An Analysis of the Moderating Effect of Regional Context on the Relationship Between Private Education and Academic Achievement Among Multicultural Youth in Korea

This study empirically examines the impact of private tutoring on the academic achievement of multicultural adolescents and investigates whether the effect of private tutoring is moderated by regional scale. The analysis utilizes data from the 9th wave of the Multicultural Adolescents Panel Study (MAPS) 1st cohort, with a total sample of 1,146 participants, and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. The results revealed significant explanatory power in Model 2, which incorporated private tutoring experience; however, the inclusion of regional scale variables and their interaction terms did not provide additional explanatory power. This suggests that private tutoring is a key academic resource for multicultural adolescents, and its effect is relatively universal, not limited by specific regions. Additionally, non-cognitive factors such as achievement motivation, life satisfaction, peer relationships, and teacher relationships consistently and significantly influenced academic achievement, highlighting the importance of emotional and relational resources. The study argues that addressing the gap in private tutoring opportunities, rather than focusing on regional differences, is a more effective strategy for improving academic achievement in multicultural adolescents. Furthermore, the study advocates for multi-layered support that includes quality public education, psychological motivation, emotional stability, and relational environment within schools.