Factors Influencing Korean Students’ Participation and Learning in the U.S. Elementary School

The purpose of this research is to explore what factors influence Korean students’ participation and learning in the U.S. elementary school. The study uses qualitative research methodology to explore the nature of the students’ behavior and learning. The participants were six Korean students, the students’ ESL teachers, and the students’ regular classroom teachers in an elementary school. The data were collected by using observations, interviews, and written materials and analyzed through the constant comparative method. within the data, the researcher found a triangle of influential factors affecting the Korean students’ participation and learning in their classes. The students themselves were in the middle of the triangle in that they were the main avenue for their own learning. At the vertices were three other main elements: family backgrounds, school contexts, and additional factors. No single factor affected the students’ learning. All four elements influenced the students’ learning simultaneously, although there were differences in the extent of the impact, according to the students’ characteristics. In addition, these factors were related to one another in shaping students’ participation and learning.