이 연구에서는 초등교육의 본질을 탐색하기 위하여 일제강점기 초등교육에 대한 탐구를 하였다. 구체적으로 이 연구에서는 일제 강점기 교육제도, 교육목표, 교과 및 교육내용, 교육방법, 평가, 교원양성 등에 나타난 특수성을 탐구하고, 4차에 걸친 조선교육령 시기에 나타나는 규칙적인 현상을 밝혀보았다. 그리고 연구 결과는 이 연구에서 잠정적으로 전제한 공교육의 이상과 초등교육의 일반성과 관련지어 해석되었고, 이는 다시 현재 진행되고 있는 7차 초등교육과정과 관련하여 어떤 것이 지속되고, 어떤 것이 변화되었는지에 대한 논의로 전개되었다. 가능한 광범위하게 수집한 1차적 사료와 2차적 사료를 교육에 대한 관점별로 범주화하고 연구에서 다루고자 하는 요소별로 정리를 하였다. 필요한 경우, 직접 일제강점기 초등교육을 경험한 사람들을 면접하였다. 연구결과, 일제강점기 초등교육의 목표는 기형적인 “국민”을 길러내는 것이었으며, 이러한 목표를 달성하기 위한 교육내용, 교육방법, 교육평가는 기능적 측면에서 “잘”, 효율적으로 기능할 수 있도록 일관성을 유지하고 있는 것으로 나타났다. 이는 교육적일 수 없는 모순을 내재한 것이 된다. 따라서 일제강점기 초등교육에서 초등교육의 본질을 찾기가 어렵다는 결론을 내릴 수 있다.

This research aims to seek the real nature of elementary education by investigating the system in Korea under the rule of Japanese imperialism (1909-1945). Special characteristics are identified in their goals and objectives, contents, teaching methods, and evaluations in elementary education system during the period. Futhermore, some regular phenomena are traced out during the four-time amendments of education rules in the law. Firstly, the results of this study are described in the viewpoint of the ideals in public education, which are tentatively proposed by our authors. Secondly, they are compared and contrasted to the 7th Amended National Curriculum of Korea in terms of the perspectives of curriculum. Some parts in the research are supported by the interviewees who had experienced in the elementary education during the imperialistic period. The result suggests that the system in the colonized period was conducted to cultivate the students who were inappropriate in compared with our ideals in the education. For the goals, the elements of the system in the above were consistently maintained and functionally well-carried out. Therefore, the system was not evaluated as educative intrinsically. Henceforth, the real nature of elementary education would not be drawn in the system during the rule in conclusion.

This research aims to seek the real nature of elementary education by investigating the system in Korea under the rule of Japanese imperialism (1909-1945). Special characteristics are identified in their goals and objectives, contents, teaching methods, and evaluations in elementary education system during the period. Futhermore, some regular phenomena are traced out during the four-time amendments of education rules in the law. Firstly, the results of this study are described in the viewpoint of the ideals in public education, which are tentatively proposed by our authors. Secondly, they are compared and contrasted to the 7th Amended National Curriculum of Korea in terms of the perspectives of curriculum. Some parts in the research are supported by the interviewees who had experienced in the elementary education during the imperialistic period. The result suggests that the system in the colonized period was conducted to cultivate the students who were inappropriate in compared with our ideals in the education. For the goals, the elements of the system in the above were consistently maintained and functionally well-carried out. Therefore, the system was not evaluated as educative intrinsically. Henceforth, the real nature of elementary education would not be drawn in the system during the rule in conclusion.