Construction of Objective and Content Criteria for Career Education in Korea

This study aims to set up objective and content criteria of career education at the national level. The financial crisis in 1997 and the consequent introduction of IMF loans have heightened the public awareness of the importance of career education and have expanded this awareness to primary and secondary schools. Most schools, however, are confused in developing and selecting career education programs and textbooks due to a lack of criteria and guidelines on career education. This research was conducted to provide primary and secondary schools with objective and content criteria for implementing career education program. Document analysis including theories and practices as well as Korean and foreign materials was conducted to identify objectives and content elements described by researchers, scholars, teachers and other experts. Questionnaire surveys are also carried out to identify and confirm needs and objectives of career education from students, parents and school teachers. Finally, the Delphi method was used to arrive at a consensus on objectives and contents of career education among experts, including scholars, researchers, school teachers, and policymakers. This study has identified five categories of career education objectives and contents valid in Korean context, which are: self understanding, world of work and job, attitudes toward work and job, work-based learning, and career planning. The five categories of career education objectives and contents are classified into three levels, the primary school, the middle school, and the high school. Sub-items for objectives and contents of career education are also identified for every category of every school level. This objective and content criteria scheme of career education is expected to be utilized in future at primary and secondary school levels in Korea for developing and selecting career education programs