Factors Related with Students’ Foreign Language Achievement Sinem VATANARTIRAN *a , Gülay DALGIÇ a , Şirin KARADENİZ a a Bahçeşehir UŶiǀersitLJ, FaĐultLJ of EduĐatioŶal “ĐieŶĐes, IstaŶďul/TurkeLJ Article Info Abstract DOI: 10.14527/pegegog.2014.013 This study aims to identify the predicting variables of Turkish 7th grade students for their foreign language achievements. In order to project the variables that could be related ǁith studeŶts’ aĐhieǀeŵeŶt iŶ a foreigŶ laŶguage test, Multi LiŶear RegressioŶ Analysis was employed. The results reveal that region, gender, family education level, family income level, attitude, and out-of-sĐhool aĐtiǀities edžplaiŶ studeŶts’ foreigŶ language achievement to the degree of 16% in Turkey at country level (F= 77.791, R= .398, p=.000). All of these variables predict the foreign language achievement meaningfully in a positive direction at least at p<.05 significance level. The model formed of these variables create meaningful results for all geographical regions except for East and South Eastern Anatolian regions, where the results were not meaningful at p<.05 significance level. Article history: Received Revised Accepted 24 October 2013 23 March 2014 01 July 2014 Keywords: Foreign language achievement, Predicting variables, National tests. Introduction There haǀe ďeeŶ Ŷuŵerous studies that foĐus oŶ ideŶtifLJiŶg faĐtors that affeĐt studeŶts’ aĐadeŵiĐ achievement (Carroll, 1963; Creemers, 1994; Edmonds, 1979; Scheerens & Bosker, 1997). In these studies, these factors are examined at national, regional, school, classroom, and student levels (Bos & Kuiper, 1999; Cotton, 1995; Hanushek, 1997; Levine&Lezotte, 1990; Purkey &Smith, 1983; Ramirez, 2006; Sammons, Hillman & Mortimore, 1995; Scheerens, 1992, 2004; Woessmann, 2004; Yang, 2003; Zhao, 2013). There are several international assessment projects for examining student academic achievement at these levels such as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study), PISA (The Programme for International Student Achievement), and PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study). Turkey has been part of these international student assessment projects since 1999. A pilot study similar in nature to these international assessment projects was conducted in 2008 by a private educational research institution in Turkey aiming at identifying some factors predicting student academic achievement at student, classroom, school, and nation level. In this study, the data collected in the previously mentioned pilot study was used to identify some student level factors that prediĐt ϳth grade studeŶts’ foreigŶ laŶguage aĐhieǀeŵeŶt. These faĐtors are seleĐted as regioŶ, geŶder, attitude to learning a foreign language, out-of-school activities, parental education level, and family income level. The research questions of this study are the followings:  What is the foreign language academic achievement of 7th grade students in relation with region and gender?  Does student foreign language achievement show significant differences in relation with region and gender?  Do variables such as region, gender, attitude to learning a foreign language, out-of-school activities, parental education level, and family income level predict student foreign language achievement regionally and nationwide? * Corresponding author: sinem.vatanartiran@es.bahcesehir.edu.tr Pegem Journal of Education&Instruction,4(3), 2014, 01-18 Pegeŵ Eğitiŵ ǀe Öğretiŵ Dergisi, ϰ;3), 2014, 01-18 www.pegegog.net