Contextualizing Private Tutor Identities in Shadow Education: A Cross-Cultural Review

Purpose: Shadow education, also known as private supplementary tutoring, has significant repercussions across the entire educational ecosystem due to its widespread global presence. Despite growing academic engagement in this area of study, research on private tutors, a main driver of the phenomenon, is insufficient and dispersed. This review aims to analyze and synthesize private tutor identities as represented across diverse contexts in current literature, offering a cross-cultural perspective on understanding private tutors.

Design/Approach/Methods: This article utilizes Gee's identity theory as an analytical framework to examine 18 systematically selected empirical qualitative studies on private tutors, spanning from 2000 to 2022, via thematic content analysis.

Findings: Claimed teacher identity as educators, imposed tutor identity as service providers, and achieved business identity as entrepreneurs emerged as prominent identities for private tutors. These are mainly shaped by the socioeconomic status of a country or region, its political ideologies and social values, religion and traditional cultures, and the institutional operations of the industry.

Originality/Value: The review enhances our comprehension of private tutor identities situated within various cultural contexts, offering informative insights and guiding future research in shadow education. It also raises issues for policymakers and stakeholders to contemplate when assessing the sector's broader implications.