A Study on the Korean Traditional Music Content in the Integrated Curriculum of “Pleasant Life” for 1st and 2nd Grade Elementary School Students

This study examines the evolution of Korean traditional music content in the “Pleasant Life” curriculum for 1st and 2nd grade elementary school students. The analysis spans from the 4th national curriculum to the 2007, 2009, and 2015 revisions, during which integrated subjects were introduced. The findings indicate that since the 2007 curriculum revision, the start of integrated units led to a reduction in the diversity of genres, as well as a simplification of content, which became heavily focused on songs and games. This trend accelerated after the introduction of the integrated subject curriculum in the 2009 revision, further narrowing the genres to traditional and newly created Korean traditional children's songs, with activities centered on singing and playing games. Additionally, the content increasingly failed to consider the connection with the music subject, leading to issues such as a lack of diversity and creativity in Korean traditional music education and the disruption of the systematic progression of music education starting in 3rd grade. These limitations of the theme-based textbooks highlight the need for an independent music subject within the “Pleasant Life” curriculum to enhance the quality of Korean traditional music education.