Analysis on trends of technology education shown in national curriculum at the elementary level in Republic of Korea

This study discusses the past and present of technology education in elementary schools of the Republic of Korea through an understanding of practical arts, one of the subjects taught in Korean elementary schools. Since technology education is carried out in Korean elementary schools through a subject called practical arts, it can be said that understanding the academic system and education curriculum of practical arts equates to understanding technology education being taught in elementary schools in Korea. There are three main contents of this study. First, the position of technology education in Korean elementary schools, the meaning of technology education activities, and the teaching system were examined by way of reviewing the practical arts in Korea. Second, the period, education thought, and key concepts of Korea’s technology education were analyzed by section as the researcher examined the development process of technology education in the practical arts curriculum. Third, the researcher comparatively analyzed the current 2015 Practical Arts Curriculum in Korea and technology education issues at the international level, and based on this, the researcher discussed the subject of developing technology education. The study found that in Korea, the practical arts curriculum underwent revision and development according to education thought over six time periods: subject-based curriculum in the first period from 1955 to 1962; experience-based curriculum in the second period from 1963 to 1972; discipline-based curriculum in the third period from 1973 to 1981; general education curriculum in the fourth period from 1982 to 1991; theme-based integrated curriculum in the fifth period from 1992 to 1996; and learning-based curriculum in the sixth period from 1997 to 2014. The most recent revision from 2015 represents competency-based education thought in the curriculum. The competencies related to technology education that are presented in the 2015 revision include technology problem-solving ability, technology system planning ability, and technology application ability. With these, the curriculum focuses on enhancing the ability to apply skills and generate new knowledge in the context of living, which can be interpreted as a new value for technology education to pursue in the age of competency-based education: “practicing knowledge rather than simply knowing.” In addition, based on the new curriculum content framework, technological literacy was reconceptualized as “what students should know” and “what students should be able to do”, suggesting a new approach to technological literacy in the competency-based education age. Additionally, in such an age, the curriculum’s responsibilities and ethics are presented as issues that should be considered anew, making it clearer what the next tasks should be in order to better improve the curriculum. The results of this study will be meaningful in providing insight into the current direction of elementary-level technology education in Korea and also into the future direction of technology education in Korea and around the world in today’s age of competency-based education by analyzing and comparing Korea’s case with international cases.