Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea

HyunJu Park; Soo-yong Byun; Jaeho Sim; Hye-Sook Han; Yoon Su Baek

doi:10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

Full Text (PDF)

HyunJu Park ¹ ^* , Soo-yong Byun ², Jaeho Sim ³, Hye-Sook Han ⁴, Yoon Su Baek ⁵

More Detail

¹ Chosun University, Republic of Korea² The Pennsylvania State University, United States of America³ Pusan National University, Republic of Korea⁴ Dankook University, Republic of Korea⁵ Yonsei University, Republic of Korea^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ perceptions and practices of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education in South Korea, drawing on a survey of teachers in STEAM model schools. Results showed that the majority of Korean teachers, especially those experienced teachers and male teachers, had a positive view of a role of STEAM education. At the same time, Korean teachers highlighted various challenges in implementing STEAM education, such as finding time to carry out STEAM lessons, increased workloads, and lack of administrative and financial support. Our findings suggest that sufficient support of the government, the reconstruction of national curriculum, and significant changes in the national assessment system are needed to better promote STEAM education.

Keywords

STEAM education
Korean education
challenges
policy implications
K-12

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 12, Issue 7, July 2016, 1739-1753

https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

Publication date: 06 Apr 2016

Article Views: 16514

Article Downloads: 13103

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Apedoe, X., Reynolds, B., Ellefson, M., & Schunn, C. (2008). Bringing engineering design into high school science classrooms: The heating/cooling unit. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 17, 454-465. doi: 10.1007/s10956-008-9114-6
Baek, Y., Park, HJ, Kim, Y., Noh, S., Park, J., Lee, J., Jeong, J., Choi, Y., & Han, H. (2011). STEAM education in Korea. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 11(4), 149- 171.
Byun, S. (2014). Shadow education and academic success in Republic of Korea. In H. Park & K. Kim (Eds.), Korean education in changing economic and demographic contexts (pp. 39-58). Singapore: Springer. doi:10.1007/978-981-4451-27-7_3
Byun, S., & Kim, K. (2010). Educational inequality in South Korea: The widening socioeconomic gap in student achievement. Research in Sociology of Education, 17, 155- 182. doi:10.1108/S1479-3539(2010)0000017008
Byun, S., & Park, H. (2014). When types of education matter: Effectively maintained inequality in South Korea. Paper presented at the second conference of the Study for Inequality in South Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
Byun, S., Kim, K., & Park, H. (2012a). School choice and educational inequality in South Korea. Journal of School Choice, 6(2), 158-183. doi:10.1080/15582159.2012.673854
Byun, S., Schofer, E., & Kim, K. (2012b). Revisiting the role of cultural capital in East Asian educational systems: The case of South Korea. Sociology of Education, 85(3), 219-239. doi: 10.1177/0038040712447180
Fang, N. (2013). Increasing high school students’ interest in STEM education through collaborative brainstorming with Yo-Yos. Journal of STEM Education, 14(4), 8-14.
Goonatilake, R., & Bachnak, R. A. (2012). Promoting engineering education among high school and middle school students. Journal of STEM Education, 13(1), 15-21.
Han, H., & Lee, H. (2012). A study on the teachers’ perceptions and needs of STEAM education. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 12(3), 573-603.
Householder, D., & Hailey, C. E. (2012). Incorporating engineering design challenges into STEM courses. National Center for Engineering and Technology Education, Retrieved December 15 2014 from http://digitalcommons.usu.edu/ncete/.
Hynes, M., Portsmore, M., Dare, E., Milto, E., Rogers, C., Hammer, D., & Carberry, A. (2011). Infusing engineering design into high school STEM courses. National Center for Engineering and Technology Education, Retrieved December 15 2014 from http://www.ncete.org.
Jarratt, T., Eckert, C., Caldwell, N., & Clarkson, P. (2011). Engineering change: An overview and perspective on the literature. Research in Engineering Design, 22(2), 103-124. doi: 10.1007/s00163-010-0097.y
Kelley, T., Brenner, D. C., & Pieper, J. T. (2010). PLTW and epics-high: Curriculum comparisons to support problem solving in the context of engineering design (National Center for Engineering and Technology Education Report). Purdue University Knoy Hall of Technology.
Kim, S., Kim, H. K., Park, J. H, Jin, E. N., Ahn, Y. K., Seo, J. H., & Lee, M. J. (2012). Findings from Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study for Korea: TIMSS 2011 international report in Korea (RRE 2012-4-3). Seoul, South Korea: KICE.
KOFAC (2014). STEAM. Seoul, South Korea: Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity Press.
Kwon, S., Nam, D., & Lee, T. (2012). The effects of STEAM-based integrated subject study on elementary school students' creative personality. Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information, 17(2), 79-86.
Lee, H., & Park, K. (2010). Elementary school students’ images of scientists and engineers. Journal of Korean Practical Arts Education, 16(4), 61-82.
Lee, C., Kim, Y., & Byun, S. (2012). The rise of Korean education from the ashes of the Korean War. Prospects, 42(3), 303-318. doi:10.1007/s11125-012-9239-5
Lee, J. W., Park, H. J., & Kim, J. B. (2013). Primary teachers’ perception analysis on development and application of STEAM education program. Journal of Korea Society of Elementary Science Education, 32(1), 47-59.
Lim, C. H., & Oh, B. J. (2015). Elementary pre-service teachers and in-service teachers’ perceptions and demands on STEAM education. Journal of Korean Society of Earth Science Education, 8(1), 1-11.
Lim, S. M., Kim, Y., & Lee, T. S. (2014). Analysis of elementary school teachers’ perception on field application of STEAM education. Journal of Science Education, 38(1), 133-143.
Ministry of Education (2011). STEAM, the educational policy for 2011 year. Seoul, South Korea: Author.
Ministry of Education (2012). Press release about mathematics education advance plan. Seoul, South Korea: Author.
Noh, H. J., & Paik, S. H. (2014). STEAM experienced teachers’ perception of STEAM in secondary education. Journal of Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction, 14(10), 375-402.
OECD. (2010). PISA 2009 results: Learning to learn—Student engagement, strategies and practices (Volume III). Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2014). PISA 2012 results: What students know and can do – Student performance in mathematics, reading and science volume I. Paris, France: OECD Publishing.
Owens, K. D. (2000). Scientists and engineers in the middle school classroom. Clearing House, 73(3), 150-152. doi: 10.1080/00098650009600935
Park, C. (2007). The trend in the Korean middle school students’ affective variables toward mathematics and its effect on their mathematics achievements. The Mathematical Education, 46(1), 19-31.
Park, H., Byun, S., & Kim, K. (2011). Parental involvement and students’ cognitive outcomes in Korea: Focusing on private tutoring. Sociology of Education, 84(1), 3-22. doi: 10.1177/0038040710392719
Park, HJ., Kim, Y., Noh, S., Lee, J., Jeong, J., Choi, Y., Han, H., & Baek, Y. (2012). Components of 4C-STEAM education and a checklist for the instructional design. Journal of LearnerCentered Curriculum and Instruction, 12(4), 533-557.
Raines, J. M. (2012). First STEP: A preliminary review of the effects of a summer bridge program on pre-college STEM majors. Journal of STEM Education, 13(1), 22-29.
Sahin, A. (2013). STEM clubs and science fair competitions: Effects on post-secondary matriculation. Journal of STEM Education, 14(1), 5-11.
Scott, C. (2012). An investigation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) focused high schools in the U.S. Journal of STEM Education, 13(5), 30-39.
Shin, J. H. (2013). Survey of primary & secondary school teachers’ recognition about STEAM convergence education. Korean Journal of the Learning Sciences, 7(2), 29-53.
Shin, Y., & Han, S. (2011). A study of the elementary school teachers` perception in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education. Journal of Korea Society of Elementary Science Education, 30(4), 514-523.
Silvera, A. & Rushtonb, B. S. (2008). Primary-school children’s attitudes towards science, engineering and technology and their images of scientists and engineers. International Journal of Primary Elementary and Early Years Education, 36(1), 51-67. doi: 10.1080/03004270701576786.
Son, Y., Jung, S., Kwon, S., Kim, H., & Kim, D. (2012). Analysis of prospective and in-service teachers’ awareness of STEAM convergent education. Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(1), 255-284.
Yoon, J., Pak, S., & Myeong, J. (2006). A survey of primary and secondary school students’ views in relation to a career in science. Journal of Korea Association Science Education, 56(6), 675-690.

How to cite this article

APA

Park, H., Byun, S.-Y., Sim, J., Han, H.-S., & Baek, Y. S. (2016). Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(7), 1739-1753. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

Vancouver

Park H, Byun SY, Sim J, Han HS, Baek YS. Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2016;12(7):1739-53. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

AMA

Park H, Byun SY, Sim J, Han HS, Baek YS. Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2016;12(7), 1739-1753. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

Chicago

Park, HyunJu, Soo-yong Byun, Jaeho Sim, Hye-Sook Han, and Yoon Su Baek. "Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2016 12 no. 7 (2016): 1739-1753. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

Harvard

Park, H., Byun, S.-Y., Sim, J., Han, H.-S., and Baek, Y. S. (2016). Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(7), pp. 1739-1753. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a

MLA

Park, HyunJu et al. "Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of STEAM Education in South Korea". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 12, no. 7, 2016, pp. 1739-1753. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1531a