Fairness Perception of Policy Stakeholders in College Admission in Korea

Abstract

It has been known that Korea has the highest college enrollment rate due to the role that college entrance plays in determining the socioeconomic status of students in their future. About 10 years ago, the Ministry of Education in Korea initiated the Comprehensive School Report-based Admission (CSRA) under the recognition that the college admission system needs to be diversified. Since then, the fairness of the CSRA has been at the center of controversy. This study aimed to draw the implications for college admission policies by comparing the perception of the main stakeholders (students and parents, teachers, admission officers, and faculty admission committee) on the CSRA. The perception data of 150 participants on the six aspects of the CSRA were gathered through a questionnaire and the results were analyzed for group differences. A FGI was additionally administered with 12 participants. This study found that the stakeholders perceived the CSRA as important and necessary. However, the perception of the stakeholders on the fairness of the CSRA presented itself differently depending on the interests each group holds. The results of this study showed that close examination of the multifaceted perceptions and individualized experiences of the stakeholders should be taken into consideration when the perception of fairness in the CSRA is examined. It also implied that the government should provide stakeholders with the opportunities to be informed of the CSRA to promote trust in the policy.