뉴스레터

"You want us to do what even scholars find challenging?" At the Association of Korean History Teachers in January 2009, "East Asian History" (subject) was selected as the theme for the history education scheduled for January 2010. However, things were not easy from the get-go. The quote above demonstrates the overall mood at a regional meeting in April. The attendees were at a complete loss on all fronts, from the purpose and nature of the subject, regional scope, and the organization of content. The first response to East Asian history as a school subject was utter confusion. And this was two years after the official announcement of the 2007 Revised National Curriculum.

With the curriculum overview, sample chapters, and textbook compilation guideline complete, "East Asian History", which had eluded both historians and history teachers, is about to become a school subject in Korea. That is to say, "East Asian History" is finally within our grasp. At the 2nd Academic Conference on East Asian History Textbooks (hereafter "Conference) on November 25 hosted by the Northeast Asian History Foundation, it was made evident why "textbook" had been chosen as the keyword for the conference.

In attendance were writers of East Asian History (textbook) as well as representatives from the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation, National Institute of Korean History, and Northeast Asian History Foundation. History teachers from the Meeting for Research on "East Asian History" Class were also present. The composition of the attendees demonstrated the organizers effort to set up a venue for an efficient and substantive discussion given the imminent introduction of "East Asian History" in the high school curriculum.

Textbooks must reflect the needs of end-users

The conference was comprised of a keynote address and four presentations and discussions. The keynote address delivered by Professor Miyajima Hiroshi (Sungkyunkwan University) entitled "How Do We Organize 'East Asian History'?" discussed the various problems with the narrative of East Asian History, focusing on the experiences of Japanese academia. The keynote address was followed by a presentation by the writers of East Asian History. They talked mostly about the points of concern in compiling the textbook. I delivered the final presentation in which I provided an overview of what history teachers think about "East Asian History" and the kind of textbook we want.

The conference focused on how "East Asian History," scheduled for introduction in 2012, can be effectively adopted in the classroom setting. The most noteworthy commentary came from a co-writer of a textbook: "At this point in time, it is meaningless to discuss the purpose, content, and organization of the subject." Given that the first draft of the textbook had already been completed, the discussion should "focus on how well the nature and objectives of the subject have been reflected in the textbook and how to enhance the textbook's coherence and integrity." In short, the co-writer was saying that the issues that had been debated concerning the launch of "East Asian History" were no longer relevant. I was in agreement with his assertion. Given that the drafting of the textbook had been completed, the key issue now was how we could best take into consideration end-user needs in putting the finishing touches on the textbook.

In regards to this matter, many suggestions were made at the conference. First, it was pointed out that the textbook compilation teams must share the tables of contents and entries for the subchapters to maintain the objectivity of the textbook's objectives and characteristics given that this is the first time East Asian History is being compiled. This suggestion especially struck a chord with the history teachers in attendance. It was pointed out that given the unfamiliarity of "East Asian History," schools and teachers would find it difficult to select the subject for their curricula if the subchapter entries differed from one publisher's textbook to another.

Second, it was indicated that there must be a careful and thorough examination and discussion about the potential points of controversy regarding the textbook compilation and evaluation processes. One issue of contention could be the scope. What is included and what is excluded in the textbook is a matter of great importance for teachers and students. Another issue could be the question of historical terminology. There is no domestic or international agreement or mainstream standard concerning "East Asian History". Therefore, there are great difficulties in terminology selection. Thus, there must be prior notification regarding the editors' terminology choices.

Getting the word out is crucial to raising the rate of adoption

Third, for all these efforts to bear fruit and for the goal of providing education that engenders peaceful co-existence in East Asia can be realized, it is crucial to undertake activities that promote "East Asian History" and raise the rate of the subject's adoption at schools. To this end, on-site training, cyber training, and field surveys and other training opportunities for teachers should be expanded. It was also pointed that it is important to create pamphlets providing an overview of the subject as well as classroom resources and databases.

Since the announcement of the curriculum in February 2007, "East Asian History" has been a source of heated debate among historians and history teachers. Accordingly, the developers of the curriculum have been steadfast in their efforts to provide a thorough and accurate understanding of the purpose and nature of "East Asian History", and the Northeast Asian History Foundation has been a reliable supporter of these efforts. History scholars and educators have raised issues concerning "East Asian History". Nevertheless, in the larger scheme of things, there has been a general consensus in agreement with the intended objective and nature of the subject, and historians and history teachers alike have been contemplating on the kinds of efforts that are needed to shape a desirable viewpoint and understanding of history.

It won't be long before all the efforts thus far will bear fruit in the form of Northeast Asian History. No one can say whether the textbook will be hailed or severely criticized. The task at hand at this point in time, however, is to figure out how to raise the textbook's rate of adoption and usage; this will be crucial in determining whether or not the time and effort that have been put into the textbook can yield substantive results. That is, what we need right now is to find out measures that can serve as the control tower and landing strip that will help a pilot bring his plane to safety, a pilot who did not give up even in the most inclement weather conditions.