A Study on the Description Related to Buddhism in Religious Studies: Focusing on National Curriculum and Textbooks

[Objective] This study aims to examine the portrayal of Buddhism in the 'Religious Studies' subject curriculum and textbooks. This analysis aims to evaluate the alignment between the national curriculum and textbooks, which serve as the primary instructional tools in the educational context. [Contents] To achieve this objective, I closely examined two 'Religious Studies' textbooks approved by the Office of Education. I compared and analyzed the structure and content of the curriculum alongside the textbook materials, focusing on key Buddhist concepts. Additionally, I sought to determine the extent to which these textbooks reflect the curriculum guidelines and standards. [Conclusions] First, in both the religious studies curriculum and textbooks, Buddhism is primarily depicted as a world religion and a traditional Korean religion, with many of its concepts and theories presented appropriately. Second, the treatment of Buddhism’s role as a modern Korean religion is relatively brief. Third, while the two textbooks share many similarities, the later version incorporates improvements over its predecessor. To maintain this alignment and address limitations in future editions, I recommend the following: greater attention should be paid to enhancing the diversity and expertise of the authorship and review committees, as well as addressing the necessity of developing comprehensive teacher guides.