A Study on the Current Status of Religious Education in Catholic Schools Following the 2022 Revised National Curriculum

ABSTRACT

[Objective] The purpose of this study is to examine how religious education in Catholic schools has been operated after the 2022 revised national curriculum, how principals and religion teachers perceive its necessity and role, and how it is being restructured within the new curriculum context.[Contents] To accomplish this purpose, a survey was conducted with principals and religion teachers in Korean Catholic schools. The study analyzed operational forms, differences in perception, and factors influencing curriculum implementation. Religious education was found to be offered in various formats, including regular, elective, and integrated courses. While both groups affirmed its value for Catholic identity and holistic formation, principals focused on institutional structure and teachers on classroom constraints.[Conclusions] Based on the results of the study, religious education is undergoing strategic restructuring in response to curriculum policy and sociocultural change rather than simple reduction, indicating adaptive transformation within Catholic schools.