The Impact of Private Tutoring on Young Kosovan Learners’ English Skills
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1508.03Keywords:
private tutoring, young Kosovan learners, English skills, English teachers, parentsAbstract
Private tutoring constitutes a global phenomenon, however, research on this phenomenon in Kosovo is relatively limited. The present study examined the impact of English private tutoring on young Kosovan learners’ English skills from their English teachers’ perspective. It delved into three aspects, namely the reasons behind the learners’ decision to attend private English courses, the impact of these courses on their English skills, and their English teachers’ involvement in the process. The study encompassed a sample of 200 English teachers from Kosovo, deliberately selected from 49 public primary schools located in seven regions of the country. The research instrument employed was a structured questionnaire containing 21 questions concerning all three aspects of the topic, whereas the research data were analyzed via the SPSS program. The research results indicate that private English courses have a positive impact on young Kosovan learners’ English skills, particularly the speaking skill; parental encouragement emerges as a crucial factor in the learners’ decision to attend these courses, whereas the involvement of English teachers in Kosovo in English private tutoring is rather insignificant, despite their acknowledgement of its benefits for students and implicit support.
References
Ali, Y. A. (2013). Private tutoring in Jordan: Underpinning factors and impacts. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(19), 109-114. Retrieved November 10, 2024, from https://www.ijhssnet.com/journal/index/1935
Berberoğlu, G., & Tansel, A. (2014). Does private tutoring increase students’ academic performance? Evidence from Turkey. IZA DP, No. 8343. Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://docs.iza.org/dp8343.pdf
Berry, A. (2023). Shadow education and social class inequalities in secondary education in Greece: The case of teaching English as a foreign language. ENDLESS: International Journal of Future Studies, 6(2), 13-32. https://doi.org/10.54783/endlessjournal.v6i2.148
Bray, M., & Kwo, O. (2013). Behind the façade of fee-free education: shadow education and its implications for social justice. Oxford Review of Education, 39(4), 480-497. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2013.821852
Bray, M. (2014). The impact of shadow education on student academic achievement: Why the research is inconclusive and what can be done about it. Asia Pacific Education Review, 15(3), 381-389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-014-9326-9
Bray, M. (2021). Shadow education in Europe: Growing prevalence, underlying forces, and policy implications. ECNU: Review of Education, 4(3), 442-475. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531119890142
Cameron, L. (2001). Teaching English to young learners. Cambridge University Press.
Çanta, A., Nimonaj-Hoti, V., & Haziri-Aliu, A. (2023). Kosovan parents’ and teachers’ perceptions regarding the English language teaching and learning in the first grade. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 14(2), 286-296. https://doi.org/10.17507/jltr.1402.03
Černá, M. (2020). Private tutoring in English through the eyes of its recipients. Orbis Scholae, 14(2), 59-79. https://doi.org/10.14712/23363177.2020.13
Charoenroop, P. (2021). Local perspectives on English language teaching in private tutoring in Thailand: Re-examining roles and implications. rEFLections, 28(3), 419-440. https://doi.org/10.61508/refl.v28i3.256348
Chih-Hao, Ch. (2021). Learning English in the shadows: Taiwanese students’ reflections on their English private tutoring learning experiences. Porta Linguarum, 35, 239-256. https://doi.org/10.30827/portalin.v0i35.15228
Chingtham, T. (2015). Necessary evils of private tuition: A case study. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 5(2), 6-11. http://doi.org/10.9790/7388-05220611
Choi, N., Jung, S., & No, B. (2023). Learning a foreign language under the influence of parents: Parental involvement and children’s English learning motivational profiles. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 33, 237-252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-023-02701-1
Christensen, S., Grønbek, T., & Bækdahl, F. (2021). The private tutoring industry in Denmark: Market making and modes of moral justification. ECNU Review of Education, 4(3), 520-545. https://doi.org/10.1177/2096531120960742
Crystal, D. (2003). English as a global language (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Dang, H., & Rogers, F. H. (2008). How to interpret the growing phenomenon of private tutoring: human capital deepening, inequality increasing, or waste of resources? The World Bank. Policy Research Working Paper 4530. Retrieved December 15, 2024, from https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/615341468134395802/pdf/wps4530.pdf
Davies, S. (2004). School choice by default? Understanding the demand for private tutoring in Canada. American Journal of Education, 110(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/383073
Dongre, A. A., & Tewary, V. (2015). Impact of private tutoring on learning levels: Evidence from India. Economic and Political Weekly, 50(41), 72-80. https://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2401475
Entrich, S. R. & Lauterbach, W. (2019). Shadow education in Germany: Compensatory or status attainment strategy? Findings from the German life study. IJREE – International Journal for research on extended education, 7(2), 143-159. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v7i2.04
Forey, G., Besser, Sh., & Sampson, N. (2015). Parental involvement in foreign language learning: The case of Hong Kong. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 16(3), 1-31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1468798415597469
Garton, S., & Copland, F. (Eds.). (2019). The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners. Routledge.
Harmer, J. (2007). The practice of English language teaching (4th ed.). Pearson Longman.
Ille, S., & Peacey, M. W. (2019). Forced private tutoring in Egypt: Moving away from a corrupt social norm. International Journal of Educational Development, 66, 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2018.12.003
Jones, K. (2021). Private tuition and the 11-plus: An autobiographical extended literature review with UK and global perspectives. Canterbury Christ Church University.
Kenayathulla, H. B. (2014). Teachers’ perceptions on the effectiveness of private tutoring in Malaysia. (2014). Revue internationale d’éducation de Sèvres [Online]. https://doi.org/10.4000/ries.3801
Kim, E., Goodman, J., & West, M. R. (2024). Kumon In: The recent, rapid rise of tutoring centers. (EdWorkingPaper: 21-367). Annenberg Institute at Brown University. https://doi.org/10.26300/z79x-mr65
Kolber, M. (2022). Private supplementary tutoring as an example of controversial practice in the field of education. New contexts and analyses. Przegląd Pedagogiczny, 2, 27-36. https://doi.org/10.34767/PP.2022.02.02
Kormos, J. (2006). Speech production and second language acquisition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Lindo, E. J., Weiser, B., Cheatham, J. P., & Allor, J. H. (2018). Benefits of structured after-school literacy tutoring by university students for struggling elementary readers. Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties, 34(2), 117-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/10573569.2017.1357156
Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Long, M. (2015). Second language acquisition and task-based language teaching. Wiley Blackwell.
Maxom, M. (2009). Teaching English as a foreign language for dummies. Wiley.
Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2016). Curriculum framework for pre-university education in the Republic of Kosovo. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from file:///C:/Users/NB/Downloads/korniza-kurrikulare-finale.pdf
Moon, J. (2000). Children learning English. Macmillan Heinemann.
Moreno, J. M., & Martinez, Á. (2023). Educación en la sombra en España. EsadeEcPol - Center for Economic Policy. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://www.esade.edu/ecpol/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/EsadeEcPol_Brief35_Shadow-2.pdf
Ortega, L. (2013). Understanding second language acquisition. Routledge.
Rizwan, M.S.M. (2023). Impact of tuition classes for English: A study based on G.C.E (O/L) students. International Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research (IJAMR), 7(5), 91-97. Retrieved October 14, 2024, from http://ijeais.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/5/IJAMR230514.pdf
Ryf, V., & Horner, C. (2007). Creative teaching: English in the early years and primary classroom. Routledge.
Saxton, M. (2017). Child language: Acquisition and development (2nd ed.). Sage Publications Ltd.
Scott, W. A., & Ytreberg, L. H. (1995). Teaching English to children. Longman.
Soler, E. A., & Jordà, M. P. S. (Eds.). (2007). Intercultural language use and language learning. Springer.
Subedi, K. R. (2018). Shadow education: A role of private tutoring in learning. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 1(2), 29-42. Retrieved November 10, 2024, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED591992.pdf
Tabors, O. P. (2008). One child, two languages (2nd ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Thaker, A. (2020). The effect of private tuitions on the achievement of secondary school students of Ahmedabad. International Journal of Research in All Subjects in Multi Languages, 8(7), 46-52. Retrieved November 15, 2024, from https://www.raijmr.com/ijrsml/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IJRSML_2020_vol08_issue_7_Eng_09.pdf
Tomar, P. (2012). Why I don’t need private tuition? MIER Journal of Educational Studies Trends & Practices, 12(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.52634/mier/2022/v12/i2/2213
Van Patten, B., & Williams, J. (Eds.). (2015). Theories in second language acquisition: An introduction (2nd ed.). Routledge.
Ventura, A., & Gomez, C. (2023). English private tutoring: The case of Brazil. In K. W. H. Yung & A. Hajar (Eds.), International perspectives on English private tutoring: Theories, practices, and policies (pp. 139-157). Palgrave Macmillan Cham. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26817-5_8
Wainwright, E., Barker, J., Chappell, A., & McHugh, E. (2023). ‘On the high street’ tuition for primary-aged children in London: Critiquing discourses of accessibility, attainment and assistance. Education, 3-13, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2023.2237039
Wittwer, J. (2014). Discussion: Conditions, processes, and effects of private tutoring. Journal for educational research online, 6(1), 124-138. http://doi.org/10.25656/01:8844
Yalçin, Ö., & İnceçaj, V. (2014). Foreign language speaking anxiety: The case of spontaneous speaking activities. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 116: 2620 – 2624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.623
Yung, K. W. H. (2019). Investing in English private tutoring to move socially upward: a narrative inquiry of an underprivileged student in Hong Kong. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 41(10), 872-885. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2019.1660667
Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., & Gao, Y. (2023). The “secrets” of English private tutoring in China: Chinese students’ experiences of study abroad test preparation in cram schools. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 01-08. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120768
