Abstract Book of the 8th International Conference on Innovative Research in Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
A Study on Fostering ‘Empathy’ in a History Class at Korea Science Academy
Insook Park
ABSTRACT:
This study presents a case of a history class conducted in the fall semester of 2024 at the Korea Science Academy (KSA) of KAIST, the first educational institution in Korea for gifted science students. KSA is one of the most prestigious elite schools in South Korea, and it is supported by the government to cultivate future leaders in scientific fields. Here, students benefit from a unique curriculum tailored for those gifted in science, meaning their primary interests often lie in mathematics and science rather than the humanities and arts. What should history classes for students focused on mathematics and science look like? What goals should history classes pursue? These questions have been the issues I have had as a history teacher at KSA for a long time. This study seeks to find an answer to these questions. Unlike typical history classes that emphasize skills such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, and contextual understanding, this class had a clear objective of primarily fostering ’empathy.’ The study will introduce the necessity of this class, the background of its establishment, the characteristics and methods employed in the class, and the students’ responses.
Keywords: arts, competence, film, re-enactment, science-gifted students