ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the concept of “preview learning” (sun-hang-hak-sup in Korean). Through this process, students learn in advance through shadow education, the curriculum that they will learn in mainstream school. This is known to contribute to Korean students’ academic success, and many studies have reported the positive association between shadow education and students’ achievement, but none have examined how this occurs. Additionally, preview learning has been criticized for promoting inequality in education. This ethnographic study explores these issues and reveals that preview learning is a key element to student success because it prepares students for school assignments, improves grades, and helps students obtain admission to prestigious universities. This chapter provides the definition, characteristics, and effects of preview learning in the South Korean context. It focuses on three main characteristics of preview learning: (1) helping students prepare for school classes by learning in advance, helping students gain an in-depth understanding of learning material and commit it to long-term memory, and (3) tailoring preview learning to ensure successful admission to prestigious schools.
