This study explored ways to implement a competencies-based curriculum in schools by reviewing exemplary cases that have introduced Key Competencies (KCs) in the school science curriculum. Since the OECD redefined key competencies as 'what people should know and do in order to lead a successful life in a well-functioning society', many countries have emphasized the use of a competencies-based curriculum. Foreign and domestic classroom cases, which have used a competencies-based curriculum in science teaching, were collected and analyzed. Through open-ended interviews with teachers and principals, we investigated changes of teachers' professional knowledge and practice that were evident as a result of the implementation of competencies-based curriculum in science class. Foreign science teachers suggested ways to relate competencies-based curriculum and science curriculum including maintaining a balance between competencies-based curriculum and content-based curriculum. They also integrated KCs into all subject-based curriculums, gave priority to KCs over subject matter knowledge, and developed KCs through teaching science contents that students wanted to learn. On the other hand, Korean science teachers suggested reconstructing competencies-based curriculum by extracting common attributes from the existing subject areas. They also made KCs realized through content teaching, and developed various KCs within science contexts. Implications of the competencies-based curriculum for science teaching and learning were discussed at the end.

In this study, we investigated the current status of the teacher education curriculum and the recruitment

The purpose of this article is to examine the quality management of the secondary school science teachers in Korea. To improve the quality of teachers, it takes a coherent policy effort over the entire teaching career including pre-service teacher training, a quality control of teacher employment, and in-service teachers' professional development. The focus of this article is to explore ways to improve science teacher training and quality control, centering on the teacher employment test of secondary school teachers in Korea. In this context, the curriculum of the science teacher training colleges, which is based on the science teacher professional standards and knowledge base, and the specifics of the teacher employment test are examined. Science teacher education in Korea faces many challenges due to the inconsistency between the supply and demand of science teachers, the decrease in the number of students, the implementation of high school credit system, and so on. Based on the analysis results, ways to improve secondary science teacher education and quality control system are suggested Major suggestions include requirement of completion of basic subjects related to adjacent subjects in science subject areas to solve the out-of-field teaching, necessity of introducing multiple teacher certificates to cope with challenges of reduced class hours due to fewer students, and necessity of reinforcing practice-oriented education in teacher training process to bridge the gap between theory and practice for beginning teachers.

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On the basis of a second-year monitoring study on the implementation of the 2015 revised science curriculum this study examined how science teachers and students perceived the effectiveness of adapting core ideas and science key competencies. Data was collected by a survey questionnaire and interviews. In results, first, the teachers positively evaluated the importance of addressing core ideas and science key competencies, but pointed out lack of in-service teacher training and instructional supports and lack of clarity and concreteness in the definitions of science key competencies. Since such limited understanding could be barriers to properly implement the major changes in schools, it would be more necessary to clearly communicate with teachers on the emphases of the curriculum. In addition, some teachers tended to misunderstand core ideas as a decrease in the amount of learning. The teachers suggested that science textbooks should clearly address core ideas and science key competencies.