Decolonial Critiques of the South Korean K–12 Curriculum: A Scoping Review

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Transnational Insights on Decolonial Education

Abstract

Shaped through the Japanese colonial era and (post) Cold War, unique forms of educational coloniality have emerged in the South Korean K-12 curriculum. This scoping review analyzes 49 studies (35 currently reviewed) from 2000 onward, focusing on which curriculum aspects have been most discussed. Literature-based studies were dominant; curriculum theory, textbooks, and Social Studies were key foci. Most studies pursued decolonization from the West, citing scholars like Said and Bhabha. Based on these findings, we suggest expanding topics to include practice and teacher expertise, diversifying subjects and methods, and reframing decolonization to reflect South Korea’s “semi-peripheral” multicultural context and diversify theoretical frameworks.

Authors

• JEONGMIN SEO, Seoul National University

• Sung-Sang Yoo, Seoul National University