HOW DOES INCOME INEQUALITY AFFECT ACADEMIC SUCCESS ACROSS COUNTRIES?

The aim of the study is to compare whether there is a significant difference between the PISA exam averages of countries with the highest income inequality and countries with the lowest income inequality and to determine whether there is a significant relationship between income inequality and PISA success. The study group was selected from among the countries with the highest and lowest income inequality according to the GINI index using the contrast sampling technique, which is a purposive sampling technique. T-test, correlation and simple linear regression analyses were conducted on income inequality and PISA scores. The average PISA scores of the 12 countries with the highest income inequality and the 12 countries with the lowest income inequality were compared with the average scores of the same countries regarding income inequality. There is a significant difference between the average PISA scores of the countries with the highest and lowest income inequality. There is a significant and inverse relationship between income inequality and PISA success. While income inequality increases, PISA success decreases, while PISA success increases as income inequality decreases. According to the simple linear regression model, income inequality predicts PISA success significantly as the only independent variable. Income inequality is a determinant of students' academic success.