Science Curriculum in Korea: Suggestions for Next Revision Im, S. & Cha, J. (2005)

1. Science Curriculum in KoreaScience Curriculum in Korea
- Suggestions for Next Revision -- Suggestions for Next Revision -
Sungmin Lim andSungmin Lim and Jeongho ChaJeongho Cha
Division of Science EducationDivision of Science Education

2. DU CampusDU Campus

3. College of EducationCollege of Education
Division of Science Education
Dept. of Environment Education

4. Science CurriculumScience Curriculum
• School System
– Centralized school system coordinated through
the Ministry of Education & Human Resource
Development
– Basic pattern : 6-3-3-4 model
• Science Curriculum
– Common course : Grade 3-10 (called “Science”)
– Advanced course : Grade 11-12 (Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, and Earth Scinece)

5. Revision HistoryRevision History
• Era of Syllabus (1946-1954, 8 years)
• 1st
Revision (1954~1963, 9 years)
• 2nd
Revision (1963~1973, 10 years)
• 3rd
Revision (1973~1981, 8 years)
• 4th
Revision (1981~1987, 6 years)
• 5th
Revision (1987~1992, 5 years)
• 6th
Revision (1992~1997, 5 years)
• 7th
Revision (1997~ Current)

6. Characteristics of 7Characteristics of 7thth
CurriculumCurriculum
• Focusing on the relationships among
primary, middle, and high schools
• More topics, less amounts
• Differentiated Curriculum – Advanced and
supplementary course
• Focusing on inquiry activity

7. ProblemsProblems
• Too frequent and rapid revision
• Difficulty in realization of differentiated
curriculum
• School’s science course avoidance
• Students’ science and engineering
avoidance
• Inappropriate learning hierarchy

8. SuggestionsSuggestions
• Securing more science classes for
reinforcing experiments
• Long-term and systematic procedure for
curriculum development
• Inquiry centered curriculum