This article explores the reasons why geoscience is being neglected by students in South Korea’s changing curriculum, and how it can be revitalized and developed in higher education.
In Korea, science education is undergoing many changes amidst a changing curriculum. The Korean education system is constantly changing to keep up with the rapidly changing global environment and technological advancements. These changes are focused on more than just the transfer of academic knowledge, but on equipping students with the ability to successfully adapt and innovate in the future society. In particular, in the 21st century, the traditional boundaries between disciplines are breaking down, making integrative thinking and interdisciplinary approaches even more important. In order to meet the needs of the times, an integrated curriculum is being introduced that breaks down the boundaries between the humanities and sciences, and aims to foster creative talents with humanistic imagination and scientific creativity.
In the past, the required number of science units in the 2009 curriculum was 15 units. However, since 2015, the science curriculum has been reduced to 10 units. In a world where science is advancing and changing every day, if science education is reduced, students who will enter the workforce after higher education will certainly not be able to adapt. This is very unfortunate for a country that aspires to be a technological powerhouse. But science has already left the minds of many students. For them, science has become one of those subjects that is unfamiliar, difficult, and something they don’t want to do.
Most troubling is that even among students who are interested in science, geoscience is not seen as science compared to other science subjects. As the entire high school curriculum has become more elective, with students choosing their own subjects, schools have reduced the number of subjects taught to reduce the learning burden on students. Earth science is excluded from the future curriculum, which gives schools more autonomy to organize their curriculum. In addition, as students have become less likely to study geoscience as a result of making it an elective subject, major universities have stopped including geoscience in their admissions processes or excluding it from their interviews, which is contributing to high school students’ reluctance to study geoscience. In this article, we will explore the reasons why geoscience is underrepresented and marginalized, and explore the possibilities for advancing geoscience in higher education.
Science is categorized into four subjects: physics, biology, chemistry, and earth science. One of the reasons is that geoscience is one of the most popular subjects among students because it deals with topics that are so close to home. Stories about pollution, the sun and stars, the structure and geography of the Earth, and so on, are all very familiar. On the other hand, mechanics in physics, heredity in life sciences, and molecular formula calculations in chemistry are so far away from real life that they feel special. This is the main reason why other sciences feel special, while earth sciences do not.
However, I think this is a good reason to learn geoscience. “Socrates” said, “Know thyself”. Similarly, I think we should know what is around us. Natural disasters such as the Nepal earthquake, the Mt. Paektu volcanic eruption, and the Japanese tsunami are inevitable, and we need to understand them better. In addition, extreme weather events caused by climate change are already becoming a major problem around the world. Without geoscience knowledge, it is difficult to understand and respond to these issues. Geoscience is also a subject in which you learn about environmental pollution, such as global warming and ozone depletion, which are global problems. The emphasis on green energy to reduce the use of fossil fuels is also addressed in geoscience. In earth sciences, one cause does not lead to one effect, and flexible thinking is required. This will enable complex thinking and is a fundamental foundation for developing creative and interdisciplinary talent.
The second reason why geoscience is often neglected by students is the issue of admission. The distribution of geoscience-related majors in Korea’s top universities is low compared to other science subjects. This means that fewer students are choosing geoscience in higher education. The lack of students choosing geoscience will have an impact on geoscience education and will destabilize the position of teachers in the field at a time when science education needs to be strengthened. However, today’s global and space environment demands more robust scientific knowledge and insight into holistic understanding of global issues than ever before. In addition, the emerging advanced technologies of the future will require interdisciplinary science and technology, not just life and physics. Since geoscience is a subject that encompasses physics, chemistry, and life, we need to find ways to develop it without succumbing to this trend.
The most important aspect of geoscience education is to engage students’ interest and excitement. Once students are interested, geoscience is no longer just a theory to memorize or a subject for entrance exams, but an absolute pleasure and a path to follow in the future. The most important thing is the role of the teacher. Teachers should provide interesting lessons, such as using visuals or introducing related careers. If this can be done, the possibilities for the development of geoscience in higher education are endless.
When we look at the characteristics of science education in the United States, we see that the role and training of teachers is emphasized. Since 1990, the United States has implemented new science education reforms, dividing the science content that students must learn into physical science, life science, and earth and space science. In Japan, which has been hit hard by typhoons and earthquakes, geoscience has already become a way of life, not just memorization. This means that it is directly relevant to them and that they are interested in it. Now is the time for geoscience literacy that enables us to wisely deal with issues related to the earth, the space environment, and human life.
Despite the fact that geoscience is proving to be a source of knowledge that can help solve the problems of humanity in the 21st century, there is a great lack of interest and support for geoscience in Korea. In addition, the Korean curriculum is changing in a way that does not burden students. But is this truly beneficial to the country’s development? It is not possible to educate students without any pressure at all. Teaching only easy content because it reduces pressure is the same as giving up on education. If the idea is to make the curriculum easy so that students can focus on their subjects without feeling overwhelmed, education officials need to change their minds as soon as possible. As the saying goes, “those who strive cannot keep up with those who enjoy.” Instead of changing the curriculum from time to time, we need to make it interesting for students.
