Analysis of the current status of mathematics curriculum organization of science high school for the gifted in Korea and other countries

This study attempted to analyze the characteristics of the mathematics curriculum of eight domestic science gifted schools to derive implications to consider when organizing the mathematics curriculum of domestic gifted schools in the future. To achieve this, the study compared the content elements of mathematics subjects offered in science high schools for gifted students with those structured according to the 2022 revised mathematics curriculum. Additionally, an analysis was conducted on the content elements of Advanced Placement (AP) subjects and other subjects that, while not included in the 2022 revised mathematics curriculum, are additionally studied at these science high schools. The analysis revealed that the mathematics curriculum in science high schools for gifted students showed a relatively low reflection rate of content elements included in the 2022 revised mathematics curriculum, such as <Discrete Mathematics>, <Practical Statistics>, and <Advanced Geometry>. Moreover, there was a noticeable lack of the <Probability and Statistics> subject in the AP curriculum. The study also highlighted the need for a comprehensive review of the content covered in <Linear Algebra> and <Differential Equations> when organizing future curricula. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the curricula in three international science high schools for gifted students indicated that these institutions generally offer more credit hours and a wider variety of elective subjects, thus ensuring greater flexibility and broader learning opportunities for students. This suggests that the organization and operation of the mathematics curriculum in domestic science high schools for gifted students should embrace more flexibility and openness to effectively nurture mathematical talents.