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This study examines the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), one of the most influential tools of global education reform discourses in the 21st century. The study focuses on the governing role of statistical data in the discourse constructed by the international comparative assessment, referring to the global educational governance of the OECD. Disturbingly, the systematic collection and distribution of data does not merely quantify student achievement. Rather, students and participating countries are also qualified and classified. Here, OECD's PISA statistics act as a governing technology enabling the comparisons; through PISA's statistics, the OECD has largely fostered the test-driven education reform trends worldwide. In this study, statistical data are examined as political instruments visualizing intangible concepts, constructing definitions of good practice and improvement, and fabricating the individuals whose knowledge and skills are normalized. In conclusion, it is necessary to rethink the new sociopolitical instrument -- PISA's statistics -- not as a master rationale to reform the educational system of each country, but as a mere reference point based on the system's distinctiveness.

Background: Substantial evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected population mental health globally. However, most studies assumed a linear relationship where only negative pandemic-induced changes led to worse mental health outcomes, overlooking the complex relationship between COVID-19-related changes and mental health. This study examined how various types and magnitudes of pandemic-related changes relate to depression and suicidal thoughts in a large, nationwide adult population sample. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2021 Korean Community Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey of 229,213 adults. The study examined the association between mental health outcomes and three types of pandemic-related changes: daily life impact (scored 0–100), economic activities (employment and income changes), and health behaviors (physical activity, instant food consumption, alcohol consumption, and smoking). Complex sample multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess these associations, adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Results: The relationship between pandemic-related changes and mental health showed non-linear patterns. Compared to those reporting moderate changes, individuals reporting either no change (depression: aOR 1.253, 95% CI 1.135–1.384; suicidal thoughts: aOR 1.355, 95% CI 1.236–1.486) or complete disruption (depression: aOR 1.895, 95% CI 1.667–2.155; suicidal thoughts: aOR 1.788, 95% CI 1.558–2.052) in daily life showed higher risks of poor mental health. Unexpectedly, positive changes such as improved working conditions (suicidal thoughts: aOR 1.419, 95% CI 1.200–1.677) and increased income (depression: aOR 1.304, 95% CI 1.139–1.493; suicidal thoughts: aOR 1.244, 95% CI 1.079–1.435) were also associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusions: This study reveals that both minimal and substantial changes in daily life, as well as both positive and negative changes in economic conditions and health behaviors, were associated with poor mental health outcomes during the pandemic. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive mental health interventions that consider various types and magnitudes of life changes during crisis situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Korean society and schools have become more demographically diverse than ever. To support this increasing cultural diversity in schools, the Korean government has been developing multicultural education policies since 2006. This study aims to examine how multicultural education has been articulated by the government and how the national vision has affected teachers' interpretations and implementations of multicultural education. By drawing on a review of policy documents and teachers' interviews, this study analysed Korean teachers' perceptions of the national multicultural education policies from the perspective of Bernstein's concepts of classification and framing. The results revealed both narrow and broad definitions of multicultural education, and these double definitions were also reflected in the teachers' perceptions and practices. This paper concludes by presenting the implications of the findings and suggestions for improving multicultural education at the national and school level.

This study problematizes the global educational governance of OECD PISA and its statistical data as a governing technology in contemporary discourses of education reforms. The study examines principles that order the discourses and practices of the international comparative assessment. The effort of analysing the impact of an education reform regime led by OECD PISA reveals how statistical reasoning defines problems in educational systems and forms social discourse surrounding educational reform to solve such problems. In doing so, this article focuses on standardization, classification, and normalization for measuring and comparing student achievement and national effectiveness. The study also offers an alternative way of considering the politics of inclusion and exclusion embedded in practices of education reforms propelled by the international comparative assessment.

The purpose of the study is to analyze 'systems of reason' that govern the discursive practices constructed in terms of lifelong learning under the name of education reform. This study examined the notion of lifelong learning as a cultural thesis describing modes of life for producing (future) citizens through an analysis of documents from the OECD and South Korea. Along with other OECD member countries, South Korea is deeply involved in a contemporary discourse about educational reform that includes lifelong learning. At the center of this discussion in South Korea, there is an increasing amount of attention being given to comparison, standardization, and school accountability. School accountability in relation to student achievement aims to make citizens more intelligible; it also aims for effective transformations of national education systems and greater productivity and competitiveness nationally. However, (inter)national discourses about lifelong learning are not neutral elements that explain the present and plans for the future, but systems of reason associated with the construction of a particular mode of life for students. Findings of the study suggested that the lifelong learning discourse by the OECD and South Korea embody a particular category for creating particular images and narratives of students and citizens. National boundaries of education systems are now being crossed because of supranational governance of education. Examining the OECD and its influence can draw attention to who the student and the citizen should be and who is excluded from the space of success. By exploring these issues at national and international levels, the study presented how the discourses of the OECD and South Korea are assembled and connected.

Public schools in South Korea have faced unprecedented changes because of demographic shifts, particularly the influx and growth of three types of ‘multicultural students’: children of married migrant women, foreign workers, and North Korean refugees. In this situation, teachers are challenged to implement educational policies and a standardised national curriculum for those unfamiliar with the Korean language, culture, and education system. This study, conducted between Fall 2022 and Summer 2023, involved interviews with 16 elementary and secondary school administrators and teachers from urban and rural regions. It revealed that teachers’ perceptions and biases about multicultural students significantly influenced their educational practices, resulting from interpretive processes and problematic framing. The data indicate that teachers’ meaning-making and pedagogical responses to multicultural students are insufficient for systematically addressing the structural inequalities and social injustices faced by these students. Ultimately, these teachers’ responses and practices fell short of providing equitable education that South Korea’s multicultural education policies aim for. The study concluded that comprehensive teacher training in cultural competence and bias awareness is essential for bridging the gap between policy and practice. It recommends the development of reflective practices, continuous professional development, and the creation of supportive school environments to enhance multicultural education’s effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores how South Korean teachers' beliefs about social justice teaching intersect with their intergroup contact experiences when teaching migrant students under expanded curriculum autonomy. A comparative qualitative case study approach was used, drawing on interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recalls. The findings reveal three models of social justice teaching – functional, critical, and liberal – as manifest in each teacher's practice. The discussion highlights two key aspects: First, regarding contact experiences, teachers' experience of being minoritized in intergroup contact has a more pronounced effect on their prejudice reduction than the density or frequency of contact per se; and indirect contact with outgroup members can be as effective as direct contact in reducing stereotypes. Second, concerning teacher beliefs and policy implementation, teachers' beliefs significantly shape their interactions with minoritized students; and increased curriculum autonomy does not necessarily lead to critical social justice teaching. Implications for teacher education are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]