The productivity model shows that multiple factors predict achievement, particularly the home environment and time

factors. The curriculum of the home is strongly related to achievement and appears to be significant influences for both groups. The study shows that the curriculum of the home is important and alterable for both Korea and the United States. These factors include expectations, educational experiences and resources in the home, books and reading, and monitored and other time usage. The study shows that both Korean and U.S. parents expect their children to do well in school and their expectations do influence learning for both students. The findings confirm that educational experiences and resources, such as cultural exposure and educational tools in the home, also influence both groups positively (IEA, 1996; Sorenson, 1994). Reading more and the number of books are also correlated to achievement for all students. The study also confirms that time well spent on homework and other constructive activities help both students. Family structure and relationships with parents can also make a difference to Korean and U.S. students. The study shows that student achievement was generally higher when living with their natural mother or father. Although both groups (9294%) typically live with their natural mother, fewer U.S. students (<70%) live with their natural fathers in comparison with Korean students (_90%). Students in the United States who live with their mothers do well, but those who live with their natural fathers do even better. In contrast, Korean students who live with their father did not achieve as highly as did those who live with their mother. In Korea, it may be because the typical father does not get involved in household affairs, such as the childs education. The schooling process is typically left to the Korean mother, who strictly monitors their time and enrolls them
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in extra classes or private tutoring to get ahead (Ellinger & Carlson, 1990; Paik, 2004; Sorenson, 1994). Although the study found that many of the factors did predict achievement for both students, it also found that U.S. parents were more educated, had higher expectations in general, provided more educational tools and books, and encouraged students to read more. U.S. parents also exposed their children to slightly more cultural activities, although both students generally lacked exposure to cultural activities. Korean parents appeared to be more concerned with the students usage of time. Korean achievement was influenced by all the indicators but strongly influenced by time factors and family structure. Korean parents did have higher expectations for their children to be placed in high achieving classes, which encouraged them to monitor their time and activities after school, such as homework, extra classes, and television viewing. The study found that studying more is obviously helpful to both students, butKorean students investmore time and energy in studying math and taking extra math classes. Time spent on extra math classes shows one of the highest correlations for Korean students. Studies have found

that Asian students had more lessons outside of school than any other group (Peng & Wright, 1994), which is the norm for Korean students to attend ha-gwuan (extra classes to get ahead).However, extra classes in the United States typically mean summer school or private tutoring from performing poorly in a subject area. For Korean students, attending school after school is very common to prepare for national exams. Studies have shown that homework produces positive cognitive, behavioral, and affective effects to learning. Homework is three times the learning variance than family socioeconomic status (Walberg, 1984). The findings in this study show that Korean students spend more time on their homework. Educational Testing Service (1992) also found that Korea tied with the former Soviet Union for averaging more than 4 hours of math homework per week in comparison with other countries. Compared with their Western counterparts, Schneider & Lee (1990) also found that East Asian students spend a great deal of time on their homework. Television viewing is also considered a time-consuming activity for many students. Studies have found that Korean parents not only control after-school time but also the quantity and quality of television viewing (IEA, 1996; Mordkowitz & Ginsburg, 1986). Comparative studies show that on average U.S. high school students
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watch 30 hours of television per week (Walberg, Bole, & Waxman, 1980). Although the United States watches more television, the findings show that both U.S. and Korean students watch a lot of television. The findings show that U.S. students watch more leisure television, whereas Korean students watch more educational television. More educational viewing appears to be helpful to Korean students. Studies have found that many Korean teachers also assign educational shows as part of their homework assignment. For example, Thomson (1989) reported that roughly 44%of Korean middle school students watched 3 to 4 hours of television, of which 2 were educational and often assigned as homework. Regarding television viewing in Korea, it is important to note that Korean broadcasting is nationally controlled and not available around the clock as it is in the United States. Because Korean broadcasting is controlled, there are more shows for Korean students on the weekends and television is used as a form of relaxation, because they rarely spend time in other social activities (Williams, 1985). Studies have also found that watching television together as a family occurs more often in Asia. Consequently, parents can monitor television viewing (Shanahan & Morgan, 1992). Regarding other usage of time, playing with friends obviously does not influence achievement positively for both students. Korean students do not have time to play with their friends and are discouraged to work or play sports because they are too busy taking extra classes or doing their homework. U.S. students are more involved in sports and work more often than Korean students. Paid work and sports appear to influence learning positively for U.S students, perhaps because both provide skills and responsibilities for students. Working

part-time during the week provides a form of discipline and responsibility for a young student. Sports are also often tied to team efforts and academic regulations, where students may feel more pressure to do well in their studies as well.

CONCLUSION
The curriculum of the home is strongly related to achievement and appears to significantly influence both groups. The alterable factors in this study suggest that constructive changes in the home environment and time usage can make a difference. Developing
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parentchild relationships, providing a routine for family life, and family expectations and supervision are critical to providing a supportive learning environment for any student. For example, family visits to libraries and museums, discussing books and television programs, study time at home and daily routine, parental expectations, and monitoring of television and other time usage are helpful to children. Many studies indicated that learning depends on multiple factors regarding the individual, family, and school factors. This study demonstrated the importance of alterable practices that are associated within families and homes. One of the critical findings was the usage of time, for example, monitoring homework and television viewing. For decades, studies have reported that television watching correlates negatively with low achievement. Television takes away from important activities such as homework, reading, family time, and other quality time. More constructive activities, such as homework, do provide a longer school day for students. Research shows that homework is correlated to learning, which has a greater substantial effect than family socioeconomic status (Walberg, 1984). This study shows that Korean students enroll in extra classes and spend hours on their homework. Why do Koreans study so hard? This study found that practices in the home are critical, but it is important to understand Korean culture, national organization, and schooling. Passing national examinations and pleasing their parents are also related to the motivational issues behind their hard work. In preparing for national exams that dictate life choices, students are encouraged to work hard, spend fewer hours on extracurricular activities, and attend extra classes to get ahead. Getting accepted to prestigious universities is an incentive that reinforces daily academic habits in the early years (Paik, 2001; Woessman, 2000). Further research should be conducted on the motivational factors behind school performance to shed light on alterable factors in the home and school. Although family structure may not be so alterable, the study highlights the importance of parentchild relationships. The changing family demographic trends in the United States may provide more reason to try to understand the curriculum of the home. From l860 to l960 the divorce rate in the United States increased dramatically (Cherlin, 1983). At current rates, statistics show that more than one-third of all U.S. children will witness divorce and family

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separation. The National Center of Health Statistics (1991) also found that family structure and childrens emotional well-being were related. Children from two-parent families had the lowest scores of behavioral problems and were the least likely to have seen a counselor. In comparison, children from single-parent families or from mothers who never married had twice as many problems in school, parentteacher conferences, and school suspensions. These rates are very low in Korea as the findings indicate that most students live in nuclear families with two parents. Traditionally, Korea has always held the family as a sacred unit based on cultural and religious values, which may also explain the general findings in this study. Although family demographic trends are dramatically higher in the United States, this is changing for Korea as well. In addition to other factors, the comparative findings show that learning is related to family structure. This study provides perspective and highlights the need for further research regarding family dynamics and its relationship to childrens well-being and learning. In summary, education starts in the home, as we know that the first 6 years are critical in building a foundation. Early intervention is essential for students at home and in the early school years. Many homes lack a supportive learning environment, in which it is even more critical for parents and teachers to work together. In addition to altering factors to constructively change the curriculum of the home, other practical recommendations include building family school partnerships to support learning at home and school, and constructive after-school or weekend programs for students.