The purpose of this research is to find a way to the educational curriculum revision and textbook improvement for the future by analyzing the Korean geography educational curriculum and textbook contents that are related to the revised educational cur...
The purpose of this research is to find a way to the educational curriculum revision and textbook improvement for the future by analyzing the Korean geography educational curriculum and textbook contents that are related to the revised educational curriculum 2009, and by surveying teachers and students on suitability at schools.
Firstly, educational curriculum and the related chapters in textbooks were analyzed to grasp the content factors of multicultural education suggested in educational curriculum and textbooks. This research adopted Identity, Diversity-Pluralism, Social Justice, Openness, and Globalization as 5 major concepts and then elaborated on these ideas with 28 sub-factors and details. These were divided into 3 domains, which are knowledge, function, and value and used as analysis criteria applicable to teaching-learning activities. The results show that content factors of multicultural education appear in almost the same frequency on both education curriclum and textbooks. However, content factors related to 'social justice' do not appear on education curriculum while they do throughout textbooks and their chapters.
Secondly, a survey was conducted to check opinions of teachers and students on the education curriculum and textbooks, and to give consideration to field suitability. The criterion of questionnaires is based on 'textbooks evaluation standard and its clauses(final plan)' of Ministry of education, Science and technology' and 'examination criterion of field suitability and research note on the content analysis of field suitability by Korea institute for curriculum and evaluation'. And then, I have conducted this survey on 10 teachers and 100 students in random order nationally. The results are as follow. In terms of experience and activities, it turned out that both teachers and the students have little opportunity to face diverse cultures. In terms of cognition, it showed that there is much negative impression on the multi-culture itself. In terms of education curriculum and revision of textbooks, the contents are far from reality and too insufficient. In terms of teaching and learning activities, even though most of the multi-cultural education is performed through the textbooks, it's almost impossible to make the students fully understand multiculturalism with the present textbooks. In terms of education curriculum revision and textbooks improvement and its direction, it lays emphasis on improvement of education curriculum and textbooks and teaching-learning activities that can modify the mindsets of teachers and students.
Thirdly, it seeks future revision of education curriculum and textbook improvement which are based on the results of their analysis and the survey. It suggests some improvement in revision of future education curriculum and textbooks. According to the limit of revised educational curriculum 2009 and the textbook of『Korean geography』, there should be improvement, modification, and complement on biased description of education curriculum and textbooks during teaching-learning activity. According to the analysis results of revised educational curriculum 2009 and textbooks, it suggests textbook description related to various topics, textbook structure that accepts multiculturalism from various perspectives, and improvement of textbook verification system that make it possible for students to form identical perception toward multiculturalism. According to the survey results that was conducted to collect the opinions of teachers and students and review suitability at schools, it suggests preparing school programs, revision of korean geography education curriculum and textooks, and teachers' and students' awareness improvement through changes in teaching-learning activity.
Finally, it seeks future revision direction of education curriculum and textbooks. The following is future revision direction of education curriculum and textbooks based on above suggestions. National education curriculum should contain more comprehensive multicultural content factors and describe korean geography education curriculum thoroughly. Also, there should be a system that considers teachers' and students' awareness and suitability at schools, multiculturalism-oriented description, and content development that can draw geographical imagination and form positive awareness.
To make a conclusion by putting above results together, establishing direction for multicultural education is much needed that reflects essence and purpose of multicultural education and the reality of Korea's multicultural education.