Stories of South Korean mothers’ education fever for their children’s education

Abstract

This qualitative research is intended to reveal the stories of South Korean mothers’ own experiences of education fever in relation to their children’s education. Research questions include the following: (1) What do South Korean mothers experience in relation to their children’s education? (2) What constitutes the practices embodying the South Korean mothers’ education fever? The research participants consisted of six South Korean mothers with elementary school children aged from 6 to 11. We conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant. The data collected from the interviews were analyzed through a thematic analysis. The findings of the study are as follows. First, the South Korean mothers relied predominantly on private education for their children’s academic success. They strategically prepared their children for successful academic achievement; moving to a good neighbourhood and offering private education were actions that were undertaken. Second, a micro-level analysis showed that the mothers’ experiential (their past experiences with their own family of origin) and psychological (their view of an ideal child and a good mother) aspects were interwoven with the mothers’ education fever. A macro-level analysis revealed that the mothers’ education fever was constructed by competition-inducing social structures that widen social disparities.