How Korean K-12 Educators Adapted to Online Teaching and Promoted Digital Equity During COVID-19: A Mixed-Method Study on Practices and Perceptions

The abrupt transitions to online teaching during COVID-19 have exacerbated educational discrepancies worldwide. South Korean schools faced similar challenges primarily due to the insufficient infrastructure and pedagogical guidelines for online teaching. This mixed-method case study investigated how Korean K-12 teachers and administrators converted to online teaching and addressed related digital equity issues during their first semester of online teaching in response to the pandemic. Interviews, as well as survey responses at the beginning and end of the semester, were analyzed through Activity Theory (AT) and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) frameworks. The study's key insights were that the digital equity issue is related to quality teaching issues beyond infrastructural problems and that teachers took various strategies to maximize the effectiveness of their blended teaching. We aim to shed light on supporting equitable online learning and sustaining positive changes in the post-COVID era.

Evaluation of Outdoor Particle Infiltration into Classrooms Considering Air Leakage and Other Building Characteristics in Korean Schools

We analyzed the effects of air leakage and other building characteristics on outdoor particle penetration in classrooms. The building characteristics including air leakage of 12 Korean schools were investigated, and onsite measurements were conducted to estimate the outdoor particle infiltration. The correlations among variables associated with air leakage and building characteristics and outdoor particle infiltration were analyzed using the Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression. The effective leakage area (ELA) of classrooms varied highly from 340.8–1566.9 cm2, and a significant disparity in the air leakage characteristics among the classrooms appeared. The results of onsite measurement revealed that the average ELA was larger in the corridor side with an ELAcorridor-side of 264.7 cm2 than in the outdoor side (ELAoutdoor-side of 93.1 cm2). Results of correlation analysis indicated a high correlation (r = 0.68~0.78, p-value < 0.05) between the size resolved outdoor particle source (P × λ) and specific ELA. Particularly, a strong linear relation (R2 = 0.69~0.71) with specific ELAcorridor-side was seen. Results suggest that cracks between windows and doors in the corridor side considerably affect outdoor particle penetration. These results indicate the importance of improving the airtightness of not only the building envelope but also the inter-zonal walls for effectively reducing the outdoor particle infiltration into classrooms.

What is Our “Homeland?”: Zainichi Korean High School Students on “Homeland Visit” Tours to the DPRK

Less Zainichi youth are opting for Chosŏn (i.e. pro-DPRK) schools, partially because of integration into Japanese society and the wider career options that Japanese public education offers. Nevertheless, Chosŏn schools continue to provide universal education in Korean to nurture “proud and proper Koreans.” To this end, Korean schools aim to connect the students to their “homeland”: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Participant observation of school trips to the DPRK reveals what the “homeland” means to the students and how it relates to the schools’ educational goal. Vis-à-vis the rampant xenophobia in Japan, the schools’ practices carry an urgency that cannot be ignored.

The Effects of School Police Officers on Victimization, Delinquency, and Fear of Crime: Focusing on Korean Youth

As a response to rising concerns about school violence, the Korean National Police Agency began recruiting specialized police officers, called Korean School Police Officers (KSPOs), in hopes that they would reduce in school behavioral and delinquency problems. The current study provides insight into the effects of crime prevention activities in Korean schools, using the 2014 Korean Youth Victimization Survey to advance the knowledge about the role of the KSPOs and their potential impact on delinquency reduction. Results indicate that the presence of KSPOs did not have any significant association with criminal victimization or fear of victimization. In some cases, the presence of KSPOs is associated with higher property crime by students. Implications of these findings for understanding KSPOs and their roles in preventing school crime and improving school environments are discussed. In addition, we discuss how lessons learned from the U.S. may influence future advancements in KSPO approaches and vice versa.