A Study on Elementary School Teachers’ Experiences of Infringement on Educational Activities and Their Views on Protection Policies

Following an incident in 2023, in which excessive complaints from parents and students and an overwhelming workload led to the death by suicide of an elementary school teacher, the seriousness of infringements on educational activities in schools has once again raised public concerns in South Korean society. Subsequently, the South Korean government, along with various ministries including the Ministry of Education, has initiated policy efforts. Accordingly, this study aimed to examine the experiences of infringements on educational activities among elementary school teachers and their views on current laws and policies for protecting educational activities. Based on these findings, the study sought to present implications for preventing infringements on educational activities of teachers and for strengthening the protection of teachers in the course of their educational activities. The results of the analysis indicate that, above all, in order to prevent infringements on educational activities in elementary schools, efforts are required to strengthen communication and trust among students, guardians/parents, and teachers. In addition, active efforts by administrators to protect educational activities are essential to ensuring that support and protection are provided at the school level, rather than being left to individual teachers. Furthermore, whilst elementary school teachers viewed the recent legal and institutional changes for protecting educational activities presented in the survey as effective, their level of awareness of these changes was relatively low. To enhance policy effectiveness, it is necessary to actively promote and provide education to teachers regarding recent legal and institutional changes for protecting educational activities. The findings of this study can serve as foundational data for the development of more effective policies for the protection of educational activities and contribute to a more concrete understanding of school settings.