해외 대학의 학부교육 개편 사례 비교 연구

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to explore the modification of the university model in three post-colonial institutions—the University of Hong Kong, the National University of Singapore, and the University of Melbourne—which share the legacy of the British undergraduate education model that emphasizes specialization in specific majors. This study aims to analyze the background and content of the recent undergraduate education reforms undertaken by these universities and to investigate the similarities and differences in their processes of transformation. [Methods] This study applied a multi-case analysis and compared commonalities and differences between case universities by analyzing various literature data (prior studies, research reports, media articles, university websites, and official documents. [Results] Common drivers for undergraduate education reform include global higher education norms that emphasize competence-based education to enhance graduate employability and bolster internationalization strategies. Consequently, all case universities reinforced the general education component and increased flexibility in curriculum structure, moving away from the British legacy of specialization in specific disciplines. However, the specific drivers and content of the reforms varied depending on the institutional context, resulting in each case university developing distinct formats of undergraduate education models. [Conclusion] The results of this study revealed that, although the case universities incorporated various components from the US education model, these borrowing practices did not necessarily result in homogeneity among the three institutions. Furthermore, the study identified a hybridity in the university education models of some case universities, which selectively integrated educational models from various regions during the process of undergraduate education reform. Based on these findings, theoretical and policy implications were presented.