An Analysis of Continuity in Music Education Content Across the Nuri Curriculum, the Pleasant Life Curriculum, and the 3rd-4th grade Music Curriculum

The purpose of this study was to examine the continuity among three curricula: the 2019 revised Nuri curriculum, the 2022 revised integrated curriculum ‘Pleasant Life’ for 1st and 2nd grade, and the 2022 revised music curriculum for 3rd and 4th grade. Additionally, the study aimed to derive educational implications from this analysis. To this end, using Tyler’s basic principles of curriculum design and the findings of previous studies, we reconstructed the analysis criteria to evaluate the continuity of three curricula. The analysis of continuity in music education contents focused on the sections addressing the ‘characteristics,’ ‘objectives,’ and ‘content elements and achievement standards’ of each curriculum. Then, we identified the continuity among the curricula based on each sub-types of continuity, reverse-connectivity, and discontinuity. Furthermore, we proposed a new direction in the Pleasant Life of the 2022 integrated curriculum based on the analysis results. Our findings highlight the importance of preserving the distinctiveness of music education when defining the nature and objectives of integrated curricula. Moreover, the foundation for ideal interdisciplinary integration lies in a comprehensive understanding of the content knowledge of each subject and the identification of clear points of intersection among disciplines from diverse perspectives.