| Susan Paik
University of Illinois, Chicago
Educational productivity in Korea and the United States
FINAL REPORT:
Among students in economically advanced countries, South Korean students consistently make high achievement gains in science and mathematics during the school years, while U.S. students tend to fall behind. In an effort to explain the causes of the two countries' comparative progress, this study first briefly summarizes the history, culture, and education system of Korea. After providing this contextual background, the review employs a nine-factor psychological model of educational productivity to analyze data on Korean and American achievement and its possible causes. The review synthesizes literature, which is scattered among Korean and other journals and books across the disciplines of anthropology, education, psychology, and sociology.
Walberg's Productivity Model groups the psychological factors that appear to account for much of the achievement differences for Korean and American students based on the Third International Math and Science Study. It appears that the psychological factors that increase learning in the U.S. and other countries promote learning in South Korea. These factors are ability, motivation, age, quality and quantity of instruction, home and classroom environments, peers, and television viewing. In South Korea, however, many of the factors are applied distinctively and more intensively than the U.S. The general conclusions about the character of Korean schooling appear to have implications for promoting educational achievement in the U.S. and possibly other countries. Alterable factors in this study are practices that are associated within the home and classroom. For example, time, attitudes, performing homework, exposure to cultural activities, reading more, and encouraging children to enjoy mathematics more are alterable. The findings based on the productivity model are generalizable as indicated by other studies and should be taken into consideration by policy makers.
Policy analysts have reviewed the TIMSS data for science and mathematics for early and middle grades. They found education in the middle school to be particularly troubling for the U.S. By targeting early and middle grades, achievement scores and value-added gains may increase. Examining another culture, society, or nation may provide insights for improving the efficiency of the U.S. education system. While it may be impossible to transplant the Korean model, studying the causes of its educational productivity may be suggestive and helpful. As with any educational system, criticisms can be made, but an educational system evidenced by a successful economy and high achievement scores and gains may be a good place to continue investigating.
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