Examining Discourses About Content Reduction in Korea’s National Curriculum Using Foucault’s Archaeological Approach

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Abstract

Korea has a national curriculum that values breadth of content at the expense of in-depth study. Although the country has recently attempted to trim its curriculum of excess content, students remain overwhelmed. This issue has triggered debate between policymakers and subject communities. To identify both sides’ underlying concerns and distinguish between their different approaches to the problem, the study applied discourse analysis techniques based upon Foucauldian archaeology. The results reveal the core discourses of content reduction as shaped by policymakers and subject communities, and the resultant implications of both groups’ conflicting views.

Authors

• Kyunghee So, Seoul National University

• Jiyoung Kang, Seoul National University