ABSTRACT

This study analyzed prospective applied music students' perceptions of naming confusion and institutional understanding between junior colleges and vocational colleges. An online survey with a pre-post design was conducted with 144 participants to examine how institutional awareness influences college decisions. Results showed that over half of the respondents did not accurately recognize the legal foundations and institutional differences between the two types of institutions, and 66% experienced confusion due to naming similarities. Students showed a clear preference for institutions with higher admission competition rates, and the term ‘arts college’ itself significantly influenced college choice regardless of institutional differences. After providing information about institutional differences, 65.3% of respondents indicated that their college decisions could change, confirming the importance of accurate information provision. This study is significant in that it empirically identifies the structural problem of naming confusion and proposes strategies for information transparency enhancement and differentiation of vocational colleges.

Keyword :

REFERENCES

1. Cho, T. S. (2023). Reflections on the correlation between practical musicology curriculum and employment linkage. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society, 24(10), 718-723. https://doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2023.24.10.718 [Crossref]
2. Cho, Y. H. (2023, July 12). Explanation on the notation of 'junior college'. Dhnews. Retrieved October, 31, 2025, from https://dhnews.co.kr/news/view/1065578299660054
3. Eble, A., & Hu, F. (2022). Signals, information, and the value of college names. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 107(2), 355-371. https://doi.org/10.1162/rest_a_01277 [Crossref]
4. Gauthier, T. (2020). A renewed examination of the stigma associated with community college career and technical education. Community College, 44(12), 870-884. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1758835 [Crossref]
5. Jeonghwa Arts College (2025). 2025 early admission results. Retrieved September, 30, 2025, from https://ipsi.jb.ac.kr/?m1=page&menu_id=904
6. Kim, E. K. (2016). Study on the differences of factors affecting college choice of confidence by majority fields -Focusing on the cases of a local college-. Journal of Communication Design, 56(0), 298-309.
7. Kim, G. W., Yang, E. J., & Choi, J. S. (2016). Analysis of art, music and sports universities manpower supply and perception thereof. Korean Journal of Arts Education, 14(1), 1-16.
8. Kim, J. H. (2021). A study on the era of the fourth industrial revolution and the direction of practical music education -A Study on the perception of educational institutions and major students-. Popular music contents society, 5(2), 36-49. https://doi.org/10.53755/PMCS.2021.5.2.36 [Crossref]
9. Kim, Y. (2017). An analysis on the achievements and tasks of the research on the lifelong education law. The Journal of Law of Education, 29(4), 53-74. https://doi.org/10.17317/tjle.29.4.201712.53 [Crossref]
10. Korean Council for University College Education (2023, October 16). Explanation on the notation of 'junior college'. Dhnews. Retrieved July 12, 2023, from https://dhnews.co.kr/news/view/1065578299660054
11. Lee, I. H. (2024). Developing an educational curriculum to enhance applied music major competencies: A focus on K university. Journal of Contents and Industry, 6(3), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.55387/JCI.2024.06.03.08 [Crossref]
12. Lee, J. S. (2013). The establishment shapes of applied music department in korean university. Korean Journal of Popular Music, 12, 99-136.
13. Nam, C. H., & Lee, C. H. (2024). A comparative study on the music theory learning achievements of high school seniors applying for practical music entrance exams in Korea and China. Korean Journal of Arts Education, 22(4), 197-210. https://doi.org/10.23317/kaae.2024.22.4.011 [Crossref]
14. Roh, H. R. (2012). Characteristics of highschool students about choosing a university. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society, 13(7), 2964-2970. https://doi.org/10.5762/KAIS.2012.13.7.2964 [Crossref]
15. Uway (2025). Power competition rate. Retrieved from https://info.uway.com/power/
16. Yun, S. K., Han, Y. K., Im, S. H., & Kim, H. Y. (2015). A study on the factors that affect college and major selection. The Journal of Korean Education, 42(2), 87-107. https://doi.org/10.22804/jke.2015.42.2.004 [Crossref]