Social Studies Teachers' Gatekeeping in the Teaching of North Korea: Implications for Citizenship Education

Abstract

This paper explores Korean social studies teachers'

pedagogical approaches toward the teaching of North Korea.

By analyzing Qualitative data collected from in-depth

intefviews with exemplary high school teachers, this study

illustrates how those particular teachers viewed North Korea

and how they constructed the image of North Korea for their

pedagogical purposes. The pedagogical consequences of

several common dilemmas the teachers face with regard to

the teaching of North Korea are discussed. The implications

of the study afe profound not only in undefstanding the

natufe of socio-political construction of social studies

knowledge by the role of teacher as "curricular and

instructional gatekeeper" (Thornton, 1991), but also in promoting comparative insights in the field of citizenship education.