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| Korean Educational Development Institute (KEDI) Seoul, Republic of Korea | ||
General
mandate and functions |
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The Korean Educational Development Institute was established in 1972. Its nynxtote is to develop methods, programmes and materials and to advise on policies that can help innovate and reform Korean education. In this regard, its main function is to act as a research institute, supporting the realization of national goals of development, by responding swiftly and timely to the changing educational needs of the present and future society of Korea. |
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General Organisation |
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KEDI has undergone several structural reorganizations since its creation. In its present structure, the Institute has been divided into four offices and seven centres. The offices are responsible for respectively: planning and co-ordination; international research and co-operation; educational information and resources; and, administration. Each of the centres is in charge of a different field of research: school development; curriculum research and development; education policy research; multimedia research and development; air and correspondence high school education; vocational and technical education; and, gifted education research. The staff consists of some 225 persons, among whom 130 are professionals. KEDI is a semi-governmental institution, independent hi its operation, funded mainly by the government. Out of an annual budget of eleven million US$, almost eight million consists of a grant from the central government. The local government gives a subsidy of almost 1.5 million US$, while income from endowment and sales represents a comparable sum. Main activities KEDI is mainly a research and development institution, conducting on average some forty research projects annually. It is recognized as the main Korean institution in the field of educational research. In the 1970s, it was in charge of restructuring the elementary and middle school education. Since 1979, it has worked on developing national curricula and textbooks. In recent years, it has widened its research interests to cover the seven areas, for which the above-mentioned centres are responsible. Among these centres, the Centre for School development is the most recent one. It was created in 1996 to work, in particular, on: • identifying innovative educational practices in schools and providing theoretical foundations for their further development and dissemination; • examining the process of applying educational reforms to school practices; • developing an innovative school model for the future society. The Centre for Vocational and Technical Education has been mainly involved in developing a new dual system for technical education in vocational high schools. At the moment, KEDI has only one regular training programme: computer education training for teachers. The programme consists of two short (eleven-day) courses: one for teachers who are involved in educational software development, the other for teachers who supervise and administer computer education. Almost 800 trainees have taken part in these courses, over the last four years, since their inception. KEDI has also offered, upon request, some short-term educational training courses to foreign trainees. Such training has included for instance a study tour on educational examination and testing for Sri Lankan authorities and a course on 'non-formal education programmes' for Bangladeshi officials. The Institute has published almost two thousand publications, mainly research reports and volumes of instructional materials. KEDI's staff regularly serve as consultants, both for national bodies and international agencies. Part III: Profiles of the present member institutions |
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Main
Activities |
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Balitbang Dikbud is mainly involved in research. Its structure in five centers reflects its core research activities. The Center for Policy Research focusses on evaluation of different aspects of the education system, hi recent years it has undertaken studies on for instance the internal efficiency of the nine year basic education programme and a mid-term evaluation of the implementation of the same programme. The Center for Informatics mainly works on the production of educational and cultural statistics and on the development of the educational management information system. The Center for Curriculum and Educational Facilities Development has played an important role in different curriculum reforms. It also works on the elaboration of teaching materials and has taken part in the development of the teacher professional support system. The Center for Examination System Research and Development focusses its research on supporting the development of standardized testing systems at basic and secondary level. It also plays a role in monitoring the quality of basic education. The Center for Educational and Cultural Communication Technology has produced various educational television broadcasts. |
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Prospects
for the future |
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To
strengthen its research and training capacities, KEDI plans to
intensify its relationships with international organizations and
with partner institutions in Asia. It foresees to set up a regular
international training programme in the near future. |
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