Abstract
The 2015 Elementary History Curriculum is defined by ‘the restructuring of content surrounding the key concepts’, ‘topic-oriented integrated composition’, ‘topic-based composition centered around historical figures and cultural history’, and ‘the distributed arrangement of prehistoric age and contemporary history’. However, the researchers of history education went further to highlight the key concepts in which the academic structure and essence of the subject are not disclosed. They also identified the mechanical association lacking contextuality, the emphasis on national history and the reduction of life history, and the application of the expanding environmental approach to the history field, as issues associated with the 2015 Elementary History Curriculum. This study would examine the responses of students and teachers concerning the difficulties raised with regards to the 2015 Elementary History Curriculum by the department of history education. As a result of interviews conducted among teachers and students, most teachers acknowledged that the key concepts of the elementary history curriculum, only include concrete historical facts. They indicated that the amount of learning had increased excessively, and knowledgeoriented history classes were provided. The teachers agreed on the use of the integrated approach in social studies, in addition to the purpose and direction of local history education for third and fourth grade students. Even so, they encountered various obstacles in preparing an appropriate teaching method. There was found to be a considerable number of teachers who agreed that history education should promote national identity, as well as those concerned about the problems caused by instilling patriotism through history education. The third graders could easily understand the prehistoric age through stories; however, no meaningful learning took place concerning the evolution of tools without historical context. As the fourth graders had recently encountered Korean history from various paths, they found national history to be more interesting than local history. The fifth graders did not understand the actions of historical figures in the context. They had difficulties in learning about cultural properties, since the terms were unfamiliar, and they did not encounter them often in their everyday lives. The sixth graders had a strong tendency to think of history as a subject that needed to be memorized and did not understand the flow of Korean history accurately. This kind of perspective toward history can be attributed to the ill-considered revision of the curriculum. Lastly, this study has the following proposals for elementary school history education: First, it is necessary to change the current curriculum, which requires students to memorize knowledge to one that creates opportunities for historical inquiry. Secondly, elementary school history classes should be a venue for students to experience and learn about history in a vivid and captivating manner. Thirdly, it is necessary to pay more attention to life history. Empty history education, which does not represent the dynamic lives of people, is a significant obstacle to students’ acceptance of meaningful history.
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