Another case of the theory to practice gap: South Korean early childhood education and care

Abstract

Motivated by an increasingly globalized and technological world, countries around the world are rewriting their education policies in favor of play-based learning. South Korea, a country that recently reformed its early childhood curriculum to reflect an emphasis on a whole-child, active play pedagogy, is an important case of how child- and play-centered curriculum may translate into implementable practices. This study surveyed 182 Korean early childhood educators to explore their difficulties in implementing the 2019 Revised Nuri Curriculum. It investigated how these teachers conceptualize play from a science of learning perspective. Understanding their role in play and how play can elicit learning were reported as specific challenges. The study reports a misalignment between teachers’ belief that free play is most beneficial for learning and findings from the scientific literature supporting guided play as most effective for achieving a learning goal. The potential of further Nuri Curriculum revisions reflective of the science of learning paired with continuous professional development for Korean teachers is discussed.