2015 개정 초등영어 교육과정 내용체계표 분석

An analysis of content structure matrix for primary English education in the 2015 national curriculum

The present study aims to discuss validity of the matrix for content structure of primary English education presented in the national curriculum revised in 2015. The research questions are as follows: 1) Is the matrix an appropriate tool to select and arrange content in accordance with the characteristics and the objectives of primary English education? 2) Is the matrix organized and composed in a rational and logical way? 3) Does the matrix need to be improved and if so, how? To answer these questions the study analyzed the characteristics, the objectives, and the content structure matrix of primary English education presented in the 2015 national curriculum, and compared them with those of Korean language education and practical German language education. The results reveal that the matrix is limited in its ability to reflect the characteristics and the objectives properly, and the categories in the matrix and the specifics within them cannot be deemed to be rational and logical. From the results, the conclusion was drawn that the validity of the matrix is questionable and needs to be improved. For its improvement the study makes the following suggestion: to develop for primary English education a content structure matrix being organized on the basis of pragmatic functions, not concepts and knowledge, according to characteristics and objectives of the subject, while maintaining consistency within each category and connectivity among categories.