Credentialism and demand for private supplementary tutoring: A comparative study of students following two examination boards in India
International Journal of Comparative Education and Development
ISSN: 2396-7404
Article publication date: 13 March 2018
Abstract
Purpose
Private supplementary tutoring is expanding fast around the world. Recognising that examination boards are major shapers of curricular load, the purpose of this paper is to identify the roles of examination boards at Grades 8, 9 and 10 in Bengaluru, India. Two boards were chosen, with one having a heavier perceived curricular load than the other.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used mixed methods with a questionnaire survey of 687 students in Grades 8, 9 and 10, and 51 face-to-face, semi-structured interviews.
Findings
Perhaps surprisingly, the findings did not reveal significant differences in tutoring demand by students. Both groups viewed the board examinations as having high stakes, and accordingly invested in extensive private tutoring. Competition emanating from credentialism was the main driver of the decision to receive tutoring among both cohorts.
Originality/value
Although previous studies have explored various components of demand for tutoring, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first to explore the impact of examination boards on demand for tutoring. Since the system of schools being affiliated to examination boards is common not only in India but also in many other countries, the study has broad international relevance.
Keywords
Citation
Ghosh, P. and Bray, M. (2018), "Credentialism and demand for private supplementary tutoring: A comparative study of students following two examination boards in India", International Journal of Comparative Education and Development, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 33-50. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCED-10-2017-0029
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited