우리나라 고등학교 사회과 경제교육 실태와 개선방안에 대한 연구

Abstract

This study is to identify the concept, nature and goals of economic education, and transitional process of economics education in the curriculum of social science, focusing on the curriculum of social science in high schools. For the purpose, it compares the economic education of the past with that of the present and looks at the current status of economic education in Korean and foreign countries. As it identifies problems of our economic education, based on the problems found, it is to present an improvement plan of economic education. Our country has faced a new turning point through economic innovation in the process of monetary crisis since 1997, but debtors are increasing and late credit payment by young people is one of big social problems. And economic crimes are also increasing. It seems that the most important factor of Korea economic crisis is no reasonable economic mind of the public and no education on the principle of market economy. Reasonable economic mind starts from understanding the principle of basic market economy management. If the national and international economic structure and order are identified, reasonable economic mind and balanced viewpoint on economic phenomenon or policy can be naturally acquired. As such mind and perspective contributes to good relationship between members of schools with reasonable attitude and behaviors as citizen, customers and workers, their welfare can be enhanced and national development can be achieved. To develop reasonable economic mind and attitude, above all we need proper economic education. However, our economic education is decreasing as our education system is focusing on entrance examination and due to difficult class far from actual life, the subject of economy is considered as a difficult subject and students tend to avoid it. And as parents tend to be disinterested in economic education, relying on the school system, children's interest in economics is low and our society has to prepare proper programs on economics education for adolescents. And as economics education in our country is dealt with in the education of social science and education of general social science, and it is embedded in a large frame of the education of social science and mixed with other subjects such as politics, law, social studies, and culture, it has no consistent educational system or distinctive educational goals.

To solve the problems above, this study presents the following improvement plans: First, to reinforce the importance of economics education, the subject of economics as an elective subject should be raised a required subject or the units for social science should be increased. And by recognizing the importance of economics education in case of revision of the 8th Curriculum, the units of economics should be increased or the subject should be raised as a requires subject which all the high school students must complete to graduate. Second, teachers who teach economics should be cultivated and training system should be improved. For effective economy education, universities have to nurture more teachers who have enough economics education. And the current training system targeting the present teachers should be improved. Third, to develop quality textbooks, teaching and learning data on research and education should be developed and distributed. The idea of the curriculum is specifically realized in textbooks. Therefore, we have to make varied efforts to develop quality textbooks. And we have to develop a variety of data such as current data, learning materials, evaluation, graphs and diagrams, internet networks, and audio-visual materials to supplement textbooks. Fourth, out of the teacher-centered instruction focusing on entrance examination, we need learner-oriented education. For the purpose, we should help students to understand central contents or principles of economics in the level which are appropriate for high school students through providing actual examples for them. Various practical examples can be used for teaching. To achieve the goals, teachers, the government and civil organizations should develop and supply assistant materials for economic education and the government should support teaching and learning programs for teachers. Fifth, contemporary society is producing a great number of debtors due to insensible consumption, which is extending to a social problem beyond personal problem. For the education on economics for healthy consumption, each family should provide reinforced education on economy for children.

It is hoped that these suggestions will be helpful to the activation of economic education in high schools. However, though part of the education is improved, effective education can not be achieved satisfactorily. Therefore, this study suggests that schools, teachers, students and educators should pay more attention to better economics education at each position.