Korean Educational Development Institute(KEDI)

https://doi.org/10.22804/kjep.2025.22.2.002

Open Access

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License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

ⓒKorean Educational Development Institute (KEDI)

Abstract

This study examined academic achievement trajectories from 4th grade of elementary school to the 3rd grade of middle school across Korean, Mathematics, and English. Students were generally classified into high, medium, and low achievement groups, though, the patterns varied by subject. The achievement gap in Korean narrowed as the students progressed, whereas that in Mathematics and English widened. Mathematics exhibited the largest gap among the latent classes and the highest proportion among the low-achieving class. Female gender, self-directed learning time, classroom engagement, private tutoring, and parental support were generally associated with high academic achievement, although these associations varied slightly across subjects. This study is significant because it identified subject-specific differences in academic achievement trajectories and proposes policy implications.