 1st SCC (2010) organized content around six developmental domains; however, structural features gradually shifted toward alignment with the Nuri Curriculum, age-specific characteristics, and integrated learning experiences from 2012 onward. The 2020 revision further strengthened play-centered and daily-life-centered organizational principles, restructuring curriculum components around children’s play and daily routines rather than detailed content items. In the 2024 revision, “child-rights-based childcare environments” emerged as a new structural category, indicating a transition from a development-centered framework to one grounded in play and children’s rights. Third, in the philosophical dimension, the understanding of young children and the role of teachers showed the most notable changes. The 2010 curriculum conceptualized young children from a developmentalist perspective and positioned teachers as implementers of pre-planned activities. Beginning with the revisions in 2012 and 2013, however, increasing emphasis was placed on flexible and context-sensitive curriculum implementation that reflects children’s responses, institutional contexts, and community characteristics. The 2020 revision established a play-centered and process-oriented philosophy, clearly presenting children’s spontaneous play as the foundation of learning and development. The 2024 revision further advanced a rights-based approach, defining young children as active subjects with rights and redefining 78 teachers as professional supporters responsible for enabling play, interaction, environment design, and rights realization. Based on these findings, this study offers the following suggestions. First, the revision process of the Standard Childcare Curriculum should institutionalize active participation from childcare centers so that the perspectives of teachers and directors are reflected from the document development stage. Second, to strengthen the continuity between the infant (0–2) and early childhood (3–5) curricula, systematic support is needed, including national guidelines for transitions, linked professional development for infant and early childhood teachers, and institutional collaboration structures. Third, to effectively implement play-centered and rights-based curricula, it is necessary to establish supportive conditions such as caseand coaching-based teacher training, tools for incorporating children’s voices, flexible daily schedules, and reduced administrative burden. Overall, the study demonstrates that while the SCC consistently maintains the core goals of supporting young children’s development and improving the quality of childcare, it has evolved through both continuity and discontinuity in response to policy shifts, societal needs, and developments in educational philosophy. By examining the SCC’s transformation through an integrated framework, this study provides a systematic understanding of the historical trajectory of national childcare curricula and offers foundational insights for future policy-making and curriculum revision in early childhood education.