Korean Teachers’ Struggle to Foster Student Agency Within the Constraints of Standardized Curriculum and Testing

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Sunday 8:00 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Policy Analysis: From Resistance to Repair (Table 13)

Abstract

This qualitative case study explored Korean teachers’ struggle to foster student agency within the constraints of standardized curriculum and testing systems. The recent growing interest in student agency in Korea has led to educational reforms that have restructured the high school education system and revised the national curriculum to specifically increase student curricular choice. However, little is known about how these policies are experienced in practice. This study investigated the experiences of high school teachers implementing these policies. The findings revealed that teachers’ experiences were characterized by the instrumentalization of student choice and students having no real choice. The findings suggest that transforming the national curriculum and standardized testing is needed to develop student agency.

Authors

• Jisoo Kim, Korean Educational Development Institute

• Kyounghye Seo, Ewha Womans University