Does south korea have homework

Running Head: Comparing Effective Education in South Korea and Saudi Arabia 1

Effective Education in South Korea and Saudi Arabia 4

A country’s educational system is effective as attention and effort is given to research, financial support, and implementation of best practices. This thesis compared two countries, South Korea, a country with a long-standing of excellence in education, and highly ranked in global education measures, and Saudi Arabia, a fairly new country that is known for its wealth and recent investment in education. Saudi Arabia has allocated nearly one-quarter of its nation’s budget to improving the education of students, and yet it continues to rank low when compared to other countries’ education progress. The research examined effective education in these countries through three lenses; skilled teachers and the components used for effective education, students’ performances, and teaching methods.

Using a review of literature, this paper explored the focus and efforts of South Korea and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s education systems. Theses school systems have commonalities with each desiring effective education for its students and promote technology and international learning. Assessments evaluations are accomplished by using the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). The research discovered that these countries are vastly different in the approach to effective education curriculum with South Korea’s focus on academics and Saudi Arabia’s focus on the Islamic religion. With continued low scores from students in Saudi Arabia it is recommended that an assessment system be developed and put in place for teachers and students to gain accurate evaluations of the educational system and its components.

Keywords: effective education, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, collaborative, Islam

Comparing Effective Education in South Korea and Saudi Arabia

Introduction

An effective education plays a major role in the development of any society. Providing an effective education is of interest to all communities. Effective education includes making significant progress toward equity and inclusion for all. Many definitions exist for effective education. The term effective is often used as a synonym for good, quality, or successful (UNICEF, 2000). Most people agree on what it is but there are also different aspects to it. When thinking of education from different viewpoints, how effective education is depends on the political, cultural, and economic contexts of the country (UNICEF, 2000). There are also many differing opinions on how to obtain a quality education. Yet it is known that an effective education is achieved when evidence-based pedagogies are deeply embedded in all classrooms (Maciej, 2013). No matter where education takes place or what subject is taught, one common element is the teacher. The teacher facilitates education and is responsible of teaching knowledge to those being educated (UNICEF, 2000). Another part of effective education occurs when teachers use strategies to make lessons engaging to promote learning. In this technological age, technology use should be taught and used to learn (Al-Soraiey-Alqahtani & Awadh, 2010).

Different countries have different approaches when allocating their budgets, formatting their classes, and choosing curricula. This paper is a comparison of effective education in Saudi Arabia and South Korea. South Korea’s education system is known to be very good and ranks high on all international measurements. On the other hand, although Saudi Arabia’s education system has initiated many changes on an effort to improve, it has not made the same progress as South Korea. Both of these are young countries that care about education. Comparing these two countries may reveal what efforts have made the largest differences and where improvements need to be made.

Literature Review

History of Education

Saudi Arabia. In 1932 Saudi Arabia officially became a nation. In the early years, education was limited to a few schools that were monotheistic, for males only, and taught only Islamic principles (Sedgwick, 2001). In 1989, the Ministry of Education (ME) established schools for females and allowed them to get the same education as males. Prior to this, the only education available for females was homeschooling and/or private schools (Al Shibani, 2015). Nowadays, many schools have been built and education is available and free for all Saudi nationals (Ministry of Education, n. d.). The Ministry of Education supervises all aspects of education and provides all financial support including allowances for people attending school. Education is segregated by sex and divided into separately administered systems: general education and traditional Islamic education (The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2011). Today’s private schools exist for all levels and are considered important for the nation’s education. In 2009, there were 3.82 million Saudi students in public schools and 454,000 in private schools. Both of the facts represent a growth in the number of students attending school. More Saudis do attend public schools but the growth from 2003 to 2009 in private schools represented an average annual growth of 9.8 (Ministry of Education, 2013).

Education remains one of the most important elements of economic development and it is what prepares future generations for success (Al-Mousa, 2010). This is evident in the developments, enhancements and plans mandated by the government. In 2013 the government of Saudi Arabia invested almost $42.71 billion, which was a quarter of the annual national budget, on the education sector for reforming and improving it (Ministry of Finance, 2014). Saudi Arabia has many schools, facilities and teachers (Al Sadawi, 2011). They are currently building 2,000 new independent schools (Education Journalme.com, 2016). Concerns have been expressed that The Saudi government pays more attention to the number of resources than to the quality of the curriculum, standards and pedagogy (Al Sadawi, 2011). Currently, the country is working toward reaching ambitious goals stated in Vision 2030 for better standing in the world and improvements for its people. To achieve these goals, the country is aware of its need for a local, skilled, and educated workforce. Vision 2020 includes the following educational objectives:

Vision 2020 includes the following educational objectives:

· To improve the learning environment to stimulate creativity and innovation

· To establish positive values and build an independent personality for citizens

· To provide citizens with knowledge and skills to meet the future needs of the labor market

· To develop youth skills and leverage them effectively (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, n. d., p. 60).

In 2001, Saudi Arabia’s overall literacy rate was 62.8 % with males being more literate than the females, respectively 71.5% to 50.2% (Sedgwick, 2001). In 2015, the overall literacy rate for adults was 94.7% and the females were closing the gap with 91.1% as compared to 97% for the males (UNESCO, 2014).

The school year for Saudi primary students is 153 days or about 36 working weeks. The secondary level has 38 working weeks. The year is divided into two semesters and two weeks for examinations (UNESCO, 2011). The school day lasts from 7:00 am until 1:00 or 2:00 pm depending on the school. Lessons are generally 45 minutes with five-minute breaks between classes. There is a break during the day for prayer. Primary schools have five or six lessons a day and intermediate and secondary have six or seven (Al Tayyar, 2014).

South Korea. In 1948, South Korea held their first elections as an independent country. After the Korean War in 1953, more than three-fourths of Koreans could not read. South Korea perceived education as a way to build its economy. They wanted to provide an education for all of their children by building strong elementary schools. They did this very rapidly (Dalporto, 2013).

The UNESCO provides the objectives of Korea’s education as:

· To assist all people in perfecting their individual character

· To develop the ability to achieve an independent life

· To acquire the qualifications of democratic citizens

· To participate in the building of a democratic state

· To promote the prosperity of all humankind (UNESCO, 2011)

In order to achieve a high quality education, starting in the 1980s, the country underwent several reforms (So & Kang, 2014). South Korea, along with Finland and Hong Kong are recognized to have one of the best education systems in the world (McClatchey, 2013; Golden & Toldeo,

2016).

Both private and public schools provide education in South Korea. Both types of schools receive funding from the government; yet, the funds given to private school are less than those given to public schools (So & Kang, 2014). Records from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicate that South Korea’s total investment in educational institutions at all levels is higher than the average at 6.3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). Private sources, mainly the families spent 1.9% of the GDP on education in 2013. There have been attempts to reduce the amount paid by private sources and between 2008 and 2013 this amount dropped by 14.1% (Golden & Toledo, 2016).

The Korean school year is 220 days. The average Korean child spends 13 hours a day studying, which includes supplemental class time. South Korea has made much progress and is now ranked 24th out of 30 of the most developed nations (Clark & Park, 2013). The country is said to have a large educated labor force (So & Kang, 2014). Yet, they have the highest gap in education attainment between young adults and the older generation of all OECD countries. This is reflective of the emphasis the country has made for educating its young people (OECD, 2014). A person’s social status, marriage, and job are often determined by the university they attend which is dependent on the K-12 school they attend and are determined by the scores on their assessments. Parents are judged on where their children are educated. This societal pressure motivates parents and children to obtain a good education. Therefore South Korean parents spend more money on education for their children in the form of after-school classes and private schools than any other nation to supplement what is learned at their public schools (Golden & Toldeo, 2016).

Curriculum

Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s educational goals are to teach religious studies, Arabic, general culture and science. The main objectives are to instill the Islamic creed in the spirit of children and provide them a comprehensive Islamic education. Religious studies take the bulk of the school day, consisting of at least nine lessons in a week with all other lessons only taking 23 hours (UNESCO, 2011). The education system is segregated by sex and divided into separately administered systems: general education for boys, and one for girls, and traditional Islamic education for boys and one for girls (Sedgwick, 2001). Pre-primary education is for ages 3-5 years and is not required to attend elementary school. Compulsory school begins at age 6 until Primary school, which begins at age 6 and consist of grades 1-6. Secondary schools are in 3 stages intermediate and grades 7-9 and secondary schools are grades 10-12. Education is free for all students. Students who complete secondary schools may move to the university or technical and vocational schools (UNESCO. 2011).

The same textbooks are used in each subject throughout all state schools. Boys and girls study the same subjects, except for home economics that is taught only to girls. Little attempt is made to make the subjects apply to the lives of girls. Textbooks are rarely changed and only revised slightly. They are made to be “teacher-proof” to prevent teachers from changing the curriculum (Al Tayyar, 2014).

South Korea. Education is required for children between the ages of 6-15 years (Center on International Education Benchmarking, n. d.). Schools are divided into 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of junior high and 3 years of senior high school. Elementary and junior high schools are local schools. Once compulsory age is ended students can choose to enter vocational/technical genera/academic or specialist/special purpose schools. Qualifications for entering these schools vary: some are for equalization and they use a lottery system to place students, while others are based on exam scores and all students attend the Center on International Education Benchmarking, n. d). Education in South Korea emphasizes a more contemporary curriculum with much emphasis on math, science and languages (McClatachey, 2013). Internationally, the students perform very high in mathematics and science which is reflective of their curriculum (OECD, 2016). Their schools and the entire country are exam-driven. Students should pass the exam to get into high school and college and the test starts when student are four years old (Dalporto, 2013). The curriculum is regularly modified to reflect current needs of the country and to reflect changes in the PISA curriculum (Golden & Toldeo, 2016).

The system of education in South Korea mainly focuses on what the student is grasping rather than covering the content of the textbooks. The teachers use assessment to check for understanding concepts and ability to use concepts. Theoretical concepts and ideas are analyzed during the course work (So & Kang, 2014). They also stress the use of practical sessions to equip students with technical skills. After mastery of the concepts and theories, the student is required to demonstrate the concepts practically at the labs. The students in South Korea are frequently taken to do fieldwork. While at the field, the students learn how to practice the concepts and theories learned from the class. The system also encourages students to be innovative and come up with solutions to the challenging problems in their life. The teachers are encouraged to create an environment where students are free to interact and ask questions in the course of learning (So & Kang, 2014).

Teachers and Teaching

Saudi Arabia. Teachers play an essential role in the education process in any country. They are literally the backbone of the education process, and when they are not up to the task the whole system can collapse (Alnahdi, 2014). According to Alnahdi (2014), teachers in Saudi Arabia do not show passion, sense of responsibility or desire for teaching or learning which is essential for motivating their students. When teaching, teachers show little patience or self- discipline. Both Alhandi (2014) and Khan (2011) note that Saudi teachers are either not prepared or do not show the energy to plan lessons and handle classroom management. Alhandi (2014) believes that the lack of accountability for the teachers’ performance contributes to the low performance of their students.

Teaching in most Arab states is highly didactic, very much teacher oriented, and not very conductive to developing analytic thinking skills (Faour, 2011). Learning is based on memorization and provides little dialogue between the teacher and student. Aldossari (2013) describes classroom management being a problem because of the buildings not being suitable for learning, the centralization and bureaucracy of the school management system, and the lack of planning and efforts of teachers.

Students benefit as teachers become more knowledgeable on issues in their field of expertise (Alkhalaf, Nguyen, Nguyen, & Drew, 2011). The teachers in Saudi Arabia need to develop themselves by participating in more professional development for their work. Even though most teachers from Saudi Arabia enter the classroom with training, not all do so. Those that do not have initial training are reluctant to participate in professional development (Khan, 2011).

Traditionally, teachers in the Arab world use more didactic and teacher-centered instruction. A common method for teaching is for the teacher to show how to work a problem, ask if students understand, and then to move onto another method (Al Tayyar, 2014).

One of the efforts to reform education is to have more high-qualified teachers. Teachers with passion are highly considered (Alnahdi, 2014 & Krieger, 2007). In Saudi Arabia, teachers no longer have high social status. Also, the salary for teaching is not as high as that of the private sector. Due to these factors, highly qualified passionate teachers are not attracted to the profession. Still, people choose to teach because it provides a lifelong government job and are in the country (Alnahdi, 2014).

Another effort to reform education is for the MoE to develop exams to assess teacher candidates for basic skills and competency in different subject areas that they will teach. In addition, the MoE is designing assessments for students to help determine the effectiveness of teachers teaching (Alnahdi, 2014).

South Korea. The teaching profession in South Korea is quite different. Teachers work efficiently, exceed expectations of themselves, are paid well, and thus enjoy a high social status. For this reason, teaching has become a top career choice for young Koreans in the country (Kim, 2007). Teaching is also a desirable profession because of South Korea's support for their teachers in securing tenure and material support until they reach retirement age, especially in the present era of labor instability (Kim, 2007). The teacher's turnover rate is low. An OECD survey found that 63.4 % of teachers said they would become teachers if they had to make this decision again (OECD, 2016).

South Korea believes that the most effective teachers will be fostered through professional development in collaborative learning communities that highlight teachers’ mutual engagements. This process promotes value among teachers and the discussion of experiences and knowledge. The collaborative process engages teachers in joint reviews, feedback, joint efforts, reflections, and discussion of issues and approaches questions related to them, as well as issues that have been raised and shared. In 2008, a plan was adopted to designate master teachers that allows them to teach and do additional research and input into professional development. In 2010 the government began a professional development and evaluation system to improve teachers’ effectiveness. In 2016, a plan was developed to boost teachers’ morale, which allows teachers to take a one-year leave of absence to improve their skills (Golden & Toldeo, 2016).

When compared to other teachers in the world, Korean public school teachers spend less time on teaching (OECD, 2014). Primary students also spend less hours in compulsory education than their counterparts in other OECD countries (648 hours to the OECD average of 799 hours). The teacher-student ratio has decreased since 2005 but it is still 1:32 in secondary classrooms, which world- wide is generally where the ratio is the lowest if found. There are more primary and secondary teachers under the age of 40, which indicates there will be a steady supply of teachers throughout the years (Golden & Toldeo, 2016).

Collaborative teaching in South Korea is evident by the collective knowledge shared among teachers in the learning community. Teachers engage in serious dialogue about the knowledge they have been achieving, interpreting it communally, and sharing it among themselves. This helps teachers to use different tactics to make sure that students are able to understand and succeed (Maciej, 2013). Teachers in South Korea collaborate about experiences and knowledge and this proves to improve others’ level of knowledge. Collaboration, rooted in the social area of education, allows groups to share interests in education through regular interactions. Teachers usually view one another as part of a group that is working hard towards the achievement of different goals (Lin & Wang, n.d.).

Technology

Technology is a great asset and is used by teachers for a variety of reasons. First, it offers students differentiated learning. Students are offered a change from the monotony of traditional learning through technology. This often causes students to be more receptive to concepts taught. Another advantage for students and teachers in using technology to teach, is its ability to access unlimited information via the Internet. This added advantage advances efficiency since only a few devices are needed for education for both the teachers and students. However, with technology the need arises for skilled educators in the classrooms. Technology, such as the Internet, can be a substantial distraction to students and may constantly interrupt learning (Maciej, 2013).

Saudi Arabia. The Internet was introduced to Saudi Arabia in January 1999 for business use only (Al-Saggaf, 2004). Because the Internet was recognized as essential for business and socio-economic growth, the whole Arab region invested heavily in providing the infrastructure to be part of globalization (Xanthidis, Alai, & Koutzampasopoulou, 2016). Using technology in the classroom to improve students’ skill is challenging because it much be done within cultural limits to facilitate use but also within limits to protect the culture (Alshibani, 2015). Still technology is available especially mobile technology with teenagers, but is not used in education (Seliaman & Al-turki, 2012).

Saudi Arabia has worked to modernize the educational process by introducing computers to the education field for more than a quarter of a century. Various websites offer theoretical and practical information regarding student learning. The use of video sites such as YouTube has been of great importance to teachers and students as a learning aid because it provides examples to be used during lectures (Azzah, 2015). A major investment was made for interactive white board technology because it enhances flexibility within the education systems. This technology helps students to interact, share, and discuss information that they have acquired from the teacher (Smith & Abū ʻAmmuh, 2013).

The massive Tatweer Project was launched in 2007 with the purpose of improving schools. One of the five areas addressed was the use of technology in the classroom to improve the teaching and learning process (Alyami, 2014). The program was launched in phases and more technology was provided for schools each year. By 2015, 60 schools were included, 20 primary, 20 middle and 20 secondary schools (Alghamdi & Higgins, 2015).

The move from technology adoption to technology implementation in the classroom has been slow because of the difficulty providing technology that works in schools, lack of teacher initiative to use it, and effective leadership to provide standards for use and create an environment for using technology (Alenzi, 2016). Alghamdi and Higgins (2015) found that primary teachers in Jeddah were not provided training for using the interactive white board technology thus they did not use it well. Similar findings were made by Al Mulhim (2014). His research concluded that teachers were not using technology because lack of access to the technology, lack of effective training, and lack of time for learning and planning how to use it (Al Mulhim, 2014, p. 491).

South Korea. Since 2002, almost all South Korean classrooms have had high-speed Internet connections and computers (Pang, Reinking, Hutchinson, & Ramay, 2014). The Information Communications Technology (ICT) industry has remodeled and redefined the education system in South Korea (Shafai 2010). Classrooms in South Korea are packed with technology because the government mandates technology in classrooms. The technology includes computers, Internet access, LCD screens, interactive white boards, and digitalized textbooks. Skilled teachers use all this equipment to dispense lessons and service students more effectively (Maciej, 2013). Another common solution is the Internet Protocol Television (IPT). This kind of television service is delivered using the Internet. IPT enables the broadcasting of classes, lectures, and lessons through online channels to students while at home, at school, or if a student is temporarily displaced, like in the hospital. This technology eliminates negative consequences in the absence of a student or for students in remote areas (Kampylis et al., 2013).

Almost every school in the country has high speed Internet with digital textbooks to provide learning materials especially to lower income pupils (App, n.d.). In 2005 South Korea started distributing and utilizing communication technologies. The government ensured that all textbooks can be accessed from a computer, tablet, and even smart phones in all schools in the country. Need a new reference.

South Korea is using robots to teach English because of the lack of English teachers. The Korean Institute of Science and Technology developed robotic technology that is used in other countries, like the Philippines. Here robots teach English to students in elementary schools. The robot is controlled by teachers outside the country and communicates using embedded microphones and speakers. In addition, it has features like a woman’s face, which mimics facial expressions of the teacher (Mok & Welch, 2003). Another version of this type of robot does not have student to teacher connections, but uses voice recognition technology that is designed to help the students practice pronunciation and dialogue in the English language (Jung, n,d.).

Cloud Computing is used to store data, information, and teaching materials to an online platform and made available to anyone in any area to access with little or no risk regarding potential problems or damages to devices used. Schools are able to share information with other schools, offering the same materials nationwide. The South Korean government plans to replace the primary level of education with digitalized materials by 2014 and deliver computer notebooks to all its middle and high schools by 2015. This would help the government to easily update any books and be cost prohibitive. One of the most important features of digital textbooks is the ability to multitask, providing different types of multimedia in various browsers accessing different knowledge sources (Minjeong, 2014).

Used in South Korean classrooms, the Cyber Home Learning System allows pupils to take more classes during free time, acquire more knowledge, and parents spend less on hiring teachers. With this comes cloud based testing where exams and tests are done with students using numbers not names giving the student anonymity. The Cyworld standardized platform is used to share content and spread news regarding education keeping others updated on class matters, which is important to students who miss classes because they can see what others have shared on the platform (Bitter & Pierson, 2002).

When the learning tools are usually digitalized, it becomes no longer important for students to go to school since they can learn from any place at convenient times. One way students learn digitally is through Internet games. Many games have been created in Korea to help students learn the English language. Some of them are Toca Train and Make-up Salon. These games encourage creativity and learning while at the same time are entertaining and help children learn (Minjeong, 2014).

Student Performance

Saudi Arabia.

ADD TIMSS Scores

Literacy Scores

South Korea.

Students in South Korea are known for their high performance. Regardless, the government and other stakeholders are continually passing reforms to improve education performance. Two major interventions exacted by the South Korean government include the Schools for Improvement Plan and multicultural education (Lin & Wang, 2012). The Programme for International Student Assessments (PISA) is administered by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to measure students’ achievement in science, math and reading. OECD member countries participate in the assessments. South Korea has scored above average since 2006 but there was a drop in the 2015 scores (OECD, 2015). The country also participates in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) that is administered to 4th and 8th grade students. Their scores are one of the top four countries scores (TIMSS & PIRLS, 2017).

Conclusion

South Korea and Saudi Arabia believe in effective education and prove it with continued investments and embracing technology in the schools. Theses school systems have a lot in common with each desiring effective education for its students. Effective education is found in skilled teachers, high student performance, and proven teaching methods employed in the classroom, all of which can be observed and evaluated in these nations’ schools. Overall, technology and collaboration in these countries has helped achieve new levels of education that would otherwise be difficult to achieve. While technology continues to evolve each day, governments strive to keep up with the developments (Ally & Khan, 2007). Students learn and become more creative hence helping the country in different areas and helping the government achieve developmental goals (?Ally & Khan, 2007).

The educational systems in South Korea and Saudi Arabia have made strides in the right direction, improving the quality of education, causing growth in student performance, and producing students that will be productive members of society. Here are some similarities found in the research.

1. Both countries emphasize the importance of education.

2. Education for the younger generation is considered to be mandatory in all schools.

3. The number of expatriate teachers in both countries is on the increase considering that none of the countries are native English speakers.

4. Both countries are advocating for trends in education with the use of technology in education and international exchange programs.

5. The governments of both countries saw the need for educational reforms and implemented programs that have been proven to work.

The countries are also vastly different when it comes to the approach to effective education. Some of the differences include;

1. The education system in Saudi Arabia largely reflects religious undertones while education in South Korea is more contemporary with an emphasis in academics.

2. Education in South Korea is more effective with students performing better in subjects that are considered core such as mathematics and science. On the other hand, Saudi Arabian schools are noted to experience a decline in the same categories.

3. Finally, South Korean schools have established a student assessment system based on the results of students locally and internationally while schools in Saudi Arabia, despite considerably larger budgetary allocations, have not established such a system yet (Aldossari, 2009).

The educational systems in South Korea and Saudi Arabia have, improving the system of education, causing growth in student performance in Saudi Arabia and South Korea, producing students will be productive members of society.

Effective education develops by technology and many challenges in the development process. For example, Saudi Arabia needs to train teachers to use technology. The teacher in South Korea has the skill to use technology.

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