Trajectory of Teacher Education in South Korea: A Review of Policy and Research

• In Event: A Cross-National Examination of Knowledge, Policy, and Practice in Learning to Teach: Part I

Abstract

1. Objectives or Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the educational research and policies influencing South Korean (hereafter Korea) teacher education reforms during the post-war period and in the context of the country’s rapid social, political, and economic change.

2. Perspective or Theoretical Framework

Some education researchers and policymakers in the United States point to Korea’s education system as a model of excellence and equity (e.g. Akiba, LeTendre & Scribner, 2007; Duncan, 2014). At its core are highly knowledgeable teachers attracted and retained by favorable working conditions and traditional regard for the teaching profession (Kang & Hong, 2008). While some reports describe the learning environments and working conditions of in-service teachers in Korea (e.g. TALIS), few studies illuminate the research and policies that have influenced the development of its pre-service teachers. This paper seeks to contribute to that literature by “backward mapping” to chart the evolution of the research and policies shaping innovations in Korean teacher preparation.

3. Methods, Techniques, or Modes of Inquiry

To achieve this goal we conducted a focused review of English and Korean peer-reviewed journal articles and policy documents addressing teacher education reform during the post-war period. We gathered these articles and documents from quality databases (e.g. ERIC and RISS), journals (e.g. Comparative Education Review), and government sources (e.g. Korean Ministry of Education).

4. Data Sources, Evidence, Objects, or Materials

The primary data sources for this paper are peer-reviewed journal articles and policy documents from the Korean government.

5. Results or Substantiated Conclusions

Teacher education in Korea has experienced a major shift in research since World-War II. Discussions of teacher education have changed from merely addressing policy issues to striking a balance between subject matter education and teacher preparation, and linking theory and practice. These discussions take place in teachers’ colleges and national universities, the public institutions which prepare nearly all teachers in Korea.

Following World-War II, the Korean government implemented multiple reforms in teacher education in response to an urgent demand for teachers as the education system expanded. At that time research on teacher education focused on facilitating discourse on political issues (e.g. teacher supply) arising from this expansion. Recent research on Korean teacher education, however, attends to an increasingly diverse set of international topics and issues (e.g. teacher professionalization and self-efficacy, changing nature of knowledge, etc.).

Currently, policymakers are calling for transformation in Korean teacher education to accommodate changes in international trends (e.g. increasing student diversity) and research on how to best prepare teachers (e.g. closely supervised field experiences with diverse student populations). The current shift in research is expected to lead the innovations in teacher preparation in Korea.

6. Scientific of Scholarly Significance

This paper will contribute to literature seeking to understand how teachers learn to teach around the world. Since Korea is often presented as a model educational system, understanding its reforms to teacher education, and the contexts in which these reforms occurred, may point to valuable lessons for scholars and policymakers in the United States and other countries.

Authors

• James Pippin, Michigan State University

• Eunjung Jin, Michigan State University