Research spanning decades has reported undeviating differentiation in academic performance and motivation among students from various countries and divergent racial and ethnic groups. The causes for these variations are complex, but such findings suggest that the beliefs, values, and experiences of these groups influence the impact that an education may have on students. Cultural values of the groups of students, as well as differences in educational policies, home lives, the value one places on education and school conditions are proposed influences on academic achievement.

To begin, cultural values of the groups of students can affect academic achievement. Many people form a connection between educational attainment and occupational success. However, it is much stronger in Asian countries than the United States. Most Asian governments select civil officials through the centuries-old examination system. Far more extreme, Chinese students must pass examinations in order to attend school beyond junior high. Only one third continue their education, in the end. Acceptance to a top-notch university is considered a guarantee of advantageous employment in Japan. The United States, on the other hand, consider education to be only one of one hundred avenues to success. A prestigious job title and a never ending supply of money are worshipped, no matter how it is accomplished. When asked what wishes they had for their future, 70 percent of students in China— compared to 10 percent of students in the United States— possessed desires related to education.

Differences in education policies can affect academic achievement as well. A reflection of a nation’s values and devotion to education is the length of the school year. In one year, students attend school an average of 1,044 hours in the United States, 1,655 hours in China and 1,466 hours in Japan. As a result, Chinese children receive approximately 6,000 more hours of schooling than U.S. children in a 10 year period.

Continuing, home lives can affect academic achievement. Higher academic performance of Asian students could be related to the fact that they dedicate afterschool and weekend hours to academic activities and homework. Chinese and Japanese parents are firm believers that education paves the pathway to future joy. Whereas, children from the United States utilize their spare time interacting with friends and partaking in sports. Parents are tolerant of their children spending excessive amounts of time on non-school activities, because they feel it will help their children become well-rounded.

The value one places on education can affect academic achievement. Overall, Caucasian-American families value education less than Asian-American, African-American and Hispanic families, who place a high value on education. However, the academic achievement of African-American and Hispanic students is much lower than that of Asian-American or Caucasian-American students. Parents of these minority students do not put as much pressure on their children to succeed; instead, they enforce punishment. Thus, the students’ motivation to succeed in school are undermined.

Lastly, school conditions can affect academic achievement. The largest city school districts in the United States have 37 percent of African-American and 32 percent of Hispanic adolescents enrolled, compared to 5 percent of Caucasian American and 22 percent of Asian American adolescents. African American and Hispanic students tend to live in impoverished neighborhoods, and the schools in these areas are less likely than schools serving advantaged populations to offer high quality services and advanced courses. Thus, even students who are extremely motivated find it difficult to excel in such environments.

To summarize: cultural values of the groups of students, as well as differences in educational policies, home lives, value of education, and school conditions are proposed influences on academic achievement. Students’ backgrounds are key to how they will apply themselves in school, as well as their chance of success.

Reference

• Martin, C.L. & Fabes, R. (2009). Introduction to child development. In G. Hoffman (Ed.), Discovering Child Development (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 4-10). Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.