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English Private Tutoring at a Transition Point in Morocco’s Education System: Its Scale, Nature, and Effectiveness

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International Perspectives on English Private Tutoring

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on English Language Teaching ((INPELT))

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Abstract

This chapter reports on a mixed-methods study to explore the nature of English private tutoring (EPT), and its effectiveness as perceived by a sample of Grade 12 science-stream students (age 17–18) in Morocco during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was informed by Benson’s (2011) model of language learning beyond the classroom. The findings showed that 58% of participants (94 out of 162) received EPT, largely for tangible benefits related to obtaining high scores in high-stakes examinations and entering prestigious institutions in Morocco or abroad. Almost all interviewees indicated that they had EPT in the tutorial centres because it was more affordable to them, as well as 37% of the respondents attended physical EPT lessons in groups although this type of tutoring was somehow unsafe during the COVID-19 pandemic. All interviewees preferred EPT sessions because they tailored to their individual needs, especially because most schoolteachers had mediocre teaching without covering the whole curriculum during official school hours. The participants also explained the EPT disadvantages, including creating a considerable financial burden on their parents and making them have insufficient time for sleep or practising their hobbies. From this study, pedagogical implications and areas for ongoing research are suggested.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Ali Ait Si Mhamed & Anas Hajar

  2. Iscae Business School, Rabat, Morocco

    Meriem Fadli

Authors
  1. Ali Ait Si Mhamed
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  2. Anas Hajar
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  3. Meriem Fadli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anas Hajar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Kevin Wai Ho Yung

  2. Graduate School of Education, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Anas Hajar

Appendix

Appendix

Indicative interview protocol

  1. 1.

    Have you received English private tutoring (EPT) in the last 12 months? Who suggested it?

  2. 2.

    Have you attended individual or small group EPT? Have your tutoring sessions been face-to-face or online due to COVID-19? Which one do you think more useful? Why?

  3. 3.

    Who was giving you EPT?

  4. 4.

    How many hours per week do you attend EPT? How long is each lesson? How much is the cost?

  5. 5.

    Why have you been taking EPT?

  6. 6.

    Do you think PT can have an impact on your university placement? How?

  7. 7.

    What about the advantages and disadvantages of EPT?

  8. 8.

    What do you think about the future of private tutoring market in Morocco? Is it going to expand or decrease?

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Mhamed, A.A.S., Hajar, A., Fadli, M. (2023). English Private Tutoring at a Transition Point in Morocco’s Education System: Its Scale, Nature, and Effectiveness. In: Yung, K.W.H., Hajar, A. (eds) International Perspectives on English Private Tutoring. International Perspectives on English Language Teaching. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26817-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26817-5_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-26816-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-26817-5

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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