The Development of the Religious Textbooks of Unificationism School

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study are to review the characteristics of the national curriculum about the religious subject, to evaluate a revised edition of the Unificationism textbooks, and to explore the direction of development for future religious textbook. The religious textbooks of Unificationism school have been revised reflecting a national curriculum in 2010. The textbooks focuses on ‘understanding’ in educational goals and contents. There are abstract expressions in the contents described in the textbooks. There are also some gaps between the lives of students and the levels of concept, word, and expression of the textbooks. Some contents of the textbooks are hard for students to understand. Teachers comes to lead teaching-learning activity than the student in the religious textbooks. The three preconditions for the development of future religious textbook are suggested as follows: First, the characteristics of religious subject should be reviewed. The goals and contents of the national curriculum about the religious subject should aim to the searching and enlightening the meaning of life as well as religious understanding, and the contents of the textbooks should be reduced. Second, the poor environment of school that focuses only on entrance examinations should be reformed and the secondary education should be normalized. Third, an organization reflecting the demand of education arena is necessary.