The content of the subjects are selected from the learning standards proposed
by the national curriculum. The selected subject contents are graded and
sequenced according to needs, and presented in the form of textbooks.
Generally, most textbooks used for subject learning in the classroom are
authorized by the Ministry of Education. Teachers can use supplementary
materials to support teaching and learning, if needed.
Studies of curriculum development in the experimental schools (Cho et al.,
2012; Kim et al., 2013; Yang et al., 2011) indicate that teachers commonly
use subject grouping and intensive course completion as strategies to meet
the diverse needs of the students. In subject grouping, various subjects
are converged, and through intensive course completion students can
concentrate on the subjects that interest them, and complete them in less
time, instead of spending time on all the subjects presented in the curriculum.
The studies note that teachers view the new, customized curricula in their
schools as having made a contribution to enhancing students’ confidence
and self-efficacy, closely related to character building and creativity.
Differentiated instruction
Under the new curriculum, students are given differentiated instruction to
meet their particular needs and to maximize the effect of teaching. Students
are grouped into different levels for each subject on the basis of the test
scores they received in the previous academic year. In some cases, the
different levels have different teachers, while in other cases the same teacher
is responsible for all levels of the subject, but uses different materials and
methods for each level. For example, for a mathematics class in a middle
school, individual students are placed in four levels (or classes), based on the
results of a placement test. The four levels are: A, B, C and D. For Grade 1 of
middle school, the highest student achievement level (Level A) requires ‘high’
performance, while Level A in Grades 2 and 3 includes both ‘above-high’ and
‘high’ performing students. The students placed in Level D study with other
‘below-low’ students in the regular classes, but also have an extra class after
school. The following table illustrates this ranking (Min et al., 2012, p. 156).