Characteristics of chemistry education during the enlightenment period in Korea are examined by analyzing chemistry textbooks used in the period. Specifically, the analysis is made from the aspects of science, students and teachers. As a result it is ...
Characteristics of chemistry education during the enlightenment period in Korea are examined by analyzing chemistry textbooks used in the period. Specifically, the analysis is made from the aspects of science, students and teachers. As a result it is found that; first, scientific knowledge itself is emphasized, contrary to those described in the curriculum of chemistry used in the period, and it consists of introduction, non-metals, metals and organic chemistry in chemistry textbook, second, the level of chemistry is similar with that in present high schools, and its technical constitution might have been difficult for a student to study with an experiment, third, terminology lacks consistency and some textbooks include contents of other subject. It is therefore believed that the chemistry textbooks of the enlightenment period is scientifically incomplete and would not have been easy for the teachers to use them to teach the students. In addition, considering the students as a beginner of modern sciences, study level could have been too difficult for them to follow. In conclusion, it appears that chemistry education during the enlightenment period in Korea was not so successful.