GSUN Connections: Waseda and Seoul National

The Current Status and Challenges of School Physical Education and PE Teacher Training in South Korea, and Academic Exchange Between Graduate Students in the Department of Sports Education at Seoul National University and Graduate Students in School of Sports Sciences at Waseda University

An academic exchange between Waseda University and Seoul National University took place last month.  Professor Eiichiro Fukami and graduate students from Waseda University conducted interviews with Professor Okseon Lee, Department of Physical Education Seoul National University, and Professor Euichang Choi, President of the Korean Society of Sports Pedagogy, both of whom specialize in Sports Pedagogy, regarding the current status and challenges of school physical education.

They then observed a volleyball physical education class at a middle school in Seoul. Lastly, three graduate students from the Graduate School of Sports Sciences at Waseda University presented case studies on sports pedagogy research in Japan and held a discussion with graduate students at Seoul National University who are also majoring in Sports Pedagogy.

School physical education in South Korea has shifted from a traditional focus on skill acquisition and physical fitness improvement toward a competency-based approach, aiming to refine curriculum content and enhance quality. In PE, the emphasis is not merely on ensuring a certain level of physical activity, but on “meaningful physical activity” that develops the students' abilities to think, make judgments, with the goal of further strengthening the connection to lifelong sports participation. Additionally, efforts are underway to integrate digital technology into PE classes and to link them with personalized learning. Small-class instruction has become widespread in schools across South Korea, with 24 to 25 students per class being the norm. Becoming a PE teacher is a challenging process; it takes approximately 10 years to be hired as a full-time teacher, during which time teachers typically gain training and experience as part-time instructors.