The relationship between teachers and government in curriculum development in Korea and England

Abstract

This thesis examines teachers' perceptions of the relationship between teachers and
\ngovernment in the field of curriculum development, in the light of changes in the mode of
\ncurriculum control under which teachers carry out their work in Korea and England. In
\nboth countries, major recent legislation has brought about fundamental revisions of the
\ncurriculum. In Korea, the 1992 sixth National Curriculum declared a decentralization of
\ncurriculum development, ostensibly attempting to decrease government control over
\nteachers. In England, the 1988 Education Act imposed a national curriculum: this
\nrepresented an increase in government control over teachers.
\nThe thesis begins with a review of theoretical work relating to modes of curriculum control
\nand professionalism. It then offers accounts of the historical and cultural context of
\ncurriculum development and professionalism in Korea and England, providing overviews
\nof curriculum development, teacher education relating to curriculum development,
\nteachers' organizations, hierarchies in society and schools, gender differences in the
\nteaching profession, inspection of teachers, and teachers' relations with parents.
\nA central issue for the thesis is the idea of teachers' professionalism in relation to
\ngovernment intervention in curriculum development. It is the main assumption of the study
\nthat teachers' professionalism in the field of curriculum control can be best analysed
\nthrough an examination of the context in which it is embedded. Thus, this thesis involves
\nempirical studies of structured samples of six primary schools in Korea and nine primary
\nschools in England; questionnaires, interviews and case studies were administered in both
\ncountries. These investigations focus on comparing the teachers' perceptions of curriculum
\n&-YQlppment. and professionalism in their different cultural contexts. Comparison serves
\nto improve contextual understanding of teachers' professionalism within two different
\ntrends: centralization and decentralization.
\nExamination of the empirical data reveals both similarities and differences between
\ndifferent teachers within each country, and also between teachers in the two countries.
\nOverall, Korean teachers feel that they have only a restricted role in implementing the new
\ncurriculum in their own classroom, despite the recent change which introduced some
\ndecentralization in curriculum policy.. Compared with this situation in Korea, despite
\ngovernmental intervention in curriculum development the majority of English teachers may
\nbe characterized as still having an autonomous role in implementing the curriculum.
\nAlthough there were different orientations and degrees of control among both groups of
\nteachers, the belief in the desirability of teacher control of the curriculum has been a
\ndominant perspective with widespread acceptance in the two countries.
\nThis thesis supports the view that teachers' professionalism is shaped by social, political,
\neducational and institutional cultures in a very complicated fashion, and cannot be
\nexpected to change quickly or easily. It also demonstrates that teachers' professionalism
\ncannot be conceptualized simply in terms of movement along the continuum between
\ncentralization and decentralization. The thesis argues that teachers' professionalism in
\nrelation to government intervention is affected much more by-what teachers think, which
\nis shaped in their own cultural contexts, than by the nature of the change itself as defined
\nby the legislation/Accordingly, it suggests that the strategies for enhancing teachers'
\nprofessionalism in relation to curriculum development should be considered with reference
\nto the cultural contexts within which they are practised.