Resistance among alienated adult students in Korea National Open University: A Cultural-Historical Activity Theory analysis of contradictions in distance higher education
Open Access
Author:
Joo, Kyoung Phil
Graduate Program:
Adult Education
Degree:
Doctor of Philosophy
Document Type:
Dissertation
Date of Defense:
February 08, 2013
Committee Members:
Fred Michael Schied, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor Fred Michael Schied, Committee Chair/Co-Chair Ladislaus M Semali, Committee Member Melody M Thompson, Committee Member Kai Arthur Schafft, Committee Member
Keywords:
distance higher education Open University (OU) resistance alienation Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)
Abstract:
Drawing from Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, this research analyzed the structural contradictions existing in the variety of educational activities and resistance among a group of alienated adult students in Korea National Open University (KNOU). Despite KNOU’s quantitative development in student number, the students’ resistance shed light on how the institution’s top-down, bureaucratic pedagogical system collided with individual expectations and needs. As a ramification of their resistance, the students critically reflected upon their social position and the social status of the institution. In particular, their critical viewpoints demonstrate the incompatible roles that the distance higher education institution plays in Korean society. That is, while KNOU contributes to extending higher education opportunities for those who have unmet educational needs, the value of the KNOU degree has not been socially acknowledged since there is little, if any, competition in the entrance process.
This study also documents how these contradictions were culturally and historically embedded in the participants’ distance higher education activities. Given the persistent contradictions and the students’ resistance, the research findings illuminate that KNOU’s current distance higher education system has not effectively facilitated the students’ learning. Its efficiency-oriented model inevitably entails a compromise between a competitive, quality curriculum and the efficient extension of audiences. To better accommodate those students’ learning needs, this study suggests, KNOU should recommit to the Open University’s original mission of providing quality higher education to broader audiences.
