South Korean Middle School Students’ Different Paths for Academic Success: Features of Trans-Boundary Learning Culture for Korean IVY League High Schools

This qualitative study aims to uncover the specific trans-boundary learning culture employed by Korean middle school students in pursuing special purpose high schools (SPHS) admission by utilizing Young Chun Kim’s (2018b conceptual framework of trans-boundary learning cultures. For this purpose, interviews, participant observations and documentary analysis were conducted with middle and high school students and shadow education instructors. This inquiry moves beyond the general conclusions of Western quantitative studies and literature reviews, which primarily emphasize the contributory role of shadow education to student's academic success. Furthermore, this study will enable us to explore why, how and for what purpose academically excellent students utilize shadow education for their future. Its findings will not only highlight the limitations of conventional school curricula and public education classes in meeting students’ needs, but also propose new directions and possibilities for tailored curriculum development and classroom research for entering prestigious high schools and universities.