Survey Reveals Discrepancy Between Teacher Authority and Respect | Be Korea-savvy

Survey Reveals Discrepancy Between Teacher Authority and Respect


teacher respect down 2

SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Korea Bizwire) —  While students, parents, and teachers broadly acknowledge the authority of teachers as professionals, a new survey reveals a significant gap between this recognition and the actual respect and autonomy afforded to educators in South Korea.

According to a report by the Korea Educational Development Institute (KEDI), more than 80% of respondents agreed on teachers’ rights to conduct lessons, evaluate students, and provide guidance. However, the study also highlights that traditional cultural respect for teachers remains relatively low.

The survey, conducted in September 2024, gathered responses from 15,000 participants, including 1,058 teachers, 584 students, 2,383 parents, and 10,975 members of the general public. It assessed perceptions of teacher authority across three dimensions: rights, professional authority, and traditional authority.

While 86.5% supported teachers’ disciplinary rights, 80.9% endorsed their authority over instruction and evaluation. Similarly, 86.8% and 80.4% acknowledged teachers’ professional and moral authority, respectively.

However, support for the traditional cultural respect for teachers was significantly lower at 64.3%. Moreover, when asked if teachers’ authority was actively exercised and respected in reality, the results were starkly different:

  • Only 29.0% believed that teachers could exercise their instructional authority.
  • 31.2% felt teachers had control over student discipline.
  • A mere 18.1% thought teachers’ evaluation rights were properly upheld.
  • Only 21.2% agreed that teachers’ professional authority was respected, while moral and traditional authority received even lower scores (20.2% and 17.4%).

The report underscores the need for policies that actively safeguard teachers’ rights, emphasizing that education policy must prioritize the protection of legitimate teaching activities to ensure an effective learning environment.

M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)

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