Teacher and Parental Support: Effects on Math Achievement and School Belonging in Resilient Students from South Korea and the U.S

• In Event: Fostering Soft Skills and Belonging in Youth Development

Proposal

Introduction
Resilience, originating from the Latin word resilire meaning "to leap back," has gained attention in human development research. Masten et al. (1990) define resilience as "the process of, capacity for, or outcome of successful adaptation despite challenging or threatening circumstances" (p. 426). In education, academic resilience refers to students who achieve success despite facing adversity, such as low socio-economic status (Wang et al., 1994). These students are considered academically resilient when they perform better than expected given their challenges.
Academic resilience is shaped by three key factors: adversity, protective factors, and positive adaptation (Sarkar & Fletcher, 2013). Adversity includes challenges like poverty and limited resources (Das, 2019), while positive adaptation refers to beneficial outcomes in academic, social, and emotional domains (OECD, 2018). Protective factors, such as support from teachers, parents, and external systems, play a critical role in fostering resilience (Garmezy & Stevenson, 1985).
Despite its importance, measuring academic resilience is complex due to its multidimensional nature (Tudor & Spray, 2017). This study focuses on academic and well-being resilience among students in South Korea and the United States, using data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The aim is to explore how teacher and parental support influence students' math achievement and school belonging.
Specifically, the study addresses the following questions:
-How do teacher and parental support affect academic achievement and school belonging among resilient and non-resilient students in South Korea and the United States?
-What differences exist between the two countries, and what are the implications for educational policy?

Methodology
Data Source
This study utilizes data from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assessed 15-year-old students' competencies, with mathematics as the primary focus. Given the emphasis on mathematics in the 2022 cycle, this study concentrates on math achievement as the key academic outcome. In addition, PISA collected extensive background data on students' economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS), school environment, and well-being. The sample consists of 6,454 students from South Korea and 4,552 students from the United States. The primary independent variables are parental support and teacher support, while the dependent variables are math achievement and school belonging.

Sample and Resilience Classification
Students were classified into four groups based on their ESCS and math performance:
Resilient Group: Students in the bottom 25% of ESCS with math scores in the top 25%.
Non-Resilient Group: Students in the bottom 25% of ESCS with math scores in the bottom 75%.
Advantaged High-Performing Group: Students in the top 75% of ESCS with math scores in the top 25%.
Advantaged Low-Performing Group: Students in the top 75% of ESCS with math scores in the bottom 75%.

Multiple regression models were employed to examine the effects of parental support and teacher support on math achievement and school belonging. Control variables included gender, ESCS, school type, school location, class size, and school autonomy. Separate models were run for each of the four groups in both countries to capture cross-national differences in the effects of support systems.

Results and Discussion
1. Overall Comparison of Academic and School Belonging Resilience in South Korea and the United States
The comparison between South Korea and the United States reveals differences in how teacher and parental support affect academic performance and school belonging. In South Korea, both teacher and parental support significantly impact academic performance and school belonging, whereas in the United States, teacher support plays a more critical role in academic performance. Parental support tends to have a negative effect on academic performance in both countries, suggesting that excessive involvement may negatively impact outcomes.

2. Analysis of Academic and School Belonging Resilience in South Korea
In the resilience group, both teacher and parental support negatively influenced academic performance. Parental support had a coefficient of -3.331 (p < 0.01) and teacher support -2.926 (p < 0.01). Conversely, ESCS positively affected performance (9.4038, p < 0.01). For school belonging, parental support (0.205, p < 0.01) and teacher support (0.276, p < 0.01) were both significant.
In the non-resilient group, teacher support had a positive effect on academic performance (3.968, p < 0.01) and school belonging (0.113, p < 0.01).
For the high-performing advantaged group, teacher support significantly impacted academic performance (4.704, p < 0.01), while mean ESCS was the strongest predictor (28.984, p < 0.01).
3. Analysis of Academic and School Belonging Resilience in the United States
In the resilience group, teacher support had a strong positive effect on academic performance (9.728, p < 0.01), while parental support had a negative effect (-6.253, p < 0.01). For school belonging, parental support was significant (0.251, p < 0.01).
In the non-resilient group, parental support negatively affected academic performance (-6.625, p < 0.01), while teacher support had a positive effect (3.665, p < 0.1).
For the high-performing advantaged group, teacher support had a positive effect (3.985, p < 0.01), while parental support had a negative effect (-5.38, p < 0.01).
4. Comparison and Discussion
Key differences between South Korea and the United States lie in the impact of teacher and parental support on academic performance and school belonging. In South Korea, both forms of support significantly impact both outcomes, with teacher support playing a key role in fostering school belonging. In contrast, in the U.S., teacher support is more critical for academic performance, while parental support is more influential in promoting school belonging.
Parental support negatively impacted academic performance in both countries, suggesting that excessive involvement might undermine autonomy. Further research is needed to explore this dynamic.
5. Conclusion
This study highlights differences in how teacher and parental support affect academic performance and school belonging in South Korea and the United States. These findings suggest the need for differentiated educational policies that leverage the unique roles of teachers and parents. In South Korea, enhancing teacher support could foster greater school belonging, while in the U.S., balancing academic support from teachers and moderating parental involvement may be key to improving student outcomes.

Author

• Soojeong Ahn, UAlbany, SUNY