The Development and Implementation of Multicultural Education Policy, Pedagogy, and Philosophy in South Korea

• In Event: Roundtable Session 9
  In Roundtable Session: Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Emerging Lines of Inquiry on Asian and Asian American Populations

Abstract

In recent years, South Korean society has witnessed an increasing percentage of ethnic minorities, especially in elementary schools (Kim, 2009). Educational leaders are in the process of developing and implementing multicultural education policy to meet these new demands. The research analyzes multicultural education policy through four heuristic devices: (1) Serving the needs of minority students and families, (2) Celebrating cultural differences, (3) Creating multicultural schools, and 4) Striving for a socially just society. We do not want to be too critical of multicultural education in South Korea as we keep in mind issues of policy transfer, borrowing and lending. Yet, we believe that our research design, findings, suggestions, and implications can have a positive impact upon multicultural education in Korea.

Authors

• John D. Palmer, Colgate University

• Hyein Amber Kim, University of Washington - Seattle