Use of PISA Results in Shaping Public Opinion on Education in South Korea 2000-2018 A Comparative Study of Two South Korean Newspapers Eunji Hyun Master’s Thesis in Comparative and International Education Department of Education Faculty of Educational Sciences UNIVERSITETET I OSLO June 2020 II Use of PISA Results in Shaping Public Opinion on Education in South Korea 2000-2018 A Comparative Study of Two South Korean Newspapers III © Eunji Hyun 2020 Use of PISA Results in Shaping Public Opinion on Education in South Korea 2000-2018: A Comparative Study of Two South Korean Newspapers Eunji Hyun http://www.duo.uio.no/ Print: Reprosentralen, University of Oslo IV Abstract The impact of International Large-Scale Assessments (ILSAs) is growing day by day around the world. Of these, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is particularly influential globally including in South Korea. Although the authority of PISA as a soft power is widespread and affects many countries, individual countries are not unconditionally affected but can consider and adopt PISA results according to their own logic and interests. This is the starting point for this thesis which focuses on South Korea. Of many local actors in South Korea, two leading newspapers were selected for analysis. From the perspective of externalization thesis, this thesis examines how the newspapers have utilized the PISA results in the debate on education in South Korea. This was done by comparing articles related to PISA published in two prominent newspapers of different political inclination since the first PISA cycle in 2000 and until the year of 2018 - the last time period that can be examined in full within the time limits of this thesis. The study shows that there is an important educational discourse in the two newspapers using the PISA results. The key topics are: University entrance-oriented education, high school equalization policy, excellence in education, efforts to reduce academic burden, and national assessment of educational achievement. There is a close relationship between the key issues discussed in the newspapers and those of the different governments during the period of analysis. Furthermore, with the exception of the university entrance-oriented education issue, the newspapers have different views on the predominant issues reflecting their respective political inclination. Their contrasting positions were advocated for using different parts of the PISA results, but focused on the same aspects in the process of forming public opinion, namely 1) by discussing South Korean PISA performance; and 2) by comparing to the performance and practice of other countries. V VI Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the help and kindness of everyone in this long journey. First and foremost, I would like to express grateful acknowledgement to my supervisor, Professor Lene Buchert. Her insightful guidance and ongoing support were invaluable whenever I struggled with writing a thesis. She helped me to delve into the subject matter and really think deeply and rigorously about my research. Thanks to her, I became thoroughly interested in this research topic. I truly owe Professor Buchert a big thank-you from the bottom of my heart. I owe thanks to all my friends here in Norway. All the cups of coffee drunk together and time you spent with me while I was writing this tough thesis gave me great comfort and strength. I have to go back to South Korea, but I hope to see you all again in the future. I am also thankful to my friends in South Korea who were always there to provide me with emotional support. Even before I came to Norway, they were always cheering for me and encouraging me. This was always a great source of help for me throughout my time here. I have found that even though miles away, true friendship bonds really remain. Special thanks to my friend, Zara. Looking back, there has always been precious help and support from her in the big events of my life including providing a valuable critical eye for this thesis. Last but not least, a heartfelt thanks to my family and YH for their unconditional love and encouragement. Whenever I felt frustrated and in despair, your kind words and warm support really helped me a lot. Without your love, I might not have survived in this process. Thank you for everything and thank you for being you. Oslo, June 2020 Eunji Hyun VII VIII Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................... V Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. VII List of Acronyms ..................................................................................................................... XII List of Figures and Tables ..................................................................................................... XIII 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Research Focus ........................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Previous Studies on PISA in South Korea ................................................................. 5 1.4 Research Purpose and Questions................................................................................ 7 1.5 Structure of the Thesis................................................................................................ 8 2 The Context of South Korea............................................................................................. 10 2.1 Socio-Cultural and Economic Background .............................................................. 11 2.2 Educational Policy-Making ...................................................................................... 12 2.3 Importance of Education .......................................................................................... 15 2.3.1 Educational zeal (Gyoyugyeol)............................................................................. 15 2.3.2 The utilization of education.................................................................................. 17 3 OECD, South Korea and PISA ........................................................................................ 18 3.1 OECD and South Korean Education ........................................................................ 18 3.2 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) ....................................... 19 3.3 South Korean Performance in PISA......................................................................... 22 4 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................................... 25 4.1 World Culture Theory .............................................................................................. 25 4.1.1 Essentials of world culture theory ........................................................................ 25 4.1.2 Limitation of world culture theory ....................................................................... 26 4.2 Externalization Thesis .............................................................................................. 27 4.2.1 Externalization ..................................................................................................... 28 4.2.2 Self-reference ....................................................................................................... 29 4.3 Relevance of Externalization Thesis ........................................................................ 30 IX 5 Research Design and Methodology.................................................................................. 32 5.1 Philosophical Underpinnings ................................................................................... 32 5.2 Research Design ....................................................................................................... 33 5.2.1 Case study ............................................................................................................ 33 5.2.2 Defining the case .................................................................................................. 34 5.2.3 Comparative aspect of the research ...................................................................... 35 5.3 Data Collection ......................................................................................................... 35 5.3.1 Articles in the newspapers.................................................................................... 36 5.3.2 Other materials ..................................................................................................... 38 5.4 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................... 39 5.5 Research Credibility ................................................................................................. 41 5.5.1 Validity and reliability ......................................................................................... 41 5.5.2 Trustworthiness and authenticity ......................................................................... 42 5.6 Ethical Considerations and Limitations ..................................................................