A Systematic Literature Review of Korea’s Testing Culture: Surveying the Landscape from An Ecological Perspective
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This systematic review evaluates the research on pervasive testing culture in South Korea from an ecological perspective. The prioritization of testing in South Korean education is a defining feature of the educational system. Our study synthesizes findings from 46 studies, evaluating them through an ecological lens to understand trends in how much attention is paid to learning while analyzing which levels of the ecological system are over- and under-represented. We find that while much research highlights the impacts of testing culture on students' identity, limited research links testing culture to learning itself. Of those studies that do, most center on individual and interpersonal levels, neglecting broader cultural and societal contexts. Additionally, limited evidence exists on pervasive testing and conceptual understanding.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
[1] Shohamy, E. Language tests as language policy tools. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice 2007, 14(1), 117–130. https://doi.org/10.1080/09695940701272948
[2] Lee, H., & Lee, K. An analysis of the failure(s) of South Korea’s national English ability test. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher 2016, 25(5–6), 827–834.https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-016-0301-6
[3] Bray, M. Confronting the shadow education system: What government policies for what private tutoring? UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning 2009.
[4] Lee, M., Cho, S., & Lee, S. M. A multilevel analysis of change in hatred of academic work during high school: Focusing on the sociocultural background of Korea. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools 2019, 29(2), 166–176. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2019.6
[5] Alexander, R. J. Children, Their World, Their Education: Final Report of the Cambridge Primary Review. London: Routledge 2010.
[6] Shin, D.D. Why aren’t Korean students happy? In Routledge eBooks 2018, (pp. 124–138). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315180625-8
[7] Lee, J., Puig, A., Lea, E., & Lee, S. M. Age-related differences in academic burnout of Korean adolescents. Psychology in the Schools 2013, 50(10), 1015–1031. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21723
[8] Park, H., & Lim, S. Frequency of irritable bowel syndrome, entrance examination-related stress, mental health, and quality of life in high school students. Gastroenterology Nursing 2009, 34(6), 450–458. https://doi.org/10.1097/sga.0b013e318237eb43
[9] Juon, H., Nam, J. J., & Ensminger, M. E. Epidemiology of suicidal behavior among Korean adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 1994, 35(4), 663–676. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01212.x
[10] Lee, M., Lee, M. K., Yaung, H., Lee, T., & Lee, S. M. Academic Hatred: Focusing on the Influence of a Supportive Classroom Climate. Sage Open 2022, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221094820
[11] Bronfenbrenner, U. *The ecology of human development*. Harvard University Press 1979.
[12] McKinney de Royston, M. & Nasir, N.S. Racialized learning ecologies: Understanding race as a key feature of learning and developmental processes in schools. In Budwig, N., Turiel, E., Zelazo, P.D. New Perspectives on Human Development. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press 2017. (pp. 258-286).
[13] Sangrá, A., Raffaghelli, J. E., & Guitert-Catasús, M. Learning ecologies through a lens: Ontological, methodological and applicative issues. A systematic review of the literature. *British Journal of Educational Technology 2019, 50*(4), 1619–1638. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12795
[14] Lee, Meery. Korean adolescents’ ?examination hell? and their use of Free Time. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development 2003, (99), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.63
[15] Sorensen, C. W. Success and education in South Korea. Comparative Education Review 1994, 38(1), 10–35. https://doi.org/10.1086/447223
[16] Dawson, W. Private tutoring and Mass Schooling in East Asia: Reflections of inequality in Japan, South Korea, and Cambodia. Asia Pacific Education Review 2010, 11(1), 14–24.
[17] Song, B., & Kim, T.-Y. The dynamics of demotivation and remotivation among Korean High School EFL Students System, 2017, 65, 90–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2016.12.010
[18] Lee, Minyoung, Lee, T., & Lee, S. M. (2021). Role of peer support in competitive classroom climates: Focusing on the mediation effect of academic hatred in the JD-R model. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools 2021, 33(2), 221–232. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2021.24