A narrative inquiry into a private tutor’s dynamic professional development in shadow education: a sociocultural perspective / Una investigación narrativa sobre el desarrollo profesional dinámico de una tutora privada en la educación en la sombra: una perspectiva sociocultural

Abstract

Private tutoring (shadow education) has become prevalent in many contexts, particularly in those with an examination-oriented education system. The prevalence of shadow education entails attention to private tutors’ professional development (PD), given its impact on tutors’ career commitment and consumer confidence. This narrative inquiry, underpinned by sociocultural theory, explores the dynamic PD of an English as a foreign language (EFL) tutor, Jane, in Mainland China. Constructed from narrative interviews, tutoring materials and WeChat dialogues, Jane’s narrative demonstrates her limited PD, evident PD and self-directed PD successively across career stages. Throughout the pathway, Jane constantly built knowledge on examination-oriented curriculum and instruction, upgraded pedagogical practice from question-and-answer format to tailored instruction and shifted attitude from feeling unsupported to professionally motivated. The narrative also unravels personal, institutional and social contextual factors facilitating and restraining her PD, especially the ongoing ‘Double Reduction’ policy. This paper sheds light on private tutors’ careers before and during policy constraints and offers implications for developing effective PD initiatives in the shadow education context.