Profiles of School Administrators in South Korea

Abstract

Research literature considering school administrators in South Korea is disappointingly sparse. A central focus of this article is to investigate vital descriptors of Korean school administrators, including demographic profiles, entry perspectives, pre-service and in-service training and career commitment. Secondarily, the findings are compared to research conducted by Su et al. of school administrators in the USA and China. Using survey data collected from over 400 South Korean administrators, this study makes international comparisons, and at the same time, exposes the unreflective tendency to lump together nations and systems based on ethnic or geographic distinctions. The study highlights the present and vital need for South Korea to redefine its educational system and practice as the national identity moves toward a new equilibrium that reconciles tradition and (post-) modernity.