The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of educational context variables on achievement and interest in mathematics in high and low achieving students in Korea. Students participated in TIMSS 2015 in Korea were divided into two groups according to their achievement in mathematics. And the effects of educational context variables on achievement and interest in mathematics were analyzed in each group using the Hierarchical Linear Model(HLM). Main findings of this study are as follows. First, variables which influence achievement also influence interest but any variables which influence interest don’t influence achievement in upper-group students. Number of Books and Students’ Perceived Mathematics Lessons have strong influence on achievement and interest in both forth and eighth grade students. Second, variables which influence achievement or interest in mathematics in lower-group also influence achievement or interest in mathematics in upper-group students. But any variables which influence achievement or interest in upper-group students don’t influence achievement or interest in lower-group students. For examples, Parents’ Education, Students’ Perceived Mathematics Lessons have effects on upper-group students’ achievement. Number of Books, Home Learning Environment, and Numeracy Activities Before School have significant effects on the achievement of forth grade students. Students’ Perceived Mathematics Lessons is the variable that influence on the interest of both forth grade and eighth grade students. This study suggests the ways to improve mathematics teaching and learning based on these results.
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