Abstract

The purpose of this article is to clarify the limitations and implications of John Dewey’s educational ideas in South Korean education since liberation in 1945. Following liberation, South Korea rectified the demise of its traditional and Japanese colonial period education and pursued Dewey’s ideas for a democratic society through new educational perspectives. To this end, we examine how Dewey’s ideology developed during three periods. From the period of US military rule of Korea and the decades after (1945–1960), there were nationalistic attempts by a few pedagogists who had studied in the United States to free Korea from the repressive education of the Japanese regime and embrace Dewey’s ideas. In the subsequent industrialization period (1961– 1994), the state-led Dewey educational philosophy was incorporated into public education policy and served as an alternative to the traditional entrance examination’s culture of excessive competition. From the neoliberal period (1995–), South Korean educational policies such, as innovative schools, were pursued that sought to democratize school education for the majority. As a result of our analysis, it was confirmed that even though 70 years have passed since Dewey’s educational philosophy was accepted in Korea, the country’s education field has not realized the desired change. In consideration of Korea’s special historical background , it seems necessary to reflect on Dewey’s ideas and apply them from a long-term perspective.