ABSTRACT
Teachers are essential to education and effective schooling as Pasi Sahlberg argues that teachers are one of the pillars of Finnish education’s success. While Finnish teachers have received worldwide recognition, Korean teachers are yet to enjoy such attention. Korean teachers are crucial to the success of Korean education, considering the difficulty in entering teacher training programs, rigorous training in the universities, teacher employment examinations, requirement of high-level subject knowledge, practical skills, and their professional ethics and commitment to teaching students. This makes Korean teachers worthy of the international praise and recognition.
First, in Korea, only those students who are motivated and committed to becoming teachers and have excellent GPAs can enter teacher education programs. To secure a seat in the programs, students must fall within the top 10–15% of high school graduates and clear a highly competitive entrance examination. Second, they undergo rigorous training for four years in the universities and clear a highly competitive examination to become public school teachers. During the process, they obtain a solid understanding of the subject curriculum, excellent instructional skills, and the ability to restructure the curriculum considering different contexts of schools. Third, in-service teachers are in charge of the national curriculum and possess a positive attitude toward incorporating new curricular programs and innovative approaches suggested by the ministry of education. Fourth, most Korean teachers consider themselves important to their students’ growth and are genuinely committed to their students’ success and development, staying true to the Korean maxim, ‘monarch, teacher, and father are one.’ This chapter will showcase how the efforts and dedication of Korean teachers and their skills and knowledge are essential factors in understanding the outstanding academic achievements of Korean students.
