Review of Regulatory Policies on Private Supplementary Tutoring in China

The present paper focuses on the regulations on private supplementary tutoring,which in China is widely called Xiaowai Peixun(校外培训).Although much previous international literature has mostly focused on tutoring in academic subjects,tutoring in non-academic ones such as piano and painting has become popular in China and is also seen as educational investment by families.To fit this context,the present paper adopts a definition of private tutoring covering tutoring in both academic and non-academic subjects.

A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis of Parental Factors Underlying the Demand for Private Supplementary Tutoring in China

Purpose:Private supplementary tutoring has been increasingly used by parents as part of wider strategies to assist their children’s education careers in China.With a theoretical lens of parentocracy,this article aimed to investigate the influential parental factors underlying the demand for private tutoring,focusing on parents’socioeconomic resources and attitudes toward education.Design/Approach/Methods:This article drew upon data from the 2014 iteration of the China Family Panel Studies.Structural equation modeling(SEM)analysis was employed to explore the influences of parental factors.Findings:The SEM analysis confirmed that parental income,education,and aspirations on children’s education had both direct and indirect positive effects through the mediating factor of role construction on demand for tutoring.A multiple-group analysis was further conducted,and the difference in the patterns for urban and rural parents was explored.Parental occupation had no impact on demand for tutoring for rural parents but had both direct and indirect effects for urban parents.Both direct and indirect effects of household income on demand for tutoring were greater for urban parents than for rural parents.Originality/Value:This article examined the direct and indirect influences of parental factors on demand for private tutoring and explored the differences in patterns for urban and rural parents in a quantitative way.Findings have implications for education inequality.

Regulating Private Tutoring in China:Uniform Policies,Diverse Responses

Purpose:This article examines responses from the tutoring sector to Chinese national and local government regulations on private supplementary tutoring.It adds to the literature on policy enactment,showing the importance of context and noting the diversity of tutoring providers compared with schools.Design/Approach/Methods:The article draws on semi-structured and informal interviews with 11 tutors,15 managers of tutoring enterprises,5 members and managers of professional organizations,5 government officials,5 school managers,5 teachers,and 20 parents.Data from interviewees were triangulated with observations,news reports,blogs written by tutoring analysts,and ad hoc research by industrial observers.Findings:Policy enactment in the tutoring sector is even more complex than that for schooling.Standardized policies do not necessarily achieve the aspired goals.Originality/Value:The article adds to the literature not only in China but also internationally.It highlights the importance of distinguishing between aspirations and realities in this domain.It also proposes conceptual considerations for regulating tutoring,given its diverse and fluid nature.

“They Would Do Just Fine Without Me”:Experiences of Private Tutoring in Denmark

Purpose:Building on a qualitative case study of parents and tutors previously involved with a large commercial tutoring company,this article investigates experiences of private tutoring in Denmark.Design/Approach/Methods:The case study centers around an affective analysis of eight interviews—three parents and five tutors—centering on why and how the interlocutors decided to hire services from or work for the tutoring company.Findings:The article illustrates how the parents’and tutors’experiences of private tutoring are colored by a series of affective patterns that set the tone for how the parents and tutors make sense of and feel about the phenomenon.Three patterns are drawn forth which together sustain the“mood”in which the parents and tutors encounter the tutoring phenomenon:teacher intimacy,institutional professionalism,and nonexclusivity.Originality/Value:The article provides an empirically grounded perspective on the stakes of commercializing education in spaces characterized by egalitarian ideals in education.

Shadow Education in Denmark:In the Light of the Danish History of Pedagogy and the Skepticism Toward Competition

Purpose:This article investigates the role of private supplementary tutoring in Denmark in light of the country’s pedagogical traditions in schools and leisure spheres.Design/Approach/Methods:Although tutoring activities are increasing,the phenomenon is not as prevalent in Denmark as in many other countries.In this article,we look into the history of Danish pedagogy for answers as to why this is the case.In the analytical sections of the article,we include research on parental values of child-rearing,as well as findings from a pilot study on Danish families purchasing private supplementary tutoring,the public debate about private tutoring,and contemporary youth research.Findings:With a solid emphasis on democracy and equality in Danish pedagogy,the conditions for increasing private supplementary tutoring in Denmark have been challenged.However,a current focus on global competition,formal competencies,and higher academic performance among children and young people suggests that providers of private tutoring perhaps face a brighter future—also in Denmark.Originality/Value:This article addresses a new field of qualitative research on private supplementary tutoring in Denmark and may be a platform for further reflection and empirical research.