This study investigated new direction of education for international understanding by critical approach to the 7th national curriculum and that of the revision version in 2007. Contents analysis was employed in the study. National curriculum documents...
This study investigated new direction of education for international understanding by critical approach to the 7th national curriculum and that of the revision version in 2007. Contents analysis was employed in the study. National curriculum documents and guidelines of each subject are included in the data collection. We subcategorized education for international understanding as education for intercultural understanding, international cooperation for global problem solving and relation among international societies to analyze curriculum documents. In the results, social studies preoccupied education for international understanding. High school curriculum had no regard for scope and sequence in education for international understanding among subjects. Education for international understanding inclined to intercultural education in the documents. The curriculum documents focus on intellectual objectives rather than affective in international understanding related contents. To emphasize national identity undermined providing general knowledge of international understanding. Seeking economic value is ubiquitous in the document contents which are related in education for international understanding. We suggest that it is necessary to develop integrated curriculum model of education for international understanding. Additionally, to add the contents of rethinking globalization could be considered carefully as one of the alternative ways for seeking political righteousness in education for international understanding.