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Prehistory in History Education: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese, Japanese, Irish, and British History Textbooks

  • Journal of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • 2026, 83(1), pp.111~141
  • Publisher : Institute of Humanities, Seoul National University
  • Research Area : Humanities > Other Humanities
  • Received : January 12, 2026
  • Accepted : February 8, 2026
  • Published : February 28, 2026

CHO DAE YOUN 1

1전북대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

This study compares and analyzes the textbook writing guidelines and the treatment of prehistory in history textbooks from four countries in Northeast Asia and Western Europe (China, Japan, Ireland, and the United Kingdom) in order to examine from what perspectives prehistory is presented in each country’s textbooks. This comparison is intended to situate, within an international context, the tendency for descriptions of prehistory, including the Palaeolithic and Neolithic periodsto be reduced or omitted in newly published middle and high school history textbooks in Korea following the 2022 revision of the national curriculum. To this end, the study reviews the textbook writing guidelines of each country and analyzes the treatment of prehistory in their textbooks. The findings of the analysis indicated that China and Japan predominantly regard the prehistoric era as a limited precursor to state formation, in contrast to Ireland and the UK, where it is utilised as a core component of history education through evidence-based inquiry activities grounded in archaeological data. Specifically, Ireland mandates performance assessments and regional history research projects, while the UK treats the prehistoric era as a core unit for developing evidence-based reasoning skills. This Western European trend corresponds with the recent emphasis in international educational discourse by the OECD and UNESCO, which has been focused on the concepts of evidence-based learning and the cultivation of critical thinking. In this discourse, the author seeks to elucidate the inherent problems in the reduction of prehistoric narratives within the sphere of Korean history education, with the objective of providing a foundation for future curriculum reform and recommendations for textbook narratives.

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