Throwing light on fee-charging tutoring during the global pandemic in Kazakhstan: implications for the future of higher education

Abstract

This mixed-methods study explored the nature, effectiveness, and policy implications of the fee-charging private supplementary tutoring (PT)—including online—that first-year Kazakhstani university students attended over the last 12 months. The data were collected from 952 participants using a close-ended questionnaire followed by semi-structured online interviews with 22 participants. The study found that the PT market expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which 750 out of the 952 participants (81%) received PT. Lack of parental follow-up, limited preparation by schoolteachers on how to deliver online classes during the pandemic, and insufficient support by regular schools for students taking university entrance examinations prompted the participants to seek PT, mainly to obtain state tuition grants for highly selective universities. Despite the health risks of face-to-face PT during the COVID-19 pandemic, several participants did take part in it. The participants exercised their agency by reflecting not only on the drawbacks of online PT but also its advantages, including saving time, energy, and money and being able to revisit the taught material several times, thus, enhancing comprehension. The pedagogical implications of fair access to higher education and regulating PT by introducing codes of practice are presented.

Shadow education: new areas of inquiry in teaching, learning and development (Educación en la sombra: nuevas áreas de estudio sobre enseñanza, aprendizaje y desarrollo)

“…In many instances, this unprecedented situation caused suspension of face-to-face teaching and has led to a sudden shift to online teaching and learning in different educational sectors. As schools grappled with the challenges of remote and hybrid learning models, the demand for extra support in the form of tutoring surged (Entrich & Nishizaki, 2023; Hajar & Karakus, 2023). Researchers can, therefore, explore various aspects of technology-mediated tutoring practices, such as the role of technology in bridging educational gaps, the efficacy of online tutoring platforms and the impact of online tutoring on mainstream schooling.…”

“…En muchos casos, esta situación sin precedentes provocó la suspensión de la enseñanza presencial y dio lugar a un cambio repentino hacia la enseñanza en línea en distintos sectores educativos. En un momento en que las escuelas lidiaban con las dificultades de los modelos educativos híbridos (combinando educación presencial y remota), la demanda de apoyo extra en forma de tutorías privadas floreció (Hajar & Karakus, 2023). Por tanto, los investigadores (Entrich & Nishizaki, 2023) han podido explorar diversos aspectos de la práctica de tutorías a través de la tecnología, así como el papel de la tecnología para subsanar las brechas educativas, la eficacia de las plataformas de tutorías en línea y el impacto de las tutorías en línea en la escolarización convencional.…”