Korean and US families, schools, and learning

South Korean students outperform the US and other industrialized countries in science and math during the school years. A multiple-factor psychological model provides a comparative framework to discuss the home and school factors that appear to explain achievement differences based on the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). Regression analyses were performed on 5846 Korean students and 10,975 US students from 333 schools to analyze the factors in the model. Some factors appear to be more distinctively applied in Korea than the US. Alterable factors in this study are practices that are associated within the home and school. The findings suggest implications for family–school partnerships, early intervention in primary and middle schools, after-school or weekend programs, supportive family and school conditions and practices. Collaborative efforts of parents and educators in any culture may strongly influence childrenʹs affective, behavioral, and cognitive learning.