Pedagogies of Teacher Selection: A South Korean Case

• In Event: 70.042 - International Teacher Education: Promising Pedagogies

Abstract

With growing emphasis being placed on the selection of highly qualified teachers for current and future schools, it is inevitable that policies and practices of teacher selection will become more systematic. This case study, which uses historical documents, local and national policy papers and my personal experience as a member of national selection committees as evidence, explores systematic practices of how to select more qualified preservice teachers through examining local/national policies related to teacher selection in South Korea. The first part explains why a theoretical understanding is essential to any effort to develop an effective teacher selection system. The second part of the paper outlines the entire process of teacher selection currently underway in South Korea, along with the rationale and issues surrounding practices related to teacher selection. In South Korea, teaching is still considered a highly desirable profession compared to other countries, as well as to other occupations in South Korea. For this reason, there is a huge number of teacher candidates in South Korea and preservice teachers must pass through many steps before becoming certified as teachers. They also must take national and district tests. The teacher selection system in South Korea is highly centralized and more complicated than most other countries. To conclude, the teacher selection system in South Korea is critically analyzed in an effort to identify strengths and weaknesses in national policy and related practices of teacher selection. The conclusion of the chapter discusses implications based on the analysis on the teacher selection system in South Korea. The question of how to apply Korea’s effective teacher selection system in other countries is also addressed. In addition, other issues related to teacher selection will be discussed. This will help to determine which methods and/or systems are authentic and effective in determining teachers' capabilities or competencies. This will ensure that the most apt teachers will contribute to the making of better schools in South Korea as well as in other nations.


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Author

• JeongAe You, Chung-Ang University