An Analysis of the Relationship between Biology-related Contents Presented in Science and Other Subject Matter Areas in the Elementary School Curriculum

초등 교육과정에서 과학과의 생물 영역과 타 교과의 내용 연계성에 대한 분석

This study investigated how the contents of biology domains that were dealt with in the 7th national elementary-school science curriculum were in turn dealt with in the other subject matter areas. Through this, it was hoped that the place and identity of biology as a subject could be more clearly established and defined and additionally, more basic data for developing the new national science curriculum could be acquired at the same time. Subject matter areas that overlapped with biology in the 7th national elementary-school curriculum were practical arts, social studies and physical education. The structure and composition of specific components that were dealt with by these subject matter areas were very different from those of science, and the analysis showed that they failed to correspond across grades. Moreover, topics such as 'natural calamities and the environment' and 'human reproduction' that were dealt with by other subject matter areas, but not in science must be included for developing the new national science curriculum. Accordingly, when it comes to composing the contents of each subject matter area during creation of the new national curriculum, the relevant experts in related subject matter areas should be mobilized to conduct in-depth analysis of the following areas: viability, the most appropriate level of difficulty, and appropriateness of any hierarchy of relative importance between subjects. Additionally, efforts to reflect any improvements in the way the new national curriculum is developed which come about through this research are needed.