Examining the Impact of Language Proficiency on Mathematics Achievement Using a High-Stakes Achievement Test

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between Korean 9th grade students Korean language proficiency and their math achievement using the data from the 2008 National Assessment of Educational Achievement (NAEA) administration. It also examined the effects of various contextual characteristics surrounding schools and students on student achievement. The contextual effects were further compared between two language proficiency groups. The findings of the study showed that fathers education, amount of conversation with parents, and self-reported effectiveness of learning were positively related to student math achievement in both language groups. However, the higher language proficiency group reported higher ratings in those aspects. In addition, male students outperformed their counterparts in the test, regardless of their language proficiency level.