Researching Supplementary Education: Plans, Realities, and Lessons from Fieldwork in China

Abstract

This chapter focuses on a sub-field within the domain of supplementary education, namely private tutoring in academic subjects that are also taught in regular schooling. Geographically, the chapter focuses on Chongqing Municipality, China. This jurisdiction has a population of 29 million and, like many other parts of China, has in recent years achieved strong economic growth. Considerable numbers of secondary students, especially in urban areas, receive private supplementary tutoring. The chapter highlights some of the challenges of research on this domain, and indicates ways in which the challenges were tackled in one particular study. Discussion focuses on collection of data, and stresses the importance of cultural, social and economic contexts. The chapter may be seen as a case study that provides insights into methods for researching forms of supplementary education. Methodological lessons from the fieldwork in Chongqing have wider relevance, particularly in settings where regular teachers provide extra private classes.