This study aims to investigate how multicultural aspects are dealt with in current elementary English textbooks. The cover pages, dialogues, main readings, and culture sections of a total of 10 elementary English textbooks for 5th and 6th graders were closely examined in terms of (1) the races and genders of the characters, (2) the cultural backgrounds of the contents, and (3) Bennett’s (2010) core values of multicultural education. The results revealed that each gender was equally represented and the textbooks present diverse cultural backgrounds in a balanced way. It was found, however, that there was an imbalance in terms of racial backgrounds. With respect to the core values of multicultural education, acceptance and appreciation of cultural diversity, and respect for human dignity and universal human rights were the top two values that appeared most frequently throughout the textbooks. Responsibility to a world community was the value that was comparatively hard to find in them. Detailed findings are discussed in greater depth, along with implications for elementary English education in Korea.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the readability of reading passages used in 5th and 6th grade elementary school English textbooks under the 2015 Revised National Curriculum. For this purpose, all the reading passages of each textbook were calculated with ATOS (Advantage-TASA Open Standard) formula as a readability index. The results of this study indicate that, firstly, the average readability score of 6th grade English textbooks is higher than that of 5th grade ones. Secondly, the readability of 6th grade English textbooks is about six months ahead of that of 5th grade ones. Thirdly, the readability scores are similar in all reading passages for 5th grade, while the readability scores of 6th grade differ from textbooks to textbooks. According to the textbook writers, the readability score of 6th grade textbooks is higher than that of 5th grade ones in four out of five textbooks. Lastly, In terms of the units in each textbook, the readability scores fluctuate and do not increase sequentially as expected.

본 연구는 유치원과 초등학교 교육과정을 비교분석하여 유 ․ 초등 연계 활동에 제공될 수 있는 적용 가능한 교육활동 구성 요인을 추출하였다. 추출된 분석근거에 의해 대안적 예술융합 교육활 동을 제시함으로써 통합적 접근으로 활용할 수 있는 예술융합 교육의 기본 토대를 마련하고자 하 였다. Bereday G.Z.F.(1964)의 비교연구방법에 의해 나타난 분석 결과, 연계를 위한 교육활동 구성요 인으로는 창의적 인재 양성을 위한 예술 융합적 요인, 전인교육과 통합적인 학습요인, 단일화된 교육구조, 유․초등 연계를 담당할 교사의 자율영역, 자기주도적, 놀이중심의 교육활동, 소통과 공 감을 통해 온몸으로 체득할 수 있는 교육활동으로 나타났다. 이러한 연계교육의 교과활동에 적합 한 대안적 예술융합 교육활동으로 하나로 수업과 미적체험교육을 연계학습 환경으로 마련한다면 교과학습능률향상과 다학제적 연계성을 가진다는 점에서 예술 융합에 걸 맞는 입체적 학습활동이 될 수 있을 것이다.

The purpose of this study was to analyze some concrete problems concerning the elementary physical education textbook from the standpoint of the 7th national physical educational curriculum, and to propose the development direction for elementary physical

이 연구의 목적은 과학관 전시의 교육 과정 반영에 대한 평가 기준을 개발하고 적용하는 것이다. 이 목적을 구현하기 위하여 초등 과학과 지구과학 성취기준에 근거한 평가 기준을 개발하였고 이를 국립중앙과학관 전시에 적용하여 과학관 전시의 교육 과정 반영도와 평가 척도를 측정하였다. 연구결과 국립중앙과학관의 초등 과학과 교육 과정 중 지구과학 내용의 반영도는 52%이고 평가 척도는 3.53으로 평가되었다. 특히 지질 영역과 천문 영역에서는 높은 반영수준을 보였다. 이러한 결과는 국립중앙과학관이 비형식 교육 기관으로서 학교 과학 교육과 비교적 잘 연계되고 있음을 보여준다. 과학관은 학교 과학 교육과 연계되어야 하며, 그 과정은 과학관이 교육 과정을 충실히 반영하는 것으로부터 시작되어야 한다. 이를 위해 과학관이 교육 과정을 반영하는데 지표가 될 기준이 필요하다. 이러한 관점에서 이 연구의 결과는 과학관과 학교 과학 교육의 연계 수준을 진단하고 발전 방향을 설정하는데 필요한 기초 자료로 이용될 수 있을 것이다.

It has been reported that primary school students have difficulties in the reading process and their interests and achievement in reading is low, in spite of the various methods that have been introduced. This study aims to examine the reading approaches at the primary school level. To achieve this purpose, the primary English curriculum and textbooks were analyzed in order to explore the approaches that were adopted for primary English reading. The textbooks were analyzed in two aspects: the selection of words and the teaching methods for reading. The data revealed that the curriculum looked well-structured according to the developmental stages of reading, but that the textbooks did not facilitate reading for early readers. Although the reading text increased gradually from the letter to the sentence level, the words in each unit were not organized to help readers recognize the text efficiently which impinged on the students’ reading comprehension. Since words at each unit were selected meaning-based, students had to memorize them as a unitary whole. On the other hand, it was rare to find words structured on the basis of letter-sound relations between words. This lack of structure prevented students from recognizing the alphabetic principles of English. As a result, the textbooks did not consider the bottom-up skills at all in its development process. Therefore, students failed to acquire the basic principles of alphabetic language in the early reading stage. Some suggestions for curriculum and textbook development are presented in the end.

The purpose of the this study was to search establishment of plan and application state for operating the physical education curriculum, understanding grade of goals, characters, and contents of the physical education curriculum, teaching-learning method,

The 7th national curriculum takes a strong stance for a student-centered curriculum as well as operating and management flexibility at the school level. This study explored the procedures of and the status on implementation of the 7th national English curriculum at the primary level. It examined the processes taken by the local boards of education in due course of facilitating the schools with the school level curriculum implementation, and the schools and teachers for the actual curriculum implementation. To achieve the goal of the study, it was conducted by questionnaires for teacher and supervisors, classroom observation, and teacher interviews. Results were interpreted by the core aspects of the 7th national curriculum: curriculum reconstruction, student-centeredness, and specialization of the curriculum. Three major elements were found in the process of curriculum modification: firstly, the local boards of education was not enough to support so that the schools developed and implemented the school-based curricula secondly, teachers did not exert autonomy in interpreting and applying curriculum to their classrooms, and finally, there was a high demand for teachers and experts with potential in the schools as well as in the board of education. For the successful settlement of curriculum, continuous efforts are needed to involve teachers in the process of curriculum implementation.

The masters program of the elementary music education in the national university of education has opened since 1995 in Korea. Only 3 national universities of education are offering this masters program and 4 more universities are to follow. Because this program is just at the beginning level, it is the time to present the idealistic elementary music education curriculum for the masters degree. The process of the development of the curriculum had 3 steps: first step was to compare all 7 masters programs of elementary music education; second step was to compare 4 American elementary music education curricula for the masters degree; third step was to draw the common elements from the comparison of the elementary music education curriculum between Korean and American. The results of the analysis are: 1) both curricula from two countries have 4 common courses of music education such as elementary music education, foundations of music education, research in music education, principles of music education or psychology of music education; 2) both curricula offer music performance, ensemble, music history or music theory. Thus, these courses are included into the idealistic elementary music education curriculum for master degree along with the Korean music education.