Korean-American Adolescents Academic Success - Case Study Example

Running Head: Adolescent Development A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success The objectives of this research are threefold:(1) to present the academic achievement of Korean-American adolescents in schools in the US; (2) to identify which factors contribute to academic success of Korean-American adolescents; and (3) to determine the effect of family and culture in the academic achievement of Korean-American adolescents in US schools. Introduction The United States has been considered home to various migrants of diverse descent from all over the world. Most migrants have assimilated into America’s traditions and ways of life. Although conventional cultural values and beliefs have been preserved by the originating migrants, their children have completely adapted and adjusted to Western culture. It is interesting to delve into finding out the factors which contribute to the academic performance of migrants’ children, specifically Korean Americans. Adolescents from today’s generation have grown with relatively antithetical thinking and preferences compared to generations that their grandparents and parents were accustomed to. Likewise, academic performance, attitudes and behaviors of previous generations were influenced by traditional and conventional norms. The methods of teaching as well as the instructional materials available during those times provide limited or more constrained opportunities for access of a broader knowledge base. The impact of advances in technology in the past decades has drastically altered the values, views and preferences of adolescents including their study habits and academic performances. The objectives of this research are threefold: (1) to present the academic achievement of Korean-American adolescents in schools in the US; (2) to identify which factors contribute to academic success of Korean-American adolescents; and (3) to determine the effect of family and culture in the academic achievement of Korean-American adolescents in US schools. Literature Review Ethnic Identity as a Predictor of Problem Behaviors among Korean American Adolescents, a Journal article by Eunai K. Shrake, Siyon Rhee; Adolescence, Vol. 39, 2004 presents the underlying problems that Korean American adolescent’s experience. Chung, Jungsook Park. 1998. "A Study of Self-Esteem in Selected Korean-American Youth in the Fort Worth-Dallas Area." Ph.D. Thesis, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary aims to discover certain significant predictors of self-esteem among Korean-American adolescents and to determine the difference in self-esteem scores across the variables of gender, length of residence in the United States, parents marital structure, language preference, and significant others. In this study, “the adolescents who chose parents as the most significant others received the highest scores in self-esteem analysis. The adolescents who chose friends received the middle score, and the adolescents who chose teachers received the lowest score.” The value tensions in Korean–American mother–child relationships while facilitating academic success written by Sungeun Yang and Kathryn D. Rettig “explored mothers perspectives concerning their experiences in facilitating the academic success of their adolescents in American schools, using a naturalistic study design, data from transcribed personal interviews of 17 Korean–American mothers, and a phenomenological analysis approach.” Parental Warmth, Control, and Involvement in Schooling by Kyoungho Kim and Ronald P. Rohner “explored the relationship between Baumrind’s parenting prototypes and the academic achievement, judged by grade point average (GPA), of Korean American adolescents. It also examined the relative contribution to youth’s academic achievement of perceived maternal and paternal warmth and control and involvement in schooling”. Areas For Future Studies With the given researches on ethnic identity, self-esteem, parental participation in academic performance, among others, it is interesting to know more about the impact of culture on academic performance of Korean-American adolescents in the light of recent developments in accessibility and availability of educational information brought about by the internet era. Specifically, there are areas on problems or concerns which majority of Korean-Americans face in their respective educational institutions. This is relevant because the kind of problems (peer based, academic subjects, teachers’ personalities and/or methods of instructions, etc.) have a great impact on their study habits. If the problems are basically relationships based, this could or could not have a direct effect on academic performance depending on the quality of the problem as perceived by the adolescent. On the other hand, if the problem is academic in nature (difficulty in topics discussed, complying with school requirements, instructional methods, and the like) definitely, this would directly affect the grades of the adolescents concerned. Methodology The research on the academic performance of Korean-American adolescents would be undertaken utilizing interview through specifically designed questionnaires. Two sets of questionnaires were designed for this research. One set was prepared and distributed to Korean-American adolescents (KAA) and the other set for their mothers. Right after consultation on the design and contents of the questionnaires, these were immediately distributed to seven students and their respective mothers of Korean-American lineage. The contents of the questionnaires form part of this essay and are attached as an appendix. It can be seen that the questions were designed to determine the following: (1) the length of stay in America; (2) problems encountered in school; (3) study habits; (4) factors influencing study habits; and (5) effect of assimilation in the United States to academic performance. Under factors which influence study habits of the adolescents, the research aims to determine if culture still has a profound effect in academic performance, in addition to personal attitudes and ambitions, teachers’ influence, school’s influence, and parents’ influence, among others. For mothers, there was a question on employment status to establish if there would be any relationship between academic performance of adolescents of a working mother vis-à-vis someone whose mother stays at home. Results of the Interview Length of Stay in the US Half of the respondents have an average of more than 5 years living in the United States and the other half have lived less than five years. For those living less than five years, there are still language problems which have to be accounted for and which affects their academic performance. Peer Groups Apparently, as those who were interviewed have peer groups also of Asian descent: Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipinos. It is eminent that racial factors still play an important part in the selection of peers. There were cases of maltreatment from peers and sometimes, from teachers, due to ethnicity. A total of 78.57% responded that their adolescent children where mistreated by peers and/or teachers. Study Habits Almost all of the respondents identified the following factors influence their study habits: school requirements, personal ambition, parents’ advice and cultural values. Their parents perceive most of them as having a good pattern for studying but for some adolescents who have been residing in the US for less than five years, the difficulty in language still is perceived as a barrier to academic performance. In this regard, parents resort to employing tutors to assist their children in coping with academic requirements. Parents’ Expectations When asked what their expectations are for their children’s academic performance: most of the mothers have high expectations and only wish for a better life for them. They perceive that by attending a university, their children would be given better employment opportunities and would be satisfied and happy in their jobs. Difference in Educational System between Korea and the US All respondents perceived a distinct and remarkable difference between the educational system in the US versus that in Korea, to wit: “Korea: big size class/ too competitive/ little chance/ not enough various academic part/ teachers are too authorized/ my intelligence is decided only by test score/ too much rule-orientated/ the school do not think about each one’s talent. They only think highly of grades/too cramp style. I always had to go to another academy (private) after school. In Korea, it’s so natural to go to another academy after school. Therefore, parents should pay a lot of money on a private academy. But here, teachers are friendly and well mannered. They don’t hit kids. I am happy because I don’t have to go to another academy (private).” (Eunchong & Chanmi Interview Questions for Adolescents p.1) In this regard, all of the respondents acknowledged that migrating to the United States has helped these adolescents perform in school due to the following reasons: more freedom in class, open-minded educators, logical thinking, creativity, more chances for every education, and cooperation. Problems in School Those who were interviewed identified the following problems normally encountered in school: 23% identified peer problems, 41% identified language problems, 27% identified cultural problems and only 9% identified academic problems. Those who identified academic problems pinpointed language as the root cause of their academic problems. Employment of Parents All of those interviewed have mothers who are employed either as a nurse, a pastor, chef at a Korean restaurant and an owner of a laundry store, except one who is a housekeeper. This is a relevant factor to consider because in a way, it influences academic performance it terms of their availability to support their children in their academic lessons. Their employment was perceived as necessary for economic reasons. However, to answer the needs of their children who were identified to have problems, specifically on language, parents resort to employing tutors to assist their children in this regard. Lessons from the Interview As expected, I have confirmed that until now, there exist some racial pressures from schools with predominant white population. Students of Asian descent still encounter peer problems and have actually had some kind of maltreatment experience due to ethnicity. In a way, this still has some influence in the academic performance of Korean American lineage because a conducive, welcome environment would have a positive influence in academic performance and vise versa. However, a significant result states that despite any cultural or racial discrimination, most of the respondents still perceived that the educational system in the United States is better than in Korea. With this significant factor, most of the adolescents were perceived by their mothers as performing above average in their respective schools. Cultural influences appear to be minimal. This just shows that they have learned to assimilate the ways of life in America. Recommendations for Future Research The results of the interview gave a glimpse on the true picture of assessing academic performance of Korean American adolescents due to time constraints and the size of the sample or respondents for the study. This research would provide more conclusive results if the sample size would be larger to be an effective representative of the Korean American adolescent population living in the US. Further, as identified in the study, the existence of racial discrimination and maltreatment should be assessed and evaluated more in terms of their direct contribution to academic success and performance. A further research could be conducted in terms of finding out if the school administration has identified this as a particular problem in school which has to be immediately addressed. This study should delve into finding out what ways and means do the school employ to address racial and cultural problems. This study could find out the extent of their methods on implementing instructional systems which incorporate multidiversity in culture and racial concerns. Conclusion In identifying problems affecting the growth and development of adolescents, specifically Korean Americans, racism and addressing cultural diversity, as well as language problems have been identified as still affecting their academic performance. Racism has been a recurring prejudicial stigma since time immemorial. In schools in the United States, racism has been a long pervading issue affecting the educational system. There are ways and means of addressing school issues pertaining to racism, cultural diversity including language barriers. Concerned administrators, parents, and even students should all join hands to prevent racial prejudice. Teachers should be more aware that language barriers due to cultural diversity need to be addressed as well. Addressing this racial gap could be a tremendous task if we want to assure academic excellence for our students. The United States have been perceived as according a better educational system with more opportunities for advancement and a better life. Researches have already identified the concepts, problems, nature, causes, and even solutions to academic performance of Korean American adolescents including racism and cultural concerns. The people who are responsible for addressing these issues have already been identified. These are the same people who would definitely benefit from the solutions enumerated herein. As Edwards and Schmidt (2006) concluded, “now we have an obligation to take action”. The time is now. References Bang, W. (2009). Interview Questions for Adolescents. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Bang, B. (2009). Interview Questions for Mothers. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Chanmi. (2009). Interview Questions for Adolescents. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Edwards, P.A. & Schmidt, P.R. (2006) Critical Race Theory: Recognizing the elephant and taking action. Essay Review. Reading Research Quarterly Eunchiong. (2009). Interview Questions for Adolescents. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Hyunggoo. (2009). Interview Questions for Adolescents. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Jungsook P.C. (1998). "A Study of Self-Esteem in Selected Korean-American Youth in the Fort Worth-Dallas Area." Ph.D. Thesis, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Retrieved on April 6, 2009 from Kim, K. & Rohner, R.P. Parental Warmth, Control, and Involvement in Schooling: Predicting Academic Achievement among Korean American Adolescents. Retrieved on April 6, 2009 from < http://jcc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/33/2/127> Miyang. (2009). Interview Questions for Mothers. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Peelyoon. (2009). Interview Questions for Mothers. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success Shrake, E.K., & Rhee, S. (2004). Ethnic Identity as a Predictor of Problem Behaviors among Korean American Adolescents. Retrieved on April 6, 2009 from Yang, S. & Rettig, K.D., (2003). The value tensions in Korean–American mother–child relationships while facilitating academic success. ISSPR. Retrieved on April 6, 2009 from Youngsook. (2009). Interview Questions for Mothers. Attached as Appendix to A Study on Korean-American Adolescents’ Academic Success APPENDICES Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent: William Bang Age: 19 Educational Attainment/Level: freshman(university) Questions: 1. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ ] More than 5 years [o ] Others, please specify _______________________ 2. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ Chinese/philippino ____________________ __________________ C. It seems that many of your friends are in __Asian_________ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] There were a lot of white kids at my high school(private). I am the only asian in my class, so classmates are not friendly. 3. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? minority 4. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: _________________ I joined the music band art class 5. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] Since I went to private high school, I joined some classes using after school program. I liked them a lot (art, music,etc). Everyday, I got home at 6. 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [o ] Cultural values [ 0 ] Personal ambition [o ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [ o ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] My parents wanted me to go to ivy-league university. Their expectation was so high. I studied well. 7. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [ ] Language problems [ ] Peer problems [o ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] There were a lot of white kids at my high school(private). I am the only asian in my class, so classmates are not friendly. But teachers were kind and friendly. 8. Difference from studying in Korea… Korea: big size class/ too competitive/ little chance/ not enough various academic part/ teachers are too authorized/ my intelligence is decided only by test score/ too much rule-orientated/ the school do not think about each one’s talent. They only think highly of grades/too cramp style. But here, those above are opposite. 9. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ o ] why and how: -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation 10. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes(from peers) Interview Questions For Mothers First Name of Respondent: Byoungsoon(william’ mother) Age: 55 1. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ ] More than 5 years [0 ] Others, please specify _______________________ 2. Are you currently employed? Yes [0 ] , if yes, where:nurse What is the nature of your employment? ________________ 3. EDUCATION level: Bachelor’s degree in Korea 4. How many children to you have? _____2______________________________ Where are they studying? ___My son goes to Rochester university and my daughter goes to private high school. 5. What are their study habits? Briefly describe: (studies well, needs assistance, performs below average, others) They perform well academically. I am satisfied with my son. 5. What do you think about the quality of education your son/daughter is receiving at his/her school? [What would you want the teachers/school to do differently?] I am quite satisfied with school teachers(private school). They are kind and considerate. I wish there were more asian students so that my son gets along with them. 11. How would you compare it to the quality of education your son/daughter would be receiving in Korea? Korea: cramp style/ too limited/too competitive/ no logical thinking/ no discussion/test-orientated education 12. What are your expectations for your son/daughter’s academic achievement … -for better life -to succeed in society -to be happy 13. What factors influence their study habits? School requirements [ 0 ] Cultural values [0 ] Personal ambition [0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [0 ] pls. specify ________________ 14. What problems do they encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [ ] Peer problems [0 ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ My son doesn’t have some friends at school since he is the only asian in his class. 15. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [0 ] why and how: _____________________________________ At first, because of the language problem, my son had a lot of difficulties. But after he overcame language problem, he studied very well. -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation(not being selfish) 16. Has your kid ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from peers Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent: Eunchong Age: 17 Educational Attainment/Level: public high school in NYC Questions: 6. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [0 ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 7. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ Chinese/Korean ____________________ __________________ C. It seems that many of your friends are in __Asian_________ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] There are so many Koreans and Chinese at my school. 8. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? majority 9. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: Nothing 10. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] 3days a week( I have a tutor to help me with my school homework and English) 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [o ] Cultural values [ 0 ] Personal ambition [o ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [ o ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] My parents want me to go to a better university in NY. Since I have a little difficulty in language, I try so hard. I have strong confidence that I can do well academically once I overcome language problem. 17. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [ ] Language problems [ 0 ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] Only language problem. I adjust to my school well. Since there are a lot of Koreans, I don’t go through culture shock and feel comfortable. 18. Difference from studying in Korea… Korea: big size class/ too competitive/ little chance/ not enough various academic part/ teachers are too authorized/ my intelligence is decided only by test score/ too much rule-orientated/ the school do not think about each one’s talent. They only think highly of grades/too cramp style. I always had to go to another academy(private) after school.:IN Korea, it’s so natural to go to another academy after school. Therefore, parents should pay a lot of money on a private acacdemy. But here, teachers are friendly and well mannered. They don’t hit kids. I am happy because I don’t have to go to another academy(private). 19. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ o ] why and how: -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation 20. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? NO Interview Questions For Mothers First Name of Respondent: Miyang(Eunchoing’s mother) Age: 46 6. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [0 ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 7. Are you currently employed? Yes [0 ] , if yes, where:a pastor at Korean church What is the nature of your employment? ________________ 8. EDUCATION level: Master’s degree in Korea 9. 10. How many children to you have? _____2___(1 son_and a daughter)_____ Where are they studying? They go to public high schools in NYC. 5. What are their study habits? Briefly describe: (studies well, needs assistance, performs below average, others) My daughter performs average right now. Once she overcomes language problems, She will get much better, I think. Right now, I hire a tutor for my daughter to help her academic work. 11. What do you think about the quality of education your son/daughter is receiving at his/her school? [What would you want the teachers/school to do differently?] I liked the teacher-parent conference. I could have recognized her drawback about some subjects. The school reports very well about every school news. 21. How would you compare it to the quality of education your son/daughter would be receiving in Korea? Korea: cramp style/ too limited/too competitive/ no logical thinking/ no discussion/test-orientated education 22. What are your expectations for your son/daughter’s academic achievement … -for better life -to be satisfied with their jobs -to be happy 23. What factors influence their study habits? School requirements [ 0 ] Cultural values [0 ] Personal ambition [0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [0 ] pls. specify ________________ 24. What problems do they encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Language problem [0 ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ 25. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [0 ] why and how: _____________________________________ -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation(not being selfish) 26. Has your kid ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from 1 teacher Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent: Chanmi Age: 17 Educational Attainment/Level: public high school in NYC Questions: 11. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [0 ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 12. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ Chinese/Korean ____________________ __________________ C. It seems that many of your friends are in __Asian_________ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] There are so many Koreans and Chinese at my school. 13. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? majority 14. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: Art class 15. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] 3days a week( I have a tutor to help me with my school homework and English) 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [o ] Cultural values [ 0 ] Personal ambition [o ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [ o ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] My parents want me to go to a better university in NY. Since I have a little difficulty in language, I try so hard. I have strong confidence that I can do well academically once I overcome language problem. 27. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [ ] Language problems [ 0 ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] Only language problem. I adjust to my school well. Since there are a lot of Koreans, I don’t go through culture shock and feel comfortable. 28. Difference from studying in Korea… Korea: big size class/ too competitive/ little chance/ not enough various academic part/ teachers are too authorized/ my intelligence is decided only by test score/ too much rule-orientated/ the school do not think about each one’s talent. They only think highly of grades/too cramp style. I always had to go to another academy(private) after school.:IN Korea, it’s so natural to go to another academy after school. Therefore, parents should pay a lot of money on a private acacdemy. But here, teachers are friendly and well mannered. They don’t hit kids. I am happy because I don’t have to go to another academy(private). 29. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ o ] why and how: -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation 30. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from 1 teacher Interview Questions For Mothers First Name of Respondent: Peelyoon(Chanmi’s mother) Age: 46 12. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [0 ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 13. Are you currently employed? Yes [0 ] , if yes, where:a chef at a Korean restaurant What is the nature of your employment? ________________ 14. EDUCATION level: Bachelor’s degree in Korea 15. How many children to you have? _____2___(1 son_and a daughter)_____ Where are they studying? They go to public high schools in NYC. 5. What are their study habits? Briefly describe: (studies well, needs assistance, performs below average, others) My daughter performs average right now. Once she overcomes language problems, She will get much better, I think. Right now, I hire a tutor for my daughter to help her academic work. 16. What do you think about the quality of education your son/daughter is receiving at his/her school? [What would you want the teachers/school to do differently?] I liked the teacher-parent conference. I could have recognized her drawback about some subjects. The school reports very well about every school news. 31. How would you compare it to the quality of education your son/daughter would be receiving in Korea? Korea: cramp style/ too limited/too competitive/ no logical thinking/ no discussion/test-orientated education 32. What are your expectations for your son/daughter’s academic achievement … -for better life -to be satisfied with their jobs -to be happy 33. What factors influence their study habits? School requirements [ 0 ] Cultural values [0 ] Personal ambition [0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [0 ] pls. specify ________________ 34. What problems do they encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Language problem [0 ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ 35. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [0 ] why and how: _____________________________________ -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation(not being selfish) 36. Has your kid ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from 1 teacher Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent: Hyunggoo Age: 17 Educational Attainment/Level: public high school in NYC Questions: 16. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ ] More than 5 years [ o ] Others, please specify _______________________ 17. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ Chinese/phillippinos C. It seems that many of your friends are in __Asian_________ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] There are so many Chinese and phillippinos at my school. 18. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? minority 19. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: Math/dance 20. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] 2days a week( I have a tutor to help me with my school homework) 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [o ] Cultural values [ 0 ] Personal ambition [o ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [ o ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] My parents want me to go to a better university in NY to have a better life. 37. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [ 0 ] Language problems [ ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] I do not have a lot of Koreans so I wish I have them. 38. Difference from studying in Korea… Korea: big size class/ too competitive/ little chance/ not enough various academic part/ teachers are too authorized/ my intelligence is decided only by test score/ too much rule-orientated/ the school do not think about each one’s talent. They only think highly of grades/too cramp style. I always had to go to another academy(private) after school.:IN Korea, it’s so natural to go to another academy after school. Therefore, parents should pay a lot of money on a private acacdemy. But here, teachers are friendly and well mannered. They don’t hit kids. I am happy because I don’t have to go to another academy(private). 39. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ o ] why and how: -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation 40. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from 1 teacher and peers Interview Questions For Mothers First Name of Respondent: Youngsook(Hyunggoo’s mother) Age: 51 17. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ ] More than 5 years [0 ] Others, please specify _______________________ 18. Are you currently employed? Yes [0 ] , if yes, where: I am an owner of a laundry store What is the nature of your employment? ________________ 19. EDUCATION level: high school graduate in Korea 20. How many children to you have? _____3___(1 son_and a2daughters)_____ Where are they studying? My daughters go to college and my sons goes to public high school in NYC. 5. What are their study habits? Briefly describe: (studies well, needs assistance, performs below average, others) My son performs well academically. 21. What do you think about the quality of education your son/daughter is receiving at his/her school? [What would you want the teachers/school to do differently?] I am glad that the service for a community is mandatory. Since I am catholic, I emphasize free service for others. The school reports very well about every school news. 41. How would you compare it to the quality of education your son/daughter would be receiving in Korea? Korea: cramp style/ too limited/too competitive/ no logical thinking/ no discussion/test-orientated education 42. What are your expectations for your son/daughter’s academic achievement … -for better life -to be satisfied with their jobs -to be happy 43. What factors influence their study habits? School requirements [ 0 ] Cultural values [0 ] Personal ambition [0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [0 ] pls. specify ________________ 44. What problems do they encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Language problem [ ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ Since my son’s school doesn’t have a lot of Koreans, he hangs out with Chinese and phillipinos. 45. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [0 ] why and how: _____________________________________ -more freedom in class -open-minded educators -logical thinking -creativity -more chances for every education -cooperation(not being selfish) 46. Has your kid ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? Yes from 1 teacher Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent:Younghoon Age:17 Educational Attainment/Level:high school Questions: 21. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [O ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 22. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ ________Michael____________ ____White______________ C. It seems that many of your friends are in ___________ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] I am shy, so I don’t get along with peers. I have little interaction with class mates. I am the only Asian at my school. I go to private high school . 23. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? 24. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: _________________ nothing ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 25. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] I have private tutors everyday. I study with them every day for 2 hours. They help me with my homework. I study English for writing and speaking. Also, I go to art class on Saturdays because I want to major in architecture. I love drawing and making. 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [o ] Cultural values [ ] Personal ambition [o ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [o ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] I do my best, but grade is not high yet because of the language problem. But my parents keep telling me that you can do better once you overcome the language problem. 47. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [o ] Cultural issues [ ] Language problems [ o ] Peer problems [ ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] I’ve been studying in NY for 3 years. I still have language problem. My school(private) diddn’t have ESL program, so I was the only one who didn’t’ understand the whole content in class because of the language problem. The teachers didn’t understand because they never had a students like me. Most of the classmates are academically successful; furthermore, my school gives a lot of homework and quizzes compared to other schools. Further more, I am shy. Even I don’t talk a lot in Korean. This led me not to speak English either at all. At first, teachers thought that I had mental problems since I am too quite. 48. Difference from studying in Korea… Only test-orientated. Teachers are too authorized, not sweet in Korea. Sometimes they hit the students as penalty. Big class size in Korea, but I have only 14 classmates here in NYC. But here, teachers give me more chances to keep up with studying such as take-home exam. In class, we have more freedom to ask a lot of questions. 49. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [o ] why and how: - small class size: teachers are more considerate -more chance about a test(take-home exam) 50. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school?: NO (from a teacher or your peers) Interview Questions For Mothers First Name of Respondent: Hyunsun(younghoon’s mother) Age: 46 22. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ ] More than 5 years [o ] Others, please specify _______________________ 23. Are you currently employed? Yes [ ] , if yes, where _______________ No [ o ]:housewife What is the nature of your employment? ________________ 24. EDUCATION level: Bachelor’ degree in korea/studied special art make up in LA 25. How many children to you have?: 1 Where are they studying?: studying in a private high schhool 5. What are their study habits? Briefly describe: (studies well, needs assistance, performs below average, others) _____ _He need assistance. He performs average because of the language problem. My son gets tutors everyday. If he doesn’t have language problems, he might be much better. 26. What do you think about the quality of education your son/daughter is receiving at his/her school? [What would you want the teachers/school to do differently?] At first, the school(private) didn’t have ESL program, so my son was the only one who didn’t’ understand the whole content in class because of the language problem. The teachers didn’t understand because they never had a students like my son. Most of the classmates are academically successful; furthermore, the school gives a lot of homework and quizzes compared to other schools. But after teacher-parent conference, teachers got more considerate. They realized that my son had a language problem. After that, they were very considerate. For example, they provides take-home exam and an excellent student whose help is needed to my son. 27. How would you compare it to the quality of education your son/daughter would be receiving in Korea? Teachers are more considerate since it has small class size. Korea education is only to memorize and cramp style. Teachers have all authority. I like a parent-teacher conference here. The benefit is that I can know about all subjects achievement of my son; in other words, it’s easy to recognize which subject he is good at or poor at. In Korea, this is a personal meeting between a teacher and a mother. It’s not common to meet all subject teachers in Korea. There are various chances which are provided from school such as swimming, golf. In Korea, we don’t have these; in other words, we have to pay for these personally. Also, service to community is mandatory here. Not competitive like Korea. Cooperation work at school. 28. What are your expectations for your son/daughter’s academic achievement … I want my son to achieve his goal to be an architect. Also, I want him to be happy about his job and to be happy with that, too. 14. What factors influence their study habits? School requirements [ 0 ] Cultural values [ ] Personal ambition [0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [o ] pls. specify ________________ 15.What problems do they encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Language problems [ o ] Cultural issues [ ] Peer problems [0 ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] :He doesn’t interact with classmates._ 29. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ 0 ] why and how: Without language problem, education environment in NY is much better. Teachers are considerate (small size class). My son can experience various things rather than only studying. In Korea, the education is only memorization, so it’s lack of creativity and logical thinking, cooperation. Also, it’s too competitive in Korea. One’s intelligence is only judged by test score. 30. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? NO (from a teacher or your peers) Interview Questions For Adolescents First Name of Respondent: Heesoo Age:17 Educational Attainment/Level: highschool(public school in NYC) Questions: 26. How long have you been living in the United States? Since birth [ ] Less than 5 years [ 0 ] More than 5 years [ ] Others, please specify _______________________ 27. A. Name the kids you hang out with most when you are at school? B. What is the race/ethnicity of those kids? Name Ethnicity ____________________ __________________ Chinese/ vietnamese C. It seems that many of your friends are in _____Asian______ ethnic group. I wonder why you think that is. [PROBE: Can you talk a little about that?] My school is composed of majority of Spanish and Chinese. I have few Koreans at school 28. Is your ethnic group in the majority or minority at your school? 29. Please name the classes you take after school program from your school: golf 30. What kinds of things do you do after school? [Probe: Tell me about your study habits. How many days/week do you _______? How many hours/day?] 3 days week(per two hours:tutor(math/English)/ golf(3times a week) 6. What factors influence your study habits? School requirements [ ] Cultural values [ ] Personal ambition [ 0 ] Others [ ] Parents’ advice [0 ] pls. specify ________________ [What are your parents’ expectations for you in school? Do you feel like you meet those expectations?] They wan t me to adjust to school life so that I can academically successful, too. Right now I feel that If I were in Kroea, I could have been more successful because I don’t have to experience racism and I miss Korea. But I don’t give up studying. I want to academically be successful for my goal 51. What problems do you encounter in school? Academic problems [ ] Cultural issues [0 ] Language problems [0 ] Peer problems [0 ] Others, please specify _______ Support problems [ ] _________________________ [What kinds of ________ problems? Tell me about them.] Racism: Because of Spanish majority, I was mistreated so many times. If other Spanish kids do bad things, the punishment is too little. But when I ran in the corridor, I got harsh punishment. There were more than this. I wanted to join the school where there are a lot of Koreans. I was so hurt by some teachers and peers who annoyed me. My sshool life was a mess. But academically, I tried my best to make my dream come true. 52. Difference from studying in Korea… -In Korea, I could have private relationship with teachers easily, but it’s impossible here. I used to respect my teachers in Korea a lot. -teachers are too subjective about grade(In Korea, grade is decided only by the test result) 53. Do you think migrating/living in the United States has helped you perform better in school? Yes [ ] why and how: _____________________________________ _________________________________________________ No [0 ] why and how: -language problem(If I studied hard like this here in Korea, I would have been a top without racism) - racism -teachers are too subjective about grade(In Korea, grade is decided only by the test result) - lunch(Since I have traditional Korean taste, I don’t like food for lunch at all) 54. Have you ever been mistreated because of the ethnicity at school? (from a teacher or your peers) Racism: Because of Spanish majority, I was mistreated so many times. If other Spanish kids do bad things, the punishment is too little. But when I ran in the corridor, I got harsh punishment. There were more than this. I wanted to join the school where there are a lot of Koreans. I was so hurt by some teachers and peers who annoyed me. My sshool life was a mess. But academically, I tried my best to make my dream come true. Read More