Examining the impact of hagwons and the South Korean Education System on the entity mindset development of young South Korean adults

Abstract

Objectives: When discussing the South Korean Education System, Hagwons are an integral factor in the academic pressure to receive exemplary grades. This paper’s objective was to examine the impact of Hagwons on the entity mindset development of young adults in South Korea. Past literature has focused on the physical and psychological impact of hagwons on the adolescent population in Korea. This paper extends beyond existing literature by examining how hagwons have impacted the young adult population. Methods: An interpretive methodology was utilized to conduct hour-long in-depth interviews with South Korean undergraduates who had all attended hagwons during their adolescence. The interviews were then transcribed and coded by utilizing a three-coding-round thematic analysis method. Results: Three key themes emerged: suppression of agency/power imbalance, entity mindset development, and strong awareness/long-term regret. Conclusions: The three key themes that emerged from the study depict a pattern of strong norm culture in South Korea surrounding hagwons, as well as a contradiction between the meritocratic promise that effort guarantees success during adolescence and the majority of interviewees who review such efforts with futility as adults, establishing a paradox in the Hagwon and Korean Education System.