South Korean Education and Learning Excellence as a Hallyu: Ethnographic Understandings of a Nation's Academic Success

This book explores the high academic achievement rates of students in South Korea by examining the sociological, anthropological, and curricular factors that contribute to their success. It connects the phenomenon of success to the scholarship and models examining the recent shift in attention and popularity of Korean culture, arguing that Korean education can be studied as a Hallyu and an exemplary form of education. Drawing on longitudinal qualitative studies spanning over 15 years, the authors advance understandings of Korean academic success beyond generalizations about Asian students and provide a holistic explanation for the case of Korea. The book challenges the perception of Korean students as passive learners with a controlled learning culture and advocates for their active participation in shaping South Korea's evolving ecological system of education. It offers insights into how students from East Asian countries achieve excellent academic performance and will appeal to scholars and researchers in Korean education, East Asian Cultural Studies, comparative education, sociology of education, educational policy, and postcolonial educational research.

Format: Hardback
Length: 194 pages
Publication date: 11 August 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into a sociological, anthropological, and curricular investigation into the factors contributing to the high academic achievement rates of students in South Korea. Drawing inspiration from similar studies conducted on the exceptional nature of the Finnish education model, it explores the phenomenon of success in South Korea, uniquely linking it to the scholarship and models examining the recent surge in attention and popularity of Korean culture. The authors argue that Korean education, often referred to as K-edu, can be studied and understood as a Hallyu, representing an exemplary form of education. Through longitudinal qualitative studies spanning over 15 years, the authors advance our understanding of Korean academic success, moving beyond generalizations about how Asian students learn and towards a holistic explanation for the case of Korea. This book challenges the perception of Korean students as passive learners with a controlled learning culture and advocates for their active role in shaping a changing culture through the utilization of all available resources and opportunities within South Korea's evolving ecological system of education. Furthermore, this book offers one explanation for the remarkable academic performance of students from East Asian countries.

A vital exploration of the culture and development of education systems in Asian countries, this book holds appeal for scholars and researchers with interests in Korean education and the academic achievement of Korean students as an emerging field of inquiry in both Korean studies and East Asian Cultural Studies. Additionally, this book provides valuable insights for scholars of comparative education, sociology of education, educational policy, and postcolonial educational research across the globe.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032515755