Conditions of Science Teachers' Professionalism on Curriculum Organization and Implementation at the School Level

It is important to explore ways that reinforce teachers' curricular expertise at the school level as the school curriculum autonomy expands. This study investigated teachers' curricular expertise that is required for teachers' professionalism, autonomy, and accountability to cope with the increasing school curriculum autonomy. Teachers in the future school are expected to explore and develop school level curriculum within a given school context. Through literature reviews, domestic and foreign case studies, and survey of teachers, this study examined difficulties in science teachers' exercise of their professionalism on curriculum organization and implementation at the school level. Difficulties in exercising teachers' curricular expertise include lack of actual autonomy in curriculum operation at the school level, inadequate infrastructures, demanding accountability based on students' achievement results, lack of time for reflection, and lack of recognition for teachers as independent curriculum designers. In the conclusion section, a couple of ways to solve these difficulties are suggested including expansion of actual autonomy, activation of teachers' participation in policy decision making, reinforcement of qualitative components in school assessment, diversification of the teacher's career ladder, and activation of teachers' participation in professional learning communities.