CLUSTER CHARACTERIZATION OF COUNTRIES' PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD: INPUT TO MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Several factors influence a country's performance in mathematics competitions. The factors considered in this
study are English language proficiency, technological readiness level, and the quality of mathematics and science education.
Researchers mined the global competitiveness index for data sets on countries' mathematics and science education quality and
technological readiness. In addition, researchers used the Global English proficiency index to determine language proficiency
and international mathematics Olympiad scores for Olympiad results. Groupings based on the performance characteristics of
the identified sixty countries emerged using the k-means clustering method. The algorithm produced three major clusters
separating poor, average, and best-performing countries in the international mathematics Olympiad performance context.
Poor-performing countries exhibited a lack of English language proficiency, inadequate mathematics and science education,
and a lack of technological readiness. Average-performing countries have high levels of technological preparedness, moderate
English language proficiency, and average-quality mathematics and science education. The best-performing countries had
high English language proficiency and quality mathematics and science education but not necessarily a high level of
technological readiness. Furthermore, the findings revealed that mathematics and science education quality is significantly
related to English language proficiency and technological readiness. It is also worth noting that the mathematics Olympiad
performance is multi-dimensional, and no single factor can explain it. It is a challenge to consider aligning how students are
trained for the mathematics Olympiad and the teaching of mathematics in the classroom.