South Korean Students Research Articles

What are the characteristics of cyberbullying victims and perpetrators among South Korean students and how do their experiences change?

BackgroundIncreasing use of online network has a positive impact on the psychosocial development of adolescents, but at the same time has a negative impact such as cyberbullying. Yet, research on the characteristics of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in adolescence is limited, despite its potential importance to provide adequate implications for adolescent protection. ObjectiveWe aimed to clarify latent classes characterized by cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, and to examine what factors predict the latent classes of the cyberbullying trajectories. Participants and SettingThe study included 3656 students (13–18 years) who had information about cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The data was taken from the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study. MethodsLatent class growth analysis and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to identify patterns of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. ResultsCyberbullying victimization patterns were identified: high risk increasing (n = 144, 3.9 %), transient (n = 219, 6.0 %), and low risk group (n = 3293, 90.1 %). Cyberbullying perpetration pattern were identified: mid risk maintaining (n = 115, 3.1 %), low risk (n = 3474, 95.0 %), and transient group (n = 67, 1.8 %). Regression results indicate that female students, students with high self-esteem, and more support from parents and friends experience less cyberbullying. Perpetration experience increases the risk of cyberbullying victimization, whereas victimization experience increases the risk of cyberbullying perpetration. ConclusionAdolescents experience distinct patterns of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration based on the individual and social support factors. This study provides important implications that characteristics of subgroups should be considered for interventions in cyberbullying.

Primary School Students\u2019 Knowledge of the Equal Sign\u2014the Swedish Case

This case study investigates, at three Swedish schools, primary school students’ knowledge of the equal sign. The schools were chosen as representatives of schools whose students have different socioeconomic backgrounds. The data consist of Grade 3 and 6 students’ responses to an assessment form based on Matthews et al. (JRME, 43(3):316–350, 2012). A comparison between the schools indicates that there are great differences in the students’ knowledge of the equal sign depending on which school they attend. The Swedish students perform better than South Korean students responding to the same assessment form when it comes to knowing that the equal sign does not mean an operation (“the answer to a problem”). We find this interesting to discuss, as South Korea is one of the countries that performs the best on the TIMSS and PISA.

Effectiveness of neonatal emergency nursing education through simulation training: Flipped learning based on Tanner's Clinical Judgement Model.

AimTo examine the effects of neonatal simulation‐based practice by applying flipped learning based on Tanner's clinical judgement model to pre‐simulation briefing for nursing students.DesignA quasi‐experimental non‐equivalent control group pre‐ and postintervention design.MethodsUsing Tanner's clinical judgment model, flipped learning was developed and applied to the pre‐simulation briefing curriculum prior to the neonatal nursing simulation exercise. Flipped learning was compared with a general pre‐simulation briefing with 65 South Korean students. From September 7, 2019, to October 25, 2019.ResultsThe experimental group's critical thinking, self‐confidence and clinical judgement ability increased, but knowledge, satisfaction and anxiety did not differ from that of the control group. Pre‐simulation briefing design focuses on improving students’ environmental comfort and reducing anxiety rather than developing complex reasoning skills and clinical judgement abilities. Applying flipped learning based on Tanner's clinical judgement model to pre‐simulation briefing increased critical thinking, self‐confidence and clinical judgement ability.

Breaking through digital barriers: Exploring EFL students’ views of zoom breakout room experiences

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators had to transition from face to face to online classes. Zoom has become a popular platform for live, online classes in different educational contexts including English language learning. This phenomenological study sought to gain insight into South Korean students’ satisfaction with Zoom breakout rooms in English communication classes. Participants included 25 undergraduate students attending English communication classes at a university in central South Korea. Data collection comprised an open-ended survey, a focus group, and individual interviews. Data analysis centered on examining significant statements and developing themes. The results of this study indicate that most students were satisfied with using Zoom breakout rooms for EFL classes. Further, students expanded on various benefits of using Zoom breakout rooms and provided recommendations for improvement. This paper concludes with practical implications and suggestions for future research pertaining to the use of Zoom breakout rooms in EFL classes. © 2021 KASELL All rights reserved.

A Comparative Study of Social Media Addiction Among Turkish and Korean University Students

Social networks, where access is provided through mobile phones via the internet, have transformed our communication habits, while also paving the way for social media addiction. As social media addiction harms all areas of a person’s life, this research has focused on identifying the addictions of young people who have not started their professional life yet. Considering that technology is involved in people’s lives to different extents in different countries, country comparisons are considered important in digital addiction research. This study aims to compare social media addiction among university students from South Korea and Turkey. The “Social Media Addiction Scale” developed by Tutgun-Ünal and Deniz (2015) was used in this study conducted with 270 university students. Some of the findings obtained in studies using a comparative survey model are as follows: (a) social media addiction is low in both countries, (b) South Korean students’ addiction was found at a higher level than those from Turkey, (c) students in South Korea are getting more emotional support from social media, (d) the addiction of South Korean students on conflict dimension was found higher, (e) students in Turkey communicate with their families via social media more than those in South Korea.

Culture and paralinguistic features ~!^^:-): East meets West in a virtual exchange between South Korea and England

This paper investigates whether cultural differences are apparent in the paralinguistic features used by culturally diverse interactants online. Paralinguistic features are used pervasively in digital discourse (Herring & Androutsopoulos, 2015), therefore they play a pivotal role in online communication skills. Paralinguistic features such as the innovative use of punctuation and typographical features as well as emoticons and emojis are used to add nuance, emotional tone, and to manage discourse in online communication. However, the effectiveness of these paralinguistic features is dependent upon a shared understanding of their functions. This study seeks to explore any potential cultural manifestations in the use of paralinguistic features during a semester-long virtual exchange between 21 South Korean students and 25 students studying at a university in England. The dataset of 20,379 words generated during the virtual exchange was examined for cultural manifestations in paralinguistic features. As this study examines potential cultural manifestations online, it adheres to a culturally relativist perspective, therefore an inductive approach to the analysis of the data was taken. The analysis of the data revealed culturally specific paralinguistic features with the emergence of a feature that, to the best of my knowledge, has not been recorded in previous virtual exchange research.

Who wants to be a scientist in South Korea: assessing role model influences on Korean students’ perceptions of science and scientists

ABSTRACT Students from Eastern countries score well on international assessments in science yet lack interest in pursuing science careers. Several factors play into students’ perceptions of science and scientists, including their home life and attributes of the society in which they live (habitus and capital). One understudied means of examining this issue is exploring the extent to which these perceptions relate to students’ role model ideations of scientists, especially among non-western student populations. This paper explores 159 South Korean students’ perceptions of science and scientists at two private K-12 schools in South Korea using an adapted form of the Draw-a-Scientist Test. Using the motivational theory of role modeling (MTRM) as a theoretical framework, data was coded from surveys using the three MTRM constructs: goal embodiment, attainability, and desirability. Comparisons were made between schools, genders, across age ranges, and from their direct and indirect knowledge sources of scientists using thematic coding and chi-square analysis. Reported sources of scientists were predominantly sourced from popular media. Although the results suggest no significant difference between how science role models were perceived or ideated between schools or genders, sampled students viewed scientists as embodying goals of intelligence with low ideations of attainability and desirability.

A Comparative Study of Mathematics Assessment Practices between Malaysian and South Korean Secondary Schools Mathematics Teachers

This study compares the assessment practices of Malaysian and South Korean lower secondary school mathematics teachers to help explain the differences that have been found consistently between the achievement levels of Malaysian and Korean students in the TIMSS and PISA. A set of questionnaires was developed and used. It consists of item in three constructs, namely, formative, summative and diagnostic assessment. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the total score of the questionnaire was 0.94. A total of 71 Malaysian respondents and 51 South Korean respondents were involved in the study. To gather richer data, the interview was done in a manner which could explain the results. A total of three lower secondary school mathematics teachers from each country participated in the interview. The findings show that mathematics teachers in both countries use open-ended and subjective questions versus multiple choice questions in implementing formative assessment. The mathematics teachers of both countries also understand the importance and purpose of implementing formative assessment in mathematics classes. Both education systems are highly oriented to examinations, but do not emphasise TIMSS and PISA assessments. In Malaysia, not all schools are chosen to be involved in those assessments. While the attitude of the students towards any tests or examinations makes South Korean students always ready to face the two assessments. Besides that, one of the aspects that Malaysia's education system can learn is the implementation of diagnostic assessments that is highly emphasised and systematically implemented in South Korea's education system.

Victims or competitors: Korean students’ competing understandings of migrants

ABSTRACT This study investigates how South Korean students perceive migrants by interviewing 21 ethnic Korean adolescents. This study shows the parallel of popular discourse with Korean students’ discourse on migrants. Similar to competing popular discourse, half of the students in this study relied on the humanitarian discourse, depicting migrants as victims, fellow humans, and contributors while another half of the students showed the anti-multicultural discourse, portraying migrants as beneficiaries, competitors, and troublemakers. In contrast to the strong influence of the media on Korean students’ ideas, school learning was the least meaningful source of information when the students learned about migrant-related issues. These findings illustrate the greater influence of societal discourses on students’ understandings of migrants compared to the official school curriculum. This paper suggests that educators need to address prevailing societal discourses surrounding students more directly in the classroom to encourage students to participate in the meaningful conversation about immigration issues.

English for North Korean refugees in South Korea

Mee-Soo was a good student in North Korea. She came to South Korea in her early teens, and South Korean state policy for North Korean defectors enabled her to gain entry into a decent university in Seoul. She majored in Business Management and, when she had to choose her sub-major, she chose Accounting over Marketing and Human Resources because she thought she could avoid English. Achieving CPA (Certified Public Accountant) status was the goal for Accounting majors. Passing a score of 700 in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) was a requirement to take the CPA exam. Mee-Soo worked hard studying for TOEIC and took the test ten times. Her score rose from the 400s to the 600s, but she could not pass the 700 threshold and was left behind while other South Korean students passed the English requirement. She could not even begin to study for the CPA exam itself. She once sighed and told me (one of the authors), ‘I wish I could have a life without English.’ I responded, ‘I didn't think English would be so important to North Koreans in South Korea.’ To this, Mee-Soo exclaimed, ‘It is a matter of survival.’Given there have now been over 70 years of separation between North and South Korea since the Korean War, it is unquestionable that North Korean migrants face and struggle with a variety of troubles in their attempts to settle into South Korean society. In this context, why does English constitute a ‘matter of survival’ for North Koreans when there are so many other critical issues for these individuals, who crossed several borders at the risk of their lives? This phenomena, that ‘English’ represents a major difficulty for North Korean defectors in their process of settling in South Korea (Jung & Lim, 2009), constitutes an interesting linguistic phenomena in an intra-ethnic contact. However, by itself, this statement somewhat simplifies how English actually affects the migrant group. Instead, its influence works in a surprisingly diverse number of ways across different ranges and layers within the North Korean population, depending on their regional and social background, age, time of migration, and possibly many other factors. A meaningful pattern we discuss here is the changing relations between English and North Korean migrants according to age; it is the North Korean young adults who seem to be particularly affected by English and disproportionately in need of English teaching. We also note, though, that this pattern itself is changing, as we are seeing the recent increase of children of North Korean migrants born and educated in South Korea or in China.

P53 The Potential Problem of Picky Eating: A Pilot Study Among University Students of Food a Nutrition

<h3>Background</h3> Nutritional imbalances among adults are currently being recognized, particularly among those in their early 20s. Previous studies suggest that this problem might be related to adult picky eating (PE) behaviors. It has been taken for granted that university students majoring in food and nutrition, as prospective nutrition professionals, have already developed well-balanced dietary habits. However, this predisposition seems to be no longer entirely valid. <h3>Objective</h3> This pilot study aimed to explore the potential problem of PE among university students majoring in food and nutrition. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> The study included a total of 87 South Korean students majoring in food and nutrition. The Self-Designed Food Bridge Program was applied to identify the underlying causes of PE and examine the possibility of overcoming it. The program included planning and practicing step-wise exposures to target foods that were the subject of PE. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Descriptive statistics were calculated, and distributive differences between the success and failure groups in the program were analyzed using a chi-square test. <h3>Results</h3> Vegetables were the most commonly disliked foods (74.7%). About 46% of all students mentioned negative experiences as a reason for food dislikes. Almost half (45%) of these negative experiences were due to external coercion: forced eating (30%) and vomiting after forced eating (15%). About 66% of the students achieved relatively positive results in overcoming PE. The proportion of failures tended to be higher when the reasons for food dislike included negative experiences. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The results imply that students majoring in food and nutrition can be subject to PE. Despite some limitations, this study is meaningful in that it raises concerns over the potential problem of PE and its treatment among prospective nutrition professionals. The study is also expected to serve as a basis for further research on adult PE.

The role of social solidarity in the rise and decline of the South Korean student movement in the 1970–1990s

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the cause how the student movement in South Korea enjoyed the golden age in the 1970–1990s and could not be revived since the late 1990s and cannot be played a pivotal role again.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts historical analysis as primary methodology, traced the historical evolution of South Korean student activism in the 1970–1990s through analyzing secondary Korean literature and newspaper on the particular struggle cases in the period.FindingsSocial solidarity between society and student had played a pivotal role in the South Korean students' long activism in the struggle of the 1970–1990s. In the 1970–1980s, democratic election and constitutional reform set in the main purpose of struggle that attracted wide support from society and enjoyed maintaining a new member supply and their commitment despite authoritarian government's persistent oppression. When the sixth constitution was passed in 1987 with Democratization, the student decided to choose continuing struggle and set social cooperation with North Korea as the new goal, the sensitive issue in South Korea that confronted fierce criticism. Society chose to withdraw their support to the activism in the Yonsei University incident of 1996, rung a knell of long struggle since the 1970s.Originality/valueThe research identified the cause how South Korean students in university could persist long strike without particular internal resource production during three decades and ended the long struggle in the late 1990s; the existence of social solidarity between student and society was the main reason of continued new member supply and their commitment in the battle.

Pursuing Sustainable Happiness through Participation in Exercise for South Korean Students: Structural Relationships among Exercise, Mental Health Factors, School Satisfaction, and Happiness

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility that exercise participation can be an important factor in the pursuit of sustainable happiness. For this purpose, this study focused on the causal relationships among the frequency of exercise, self-esteem, stress, depression, school satisfaction and degree of happiness in elementary, junior high and high school students (n = 11,132) in South Korea. The data used for this study were collected in 2016 by the National Youth Policy Institute (NYPI) for the “UN convention on the rights of the child.” The results were as follows; firstly, the exercise frequency had a significant causal relationship with self-esteem, stress, school satisfaction and happiness but not with depression. However, it was found that exercise frequency had an indirect effect on depression through stress. In detail, exercise frequency could positively reduce stress, and less stress affects depression. Secondly, there were significant direct or indirect effects on self-esteem, stress, depression, degree of happiness and school satisfaction. Lastly, only depression did not affect school satisfaction and happiness.

The potential problem of picky eating: a pilot study among university students of food and nutrition

PurposeThis pilot study is aimed to explore the potential problem of picky eating (PE) among university students majoring in food and nutrition as prospective nutrition professionals.Design/methodology/approachThe current pilot study included a total of 87 South Korean students majoring in food and nutrition. The self-designed Food Bridge program was applied to identify the underlying causes of PE and examine the possibility of overcoming it. The program included planning and practicing stepwise exposures to target foods that were the subject of PE. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and distributive differences between the success and failure groups in the program were analyzed using a chi-squared test.FindingsVegetables were the most commonly disliked foods (74.7%). About 46% of all students mentioned negative experiences as a reason for food dislikes. Almost half (45%) of these negative experiences were due to external coercion: forced eating (30.0%) and vomiting after forced eating (15.0%). About 66% of the students achieved relatively positive results in overcoming PE. The proportion of failures tended to be higher when the reasons for food dislike included negative experiences.Originality/valueAs the current study implied, students majoring in food and nutrition can be subject to PE. Despite study limitations, this study is meaningful in that it raises concerns over the potential problem of PE and its treatment among prospective nutrition professionals. This study is also expected to serve as a basis for further research on adult PE.

Career adaptability of South Korean engineering students

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the role of mastery goal orientation, support for career development, career decision-making self-efficacy and engineering interest in career adaptability for engineering students.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 307 Korean engineering students from two universities. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data and examine the relationships among the variables.FindingsThe results indicated that the level of mastery of goal orientation and support for career development significantly affected career decision-making self-efficacy. Engineering students’ career decision-making self-efficacy also positively influenced their engineering interests and career adaptability. Finally, the students’ engineering interest positively affected their career adaptability.Originality/valueThis study demonstrated that important factors for career planning and development need to be successively considered during the career choice process by linking it to career decision-making self-efficacy, engineering interest and career adaptability (career choice action), in consecutive order.

We Are Not All the Same

This qualitative study explored the experiences of six Chinese and South Korean graduate students in the United States. Semistructured interviews and an interpretive phenomenological approach were used in which three major themes emerged: (a) academic challenges and acculturation, (b) academic support from host institute, and (c) cultural and pedagogical nuances. Challenges included language barriers during lectures, discussions and writing assignments, and lack of support services for international students. One significant finding was Chinese and South Korean students do not have the same graduate experiences in the United States. Participants shared how their prior homeland learning experiences (course delivery, relationships with instructors and assessments) impacted their learning, relationships, and academic challenges in the United States.

Components of digital literacy as predictors of youth civic engagement and the role of social media news attention: the case of Korea

ABSTRACT This study examined the multi-component concept of digital literacy as a predictor of civic engagement depending on news attention level among teens. First, it explicated each effect of the four main components of digital literacy such as technical skills, information usage, communication and creation. A nationwide survey of more than 2,500 South Korean students showed that all components but technical skills were significant predictors of various activities of engagement. Information usage was the most salient predictor of posting on social issues and donation, while creation was highly related to volunteering. Next, we tested if there were any salient differences among the low, medium and high-news attention groups. Digital literacy components were significantly related to engagement among high-news attention respondents. In the low-attention group, however, the variables rarely predicted participation. The differences among groups were coherent across various engagement variables. This study demonstrates that frequency and amount of time spent on social media does not automatically guarantee adolescents’ civic engagement. Competence and attitude under the broader umbrella of digital literacy are what really matter. The normative and practical implication for digital literacy education and the function of news regarding the connection between digital literacy and engagement were further discussed.

South Korean higher education development trends in the context of globalization and regionalization

In this article, the author outlines the key higher education development trends in South Korea in the context of globalization and regionalization. The influence of globalization processes on the higher education development in the countries of the Far East as exemplified by South Korea has been identified and studied in detail. The article features the specifics of internationalization process and determines its types. Prioritized is the statistical data obtained from participation of the South Korean students in the academic mobility programs due to the opportunity to adequately assess such processes in the entire region rather than just one country. The research results have analyzed the specifics of regionalism in the higher education and suggest a clear idea of how it differs from the internationalization process. The author has researched the influence of the union processes on the European Union and the education policy of the ASEAN member states. The article dwells on the Association achievements in the higher education area and highlights the advantages of the above. The article is focused on the economic policy of the South Korean Government and the strategy of further financing and development of the area. It has been noted that there is direct correlation between the education quality and the invested financial resources. The author further analyzes the state policy in the area of continuing education or lifelong learning and gives a general description of the problem as well as singles out the main types of the educational institutions offering knowledge

A Cross-cultural Comparative Study of Requests Made in Chinese by South Korean and French Learners

This study aims to examine the differences of pragmatic strategies of requests made in Chinese by South Korean and French learners, in comparison to those made by Chinese native speakers (CNS). Using a Discourse Completion Test (DCT) questionnaire as the research tool, 20 Chinese, 20 French students and 20 South Korean students from the Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) were randomly selected to complete the questionnaire. The response data from the Chinese student questionnaires were used as the baseline data for comparison as well as generating a modified coding scheme. The results show that Chinese speakers and South Korean learners tend to be more direct by using “query preparatory” and “mood derivable” as head acts, while French learners tend to be indirect by primarily using “query preparatory.” In terms of sociopragmatics, the results show that Korean learners and Chinese tend to be hierarchical and collectivistic, while French students are prone to be egalitarian and individualistic. L2 transfer, inductive/deductive mindset, unfamiliarity, and varied perceptions of politeness could be possible reasons for the differences in request strategies. This study concludes with suggestions for future research and pedagogy.

Effects of SNS Social Capital on E-Service Quality and Sustained Referral Intentions of E-Fitness Apparel: Comparative Body Image Satisfaction Analysis

Fitness apparel companies target consumers with easy access to social media (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest). However, fitness apparel companies have struggled to incorporate social interactivity into their marketing strategies due to a lack of knowledge about consumers’ social media behaviors and different country contexts. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) comparison of college students’ body image satisfaction in both the United States (U.S.) and South Korea and (2) how their body satisfaction influences consumer communication and the sustained referral intentions of fitness apparel in social media. The findings from 1144 survey responses of U.S. and South Korean college students reveal that student body satisfaction differs between the two countries. Body-dissatisfied U.S. and South Korean students with social capital on social networking websites are directly influenced by word-of-mouth regarding online fitness apparel purchases. Furthermore, perceived e-service quality, including website design and website responsiveness, is a significant mediator in both cultures, affecting the word-of-mouth for fitness-related purchases. This study provides evidence for marketers of fitness apparel, particularly e-marketers, to consider the cultural differences in customer preferences and customer body satisfaction, so as to enhance service performance.