Converging cultures? A comparative analysis of South Korea and Sweden’s national curricula, 1980–2018

Abstract

Abstract Relating to world culture theory, this article aimed to discern similarities and differences between the South Korean national curriculum (1981, 2015) and the Swedish national curriculum (1980, 2018) and a set of complementary documents, both more broadly and with special emphasis on middle school level mathematics education. The findings suggest that the latest curricula accentuate knowledge and skills. However, Sweden’s national curriculum underlines knowledge and values, while the South Korean counterpart stresses character education and a ‘well-rounded personality’. Mathematics education has not changed much since 1980 in both countries. However, cosmopolitan tendencies are more present in the latest Korean curriculum. Overall, an unequivocal converging effect has not been discerned.

Keywords

• Korea
• Sweden
• Curriculum
• World culture theory
• Lgr 80
• Lgr 11