Teachers' Attention to Curriculum Materials and Student Contexts: The Case of Korean Middle School Teachers

Korean teachers have been encouraged to use curriculum guides for subject matter when they develop lesson plans because curriculum guides helps teachers adapt to students' needs and local characteristics. To examine the current degree to which Korean middle school teachers pay attention to curriculum guides and textbooks as well as local characteristics and students' needs, a survey was conducted of 1,010 middle school teachers in South Korea. The results indicated that the teachers still paid considerable attention to textbooks and students' needs but paid little attention to curriculum guides and local characteristics. Teachers' beliefs about curriculum materials, their knowledge, and their collaboration with peer teachers significantly influenced their attention to curriculum materials. In addition, teachers' attention to curriculum guides and collaboration with peer teachers were significant factors in teachers' attention to local characteristics and students' needs. To encourage teachers to teach to curriculum guides instead of textbooks, it is necessary to provide teachers with learning opportunities through collaboration with peer teachers.