English private tutoring in Macao : senior secondary three students' perceptions in two schools

Abstract

Shadow education (private supplementary tutoring) has become a widespread phenomenon all over the world. While much research has been done in other places, very few studies have been conducted in Macao. This dissertation is a comparative study of an English-medium secondary school and a Chinese-medium secondary school in Macao. It examines how individual, school and social factors shape the perceptions of Senior Secondary Three (or Form Six) students towards English private tutoring. A mixed-methods approach (questionnaires and interviews) was employed in this study. Four Senior Secondary Three classes of the Chinese school and two Form Six classes of the English school, with a total number of 132 respondents, filled out the questionnaires. Based on their English tutoring experiences, 13 students of the two schools were selected for the semi-structured interviews.

The findings indicated that the respondents’ participation in English tutoring is not very intensive. They prefer to receive government-subsidised after-school tutoring taught by their schoolteachers more than fee-paying English tutoring taught by tutors outside. Three factors contribute to this phenomenon: absence of a territory-wide school-leaving examination, low level of social competition, and high tertiary enrollment rates. Students’ needs and their beliefs in English learning play key roles in determining their receipt of English tutoring. The students who like to learn English in formal settings tend to receive English tutoring, and the ones who request English tutoring perceive it more positively.

Although this study focuses on Macao, it has implications for teachers, schools and the society that are beyond the context of Macao. It is important for teachers to understand the students’ needs so as to design suitable pedagogies to help them learn English more effectively. Schools should be aware of providing what sorts of tutoring for what kinds of pupils so as to truly help them. For the government, subsidising schools to run after-school supplementary classes can help those students who cannot afford private tutoring catch up with their peers, which is a way to reduce educational inequality.