The objective of the present study was to identify major issues related to the setting of educational goals and the selection of education contents discussed in the course of developing curriculums for the mentally retarded, and to suggest solutions for the issues. With regard to the setting of educational goals, we examined the structure of educational goals, the contents and emphases of the goals, the method of describing educational goals, etc. In addition, with regard to the selection and organization of contents, we analyzed problems in the development centered and function centered approaches and discussed solutions for the problems from the aspect of human growth and development, which is the fundamental goal of education, and the acquisition of problem solving ability, which is a practical goal of education.
Conclusions drawn from research on educational goals are as follows.
First, it is more desirable to set non curricular goals for realizing an educated human being than goals representing subjects or life areas.
Second, it is more desirable to suggest educational goals by school level than common educational goals applied to all school levels.
Third, it is more desirable to use causative verbs led by teachers for describing general educational goals by school level, and to use accomplishment type verbs led by students for describing particular educational goals by curriculum.
Conclusions drawn from research on education contents are as follows.
First, rather than completely excluding either developmental tasks or life skills, approach should be made as a matter of what contents are more necessary to whom and when.
Second, the matter is not which of curricular knowledge and life skills is more important, but the contents of education for the mentally retarded are meaningful when they are learned by the students purposively and meaningfully and applied to the solving of life problems.
Third, what curriculums should be focused on are not contents to be conveyed through education but learners’ activities of learning the contents conveyed.
Fourth, learners’ learning activities should be active activities of structuring and restructuring experiences.