South Korean High School Research Articles

Stress and Coping Mechanisms in South Korean High School Students: Academic Pressure, Social Expectations, and Mental Health Support

This paper examines the stress and coping mechanisms among high school students in South Korea, with a focus on academic pressure, social expectations, and mental health support systems. The highly competitive education system, coupled with significant expectations from teachers, parents, and society, creates an environment of intense stress for students. Additionally, the influence of social media and peer pressure exacerbates these stress levels. The paper explores both adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies employed by students to manage their stress. Adaptive strategies such as effective time management, seeking social support, engaging in physical activities, and practicing mindfulness are highlighted as beneficial, whereas maladaptive strategies like avoidance, substance abuse, and social withdrawal are identified as harmful. The effectiveness of various mental health support systems within schools, including counseling services, mental health education programs, peer support initiatives, and wellness activities, is assessed. The paper concludes by emphasizing the need for a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to support students’ mental health and academic success, involving educators, parents, policymakers, and mental health professionals.

Examining the pathways of social comparison and achievement goals to academic grades among South Korean high school students

ABSTRACT Social comparison is prevalent, even within classrooms, yet limited research explores its impact on academic outcomes. The current study adopted social comparison theory and achievement goal theory and tested a structural equation model that explained the pathways among two types of social comparison (i.e. ability-based and opinion-based), achievement goals, self-efficacy, effort, and academic grades. Based on a sample of 398 high school students, the current study demonstrated associations between opinion-based social comparison and mastery goals and between ability-based social comparison and performance goals. Furthermore, the current study identified different pathways for the indirect effects of social comparison and achievement goals that contributed to academic grades. The findings yielded the learning-oriented pathways and the performance-oriented pathways. The learning-oriented pathways showed the connections among opinion-based social comparison, mastery-approach goals, internal learning capacities (i.e. self-efficacy and effort), and academic grades; whereas the performance-oriented pathways demonstrated the connections among ability-based social comparison, performance-approach goals, and academic grades. This study implies that having a balanced mind-set between learning-oriented and performance-oriented approaches would benefit students most. Parents and teachers can play pivotal roles in nurturing students to focus on their internal learning processes within the competitive environment. The implications of competition-based achievement in classrooms are discussed.

EBS 고교강의의 사교육비 경감효과와 이에 영향을 미치는 요인

Objectives The purpose of this study is to estimate the effect of EBS high school lectures on reducing shadow education expenses of high school students and identify factors influencing the effectiveness.
 Methods The analysis utilized survey results from 1,320 students and 1,000 parents, which were obtained through stratified sampling. The Chi-square test method was employed to analyze the causes of differences in the reduction effect based on demographic characteristics.
 Results First, the estimated average monthly shadow education expenses per student in South Korean high schools in 2022 were 556,467 KRW. The reduction effect of monthly shadow education expenses per student due to EBS high school lectures was estimated to be 67,432 KRW. The estimated reduction in shadow education expenses attributable to EBS high school lectures accounted for 12.15% of the overall shadow education expenses for high school students. Second, while the impact of EBS high school lectures on the participation in shadow education was not significant, it was found to have a considerable influence on the scale of shadow education expenses. Third, the reduction effect was smaller in groups with higher shadow education expenses and larger in groups with lower supplementary education expenses.
 Conclusions EBS high school lectures not only contribute to reducing shadow education expenses but also appear to play a role in addressing educational opportunity disparities. To enhance the reduction effect of EBS high school lectures on shadow education expenses, the differentiated lectures and expanded materials targeting both high-performing and low-performing students is suggested.

The Effect of Students Self-Confidence on Mathematics Achievement in High School in Korea

This study looked into how students' self-confidence affected their performance in mathematics in South Korean high schools. This study employed an ex-post facto quantitative methodology with a correlational design on a sample size of 288 respondents selected using Yamane formulae. Students and math teachers from Daeyeon High School made up the sample size. To gather quantitative data, a mathematics achievement test and a confidence questionnaire in mathematics were employed. The null hypothesis, according to the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient computation formula, is that there is no statistically significant correlation between students' self-confidence and mathematical achievement. The study discovered a statistically significant positive correlation (r=723, p=0.000) between math achievement and student confidence. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the independent variables in the model account for 70.8% of the variance in the dependent variable, indicating their critical role in high school mathematics achievement for students. Furthermore, it was concluded that there is a significant positive attitude towards students' mathematics achievement when it comes to their self-confidence. The study concluded that since student confidence is directly correlated with mathematical achievement, math teachers should help students solve mathematical problems in order to help them build self-confidence for better achievement

The Moderating Effect Of Perception On The Necessity Of Second Foreign Language Education On The Effect Of Career Maturity On Career Stress : Targeting South Korean Elementary, Middle, And High School Students

The Moderating Effect Of Perception On The Necessity Of Second Foreign Language Education On The Effect Of Career Maturity On Career Stress : Targeting South Korean Elementary, Middle, And High School Students

A Study on the Relationship Between Academic Stress and Mental Health Among High School Students in South Korea

This study examines the complex interplay between academic stress and mental health among South Korean high school students, employing a participant-centric research design with both qualitative and quantitative dimensions. It delves into the highly competitive academic environment, emphasizing societal pressures and the examination-oriented education system. Academic stress is comprehensively explored, defining its multifaceted nature and identifying key stressors. Findings categorize students into stress profiles, mapping varying degrees of stress and identifying common triggers. Correlations between academic stress and mental health outcomes are discussed, along with insights from subgroup analyses. Implications for education emphasize policy reform and a balanced, supportive environment, while holistic mental health support is recommended through integrated resources and stigma reduction.

A dual‐process motivation mediation model to explain female high school students' cognitive engagement and disengagement in emergency remote teaching and online learning in South Korea

AbstractHigh attrition/dropout rates and low engagement have been major concerns of online educators. This study examined female high school students' cognitive engagement and disengagement in an online learning context during the COVID‐19 pandemic through the lens of self‐determination theory's basic psychological needs. We investigated an extended dual‐process motivation mediation model that emphasizes the mediating role of the need for competence, including an additional factor, technology self‐efficacy, in a South Korean high school context (n = 235). Results from structural equation modelling provided evidence for the proposed model. Our findings indicated that the exogenous variables (ie, perceived autonomy support, perceived teacher control and technology self‐efficacy) predicted cognitive engagement and disengagement with the mediating role of competence need satisfaction and competence need frustration. We found distinct processes including (a) “autonomy support‐competence need satisfaction‐cognitive engagement”, (b) “teacher control‐competence need frustration‐cognitive disengagement”, (c) “technology self‐efficacy‐competence need satisfaction‐cognitive engagement” and (d) “technology self‐efficacy‐competence need frustration (negative effect)‐cognitive disengagement”. This study suggests using autonomy support strategies to fulfil students' competence needs in online learning contexts. We also found a possible role of technology self‐efficacy in influencing psychological competence needs, cognitive engagement and cognitive disengagement in online learning contexts. Implications of the findings are discussed. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic High attrition/dropout rates and low engagement have been major concerns of online educators. Emergency remote teaching (ERT) has implications for online teaching beyond the ERT paradigm. Self‐determination theory (SDT) has been adopted and adapted with the goal of determining how to achieve need satisfaction, optimize learner motivation and enhance student engagement in classroom settings. What this paper adds This study applied a dual‐process motivation mediation model to investigate both cognitive engagement and disengagement among female high school students in an ERT online learning environment. The extended dual‐process motivation mediation model examined the role of an additional factor, technology self‐efficacy in cognitive engagement and disengagement in online learning. This study examined the role of direct, indirect and cross‐over effects focusing on both bright and dark aspects of the dual‐process motivation mediation model in online learning in a South Korean girls' high school during ERT. Implications for practice and/or policy This study proposes the use of autonomy support strategies in online learning contexts. Teachers should understand their students and provide support that addresses competence need satisfaction to enhance student cognitive engagement in online learning contexts. More efforts should be made to prepare teachers for designing online learning experiences that increase students' competence need satisfaction and decrease competence need frustration.

고등학생의 메타인지, 자기주도성, 학습전략 간 관계

Objectives The purpose of this study is to verify the mediating effects between metacognition, self-directedness, and learning strategies in high school students to determine which factors have an influence on which.
 Methods Data were collected from South Korean high school students through an online survey from May 19 to 27, 2023 using convenience sampling. Then it was analyzed for frequency, reliability, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance(ANOVA), correlation and multiple regression using SPSS.
 Results Firstly, high positive correlations were found in all areas between metacognition, self-directedness and learning strategies. In addition, a significant positive correlation was also observed amogst the sub-factors. Secondly, the effect of self-directedness and learning strategies have on metacognition came out to be the most significant, leading to a parial mediating effect of learning strategies in the relationship between high school students' self-directedness and metacognition.
 Conclusions The partial mediating effect revealed the following relationship: the higher the self-directed learning ability, the more critical thinking is performed, which positively affects learning ability, thus ultimately enhances metacognition. Taking such interrelationship between the three factors into consideration, this study suggests the necessity to consider metacognition, self-directedness, and learning strategies comprehensively in order to maximize the effectiveness of learning in high school students. Furthermore, because self-directedness significantly influences metacognition, the educational environments and programs that encourage and support self-directed learning is once again highlighted.

A study on the perception of South Korean high school students about the influence of learner and teacher on school science learning

This study was conducted on the perception of high school students regarding the influence of learner and teacher on school science learning. The subjects were 867 South Korean high school students at 464 natural science and 404 humanities learning course. The components of the influence of learner and teacher in school science learning consisted of learning motivation, class participation, learning, and achievement. Overall, high school students perceived that learners had a stronger influence than teacher on learning motivation, class participation and achievement except learning. High school students at natural science learning course recognized more than students of humanities learning course that learners had a stronger influence on learning motivation, class participation, and the achievement than teacher. Since high school students at natural science learning course considered their future careers when selecting such learning course, their interests and motivation in science were already higher than students of humanities learning course. Thus, school teachers have to make an effort to develop the professionalism of teaching because the learning effect was not limited to the cognitive skills of science class students, and may vary depending on the explanations of teachers.

English learning anxiety and English learning demotivation in South Korean third-year high school students

Because of the high level of anxiety and academic pressure associated with the college entrance exam in South Korea, this study investigated the effects of English learning anxiety on English learning demotivation and academic achievement in third-year high school students. To determine the correlations of the effect of English learning anxiety on both components, 249 participants were selected from nine third-year student classes at an academic high school in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, to complete questionnaires, the data from which were analysed using quantitative statistical methods. The regression analyses revealed that the English learning anxiety in the male and female students with top grades had positively and significantly affected their academic achievement. However, except for high-level male learners, demotivation was not found to have any effect on student achievement. The results suggested that it is important to design education-friendly measures to enhance third-year high school student motivation and alleviate any excessive anxiety.

Association of Residence Type on Smoking in South Korean Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a National Survey.

The closure of schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced adolescents to stay home. These disruptions, as well as a significant decrease in social access, have impacted smoking behavior. This study identified the association between the adolescents’ type of residence and tobacco product use. A cross-sectional study (using data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey) examined 3774 students in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 2575 students in 2020 (during the pandemic). The participants were South Korean middle and high school students aged 13–19 years. Using multinomial logistic regression, it was shown that adolescents who lived alone or in a boarding house had a higher risk of being an e-cigarette smoker compared with those who lived with family or relatives (OR = 6.49, CI = 2.06–20.45). Living in a dormitory or orphanage also increased the risk of dual tobacco use compared with living with family (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.13–3.84). With the advent and continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic, this effect became more significant in 2020 than in 2019. Our findings support the theory that residential differences affect adolescent smoking behavior and highlight the importance of integrated smoking bans and educational programs to control adolescent smoking.

Testing Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status, Academic Performance, and Cyberbullying Victimization to Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms in South Korean Middle and High Schools

Testing Pathways Linking Socioeconomic Status, Academic Performance, and Cyberbullying Victimization to Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms in South Korean Middle and High Schools

Assessing the Overlap between Cyberstalking Victimization and Face-to-face Sexual Victimization among South Korean Middle and High School Students

ABSTRACT While there is a growing empirical literature on victimization in the virtual world, limited scholarship has examined the potentially overlapping relationship between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. The current study uses data from a sample of 7,109 middle and high school students in South Korea to investigate the extent to which the overlap exists between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. Additionally, we examine whether the two forms of victimization are the outcome of the same underlying mechanisms. The results from bivariate probit models show a significant degree of overlap between cyberstalking victimization and face-to-face sexual victimization. Being a female, a high level of parental strain, and a high level of school disorder are significantly associated with the joint occurrence of the two forms of victimization. Our findings highlight the importance of crime prevention policies that focus on familial and school factors.

Sustainable Management of High School Athletics: A Comparative Study of the U.S. and South Korea

Positive and strong relationships among various stakeholders are essential for the sustainable management of an organization. Despite growing interest in how various sport organizations manage stakeholders to promote social sustainability, there remains a gap in stakeholder and sustainability research in high school athletics. The purpose of this study was to examine how the social sustainability of sport organizations (i.e., high school athletics) were maintained during decision-making processes. Specifically, this study used a qualitative case study framed by stakeholder theory to investigate how the relevant decision-makers in high school athletics (i.e., principals and athletic directors) manage other stakeholders in their departmental decision-making processes to promote the sustainability of their athletic department. Two high schools from the US and South Korea, one from each country, were selected as the cases for the current study. Semi-structured interviews regarding stakeholder management in departmental decision-making processes were conducted with four individual interviewees, including the principals and athletic directors of each high school. The results of this study illustrated that both the US and the South Korean high school athletic departments utilized stakeholder engagement strategy in their departmental decision-making processes. The principals and athletic directors recognized the importance of communicating with other stakeholders and engaging them in athletic department decisions. Specifically, the organizational decisions of both high school athletic departments were made in consultation with the main internal stakeholders of the athletic department (i.e., the principal and athletic director) as well as other various stakeholders (e.g., parents, coaches, alumni association).

Cosmopolitan language practices toward change: A case from a South Korean high school

AbstractThis study explores English language learners’ cosmopolitan language practices. Based on the concepts of cosmopolitanism (i.e., becoming a global citizen) and English as aLingua Franca(ELF), it investigates how South Korean high school students engage in collaborative English writing practices to interact with audiences in a global writing community. Using discourse analysis of students’ artifacts, this study argues that cosmopolitan language practices are beneficial for cultivating global citizenry. The findings indicate that students positioned themselves as effective communicators and meaningful collaborators for change as they developed intercultural and collaboration skills. Researchers and educators are encouraged to create opportunities for language learners to engage in cosmopolitan language practices utilizing digital technologies.

Promoting English Learning in Secondary Schools: Design-Based Research to Develop a Mobile Application for Collaborative Learning

The goal of this study was to design a mobile application to address the challenge of the lack of quality English-speaking lessons in South Korean middle and high schools. The study was conducted because providing quality English speaking lessons in large size classes arguably could foster equal access to acquiring English speaking skills in public education settings. WikiTalki, a mobile application developed in this study, is a classroom assistance tool that expands students' verbal practice opportunities and enables them to receive personalized peer feedback on their speaking performance. The development process of WikiTalki followed the design-based research (DBR) approach and was conducted in three iterations of design, development, and test. An empirical study was conducted to assess the application's effectiveness in terms of students’ participation, self-efficacy, achievement in oral speech, and perceived English-speaking success. Significant findings of the study were: recording and sharing function increased learner participation in large-sized English classes; peer feedback tended to promote collaborative learning; continuous refinement of the application design enhanced the quality of instructional design and usability.

Examining the Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum in the Unites States for Developing the Home Economics Elective Courses for South Korean High Schools: A Case Study of the State of Ohio

Examining the Family and Consumer Sciences Curriculum in the Unites States for Developing the Home Economics Elective Courses for South Korean High Schools: A Case Study of the State of Ohio

Advancing the Design of Self-Explanation Prompts for Complex Problem-Solving

This research investigated the effects of focus (inference vs. inference followed by integration) and level (low vs. middle vs. high) in self-explanation prompts on both cognitive load and learning outcomes. To achieve this goal, a 2*3 experiment design was employed. A total of 199 South Korean high school students were randomly assigned to one of six conditions. The two-way MANOVA was used to analyse the effects of the self-explanation prompts on learning outcomes. Results showed that there was an interaction effect between focus and level of self-explanation prompts on delayed conceptual knowledge, suggesting that the focus of self-explanation prompts could be varied depending on their level. Second, learners who were given a high level of prompts scored higher on the immediate conceptual knowledge test than those who received a low level of prompts. A two-way ANOVA was conducted to analyse the effects of the self-explanation prompts on cognitive load and showed no significant interaction effect. However, there was a main effect in the level of the prompt that a high level of self-explanation prompts imposed a lower cognitive load compared to a low level of prompts. In sum, the design and development of self-explanation prompts should consider both focus and level, especially to improve complex problem-solving skills.

Incidental attention to academic language during content teaching in two EMI classes in South Korean high schools

EMI (English-medium instruction) is increasingly prevalent and is an important site in which students are introduced to academic English. Research into classroom interaction in EMI in schools has been limited. Recent research into classroom interaction in EMI in higher education (Basturkmen & Shackleford, 2015;McLaughlin & Parkinson, 2018) has drawn on the construct of language-related episodes (LREs) to investigate incidental instances during classroom interaction which is primarily focused on disciplinary content when attention shifts temporarily from content to language. The present article reports a study of LREs in two distinctive EMI, high school settings in South Korea. Analysis of recorded classes indicated that the occurrence of LREs was similar across both settings. LREs occurred frequently, focused mainly on disciplinary uses of vocabulary and were mainly teacher-initiated. Furthermore, the vast majority of the teacher-initiated episodes appeared to arise pre-emptively and not in response to errors, a finding that suggests the disciplinary teachers were proactive in shifting attention to language. Evolving content-driven discussion appeared to prompt the teachers to highlight the disciplinary register, and thus served as an impromptu, transitory means by which the teachers highlighted academic language use in their content teaching.

Comparative Analysis of United States and South Korean High School

Comparative Analysis of United States and South Korean High School