This study is a qualitative survey on the things experienced in the process of implementing policies to Educational Gap-Reduction Policy in the context of basic education support classes in Korea. It is based on the perspectives of middle school teach...
This study is a qualitative survey on the things experienced in the process of implementing policies to Educational Gap-Reduction Policy in the context of basic education support classes in Korea. It is based on the perspectives of middle school teachers who provide these classes, the students participating in these classes, and the parents who participate in related discourses. Through a phenomenological approach, qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews and class observations are analyzed.
The analysis revealed four key thematic areas: (1) the concrete and continuous reality of the educational gap; (2) the gap between policy intent and actual implementation; (3) the dual position of teachers between responsibility and helplessness; and (4) the possibility of student change through small but meaningful educational encounters.
Studies have shown that despite ongoing policy efforts to bridge the achievement gap, students often face fixed structural limitations rooted in socioeconomic inequality and emotional neglect. Teachers operating within these constraints are at odds between administrative needs and ethical commitment to their students. In particular, the study found that basic academic support classes can foster students' identity and self-esteem when they are emotionally responsive and relatively grounded.
The study is theoretically supported by theories from Paulo Freire's Critical Education and Bourdieu's Theory of Cultural Capital, which provides an integrated framework for understanding how educational practices intersect with broader social structures. Ultimately, the study highlights the importance of a relational, student-centered approach to educational equity and social structural change, and advocates policy and educational reforms that amplify the voices and real-world experiences of marginalized students.