An Analysis on Education and Textbooks of Physics in North Korea

북한의 물리 교육 및 교과서 분석 연구

We examined the science education system in North Korea from the elementary to the high schools. We also analyzed the physics textbooks used in North Korea and compared the results with the textbooks used in South Korea. We compared the goal and system of physics education, and the content, order of study, and volume of the textbooks. Physics education starts at the 4th year at the elementary school, and is taught through the whole school years in North Korea. The science process skills are regarded to be important and figures, tables, problem sets, experiments, and sample solutions are exclusively used in the textbooks. Electomagnetism occupies the largest portion in physics textbooks, but subjects related to the application of physics are more stressed. There are a few subjects which are included in the North Korean textbooks but not in the South Korean textbooks. We have compiled about 60 North Korean physics words which are different from the South Korean words used in the textbooks. Overall, there will be not much difficulty in integrating the physics education system and physics textbooks after the two Koreas are unified.