Asia in the U.S. Curriculum, the United States in the South Korean Curriculum: How They Teach One Another

• In Event: Roundtable Session 21
  In Roundtable Session: Traveling the Globe and Relating to the Other: International Curriculum in Time and Space

Abstract

Making use of qualitative data from the US and South Korean secondary classrooms, this study examines how Asian and American teachers teach about one another in their social studies classes. Major findings illustrate that the teachers in two countries pursue substantially similar goals: enhancing students’ multicultural awareness and helping them see diverse and complicated aspects of one another’s society. However, there were significant obstacles which make it hard for both groups of teachers to achieve their goals. Some of these were common, whereas others were distinctive due to the unique socio-cultural and educational contexts in each country. Based on these findings, this study proposes wider implication that can be helpful in revising the global and multicultural curriculum.

Author

• Won Pyo Hong, Yonsei University