Development of Battlefield Leadership Competency-based Curriculum for Army Senior Officers: Focusing the Job-Oriented Training for Majors

This study was conducted to extract the battlefield leadership competencies of army senior officers and to develop competency-based curriculum for the purpose. The research problem was formulated as follows: to analyze the educational demands for army officers (majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels) in terms of their ranks, and to develop job-oriented training specifically for majors. To achieve this, the Korean Army Competency-Based Curriculum Development Model(KA- CBCDM) and principles were applied, taking into account the characteristics of the Korean Army. The competency-based curriculum development proceeded through five stages. In the first stage, we conducted an analysis of the educational demands for army officers(majors, lieutenant colonels, colonels) based on the battlefield leadership competency model of Army officer instructors. In the second stage, we determined the priority of competency development by conducting a needs assessment using Borich's demand assessment and confirming overlaps with The Locus for Focus Model. In the third stage, we designed a battlefield leadership competency-based curriculum and developed a curriculum outline to be applicable for the mandatory professional military education of army majors. In the fourth stage, prototypes were developed for the instructor's teaching and learning plan for battlefield leadership education, as well as a learner's activity guidebook. Finally, expert surveys were conducted to validate the development process and the validity of the products of the education curriculum, refining the content based on their feedback. Through this study, it was confirmed that the process of developing competency-based curriculum can be applied to military education in the Army. This study has provided an opportunity to initiate the transition of military education in the Army from a curriculum-centered approach to a competency- based approach.