The most significant change in the 2022 Revised National Music Curriculum is the establishment of ‘Composition’ as an independent domain. This structural independence represents a major transition, the first of its kind in 49 years since the 3rd N...
The most significant change in the 2022 Revised National Music Curriculum is the establishment of ‘Composition’ as an independent domain. This structural independence represents a major transition, the first of its kind in 49 years since the 3rd National Curriculum. Based on the intent of this revision, this study aims to examine how the contents of the 2022 Curriculum are reflected in the actual performance assessments of schools. Specifically, the purpose of this study is to analyze the current status of music composition performance assessments in the first semester of the first grade of middle school for the 2025 academic year—the first year of the 2022 Curriculum implementation—and compare it with the 2024 academic year, which was the final year of the 2015 Revised Music Curriculum. The research question is: ‘To what extent and in what manner are composition performance assessments being implemented in first-grade middle school music classes?’
The subjects of this study included all middle schools under the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education. To ensure research reliability, a comprehensive survey was conducted on the “Music Teaching-Learning Operation Plans” and “Assessment Plans” for the first semester of the first grade, as disclosed on the ‘School Alimi’ (School Information Disclosure) website. The collected documents were analyzed based on 13 items across four domains: general operation of music subjects, status of composition performance assessment, content of activities, and assessment methods. Data were processed using descriptive statistics, focusing on frequencies and percentages.
The findings of this study are as follows. First, there was a quantitative increase in the implementation of composition performance assessments, with the number of schools conducting these assessments in 2025 increasing by approximately 10% compared to the previous year. However, a thematic concentration on specific activities, such as ‘Cup-tap,’ highlights the need for a more balanced approach to diverse creative activities. Second, creative activities utilizing digital media and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have expanded. Notably, the proportion of assessments utilizing AI surged to 12.90%, signaling the start of a meaningful shift; however, as field implementation is still in its infancy compared to academic research, multifaceted support is required. Third, the musical elements utilized in composition assessments have diversified. Due to the distribution of AI-based programs and the establishment of digital infrastructure, creative activities have expanded to include harmony and timbre—elements that were previously difficult for students to access. Fourth, a severe bias in musical genres persisted across both academic years. While Western classical and popular music accounted for approximately 84%, the use of Traditional Korean Music (Gugak) and world music was minimal, necessitating strategies to activate musical experiences from diverse cultures. Fifth, the focus of achievement standards has shifted, and the assessment of values and attitudes has expanded. The weight of achievement standards moved toward ‘media-utilizing and self-directed creation,’ and the ratio of value and attitude assessments increased by 15%, though awareness of ‘copyright’ and ‘responsibility’ remains insufficient. Sixth, there was a transition from teacher-centered evaluation to student-participatory and process-oriented assessment. While the proportion of assessments conducted solely by teachers decreased by 22%, process-oriented methods such as self/peer evaluation and portfolios expanded, demonstrating the substantiation of the 2022 Curriculum’s assessment goals.
In conclusion, the application of the 2022 Revised National Music Curriculum has brought about simultaneous quantitative expansion and qualitative deepening of middle school composition performance assessments. Meaningful changes were identified, including the diversification of activities through digital media and AI, and improvements in process-oriented evaluation. However, resolving thematic and categorical biases and disseminating Gugak-based composition models remain tasks for future observation. This study analyzed the empirical reflection of curricular revisions in schools, providing concrete data to bridge the gap between the curriculum and field practice. Future research should continue to analyze the connectivity between textbook activities and field implementation, as well as the effectiveness of AI-based creative education.