A Study on the Applicability of Schwab's ‘the practical’ Approach to Reinforce the Sequence of the University Liberal Arts Curriculum

Objectives In this study, we explored ways to improve sequence of competency-based liberal arts curriculum organization based on the Schwab's ‘the practical’ approach model. Methods In this study, first, an analysis of previous studies was conducted on the cases at other universities. Second, the theories of Tyler, Taba, Wiggins & McTighe were analyzed. Third, the implications were elaborated by directly applying the analyzed perspectives to actual university cases. Results The main research results are as follows. First, to extract educational goals and educational areas from core competencies, second, to set the level difference by grade based on A(acquisition), O(organization), and T(transfer), third, setting educational goals for each grade by considering the A(acquisition), O(organization), and T(transfer) levels in the educational goals, fourth, allocating related sub-competences among the sub-competencies of the core competencies based on the educational goals for each grade level, fifth, extracting big ideas from the educational goals for each grade level and the allocated sub-competence for each grade level, sixth, allocating subjects that match educational goals for each grade level, sub-competence for each grade and the big ideas for each grade, seventh, setting the big ideas for each subject to educate the big ideas for each grade, eighth, setting specific evaluation methods to evaluate the big ideas for each subject, ninth, extract the common procedure for developing subjects and commonly apply them to each subject, tenth, extract the essential elements (big idea and big idea evaluation method) constituting the subject and apply it in common to each subject. Conclusions By directly applying the theory of curriculum development to actual university cases, certain measures were drawn to improve the sequencing of the liberal arts curriculum. A follow-up study through practical art is needed to obtain a more sophisticated method.