Minería metálica

Within the interview participants were asked whether private tuition and classroom based learning served the same purpose, having already outlined reasons why they had a tutor.

13.4.8.1 Results and Summary

Of the ten participants interviewed only one indicated that they served the s ame purpose. This participant agreed that both private tuition and classroom based learning serve the same purpose, which was to ensure students obtain their best examination results to enable them to go to the university of their choice.

“I think they do the same thing. You come to school to learn and to get the qualifications to go to uni, and then tutors do the same thing”

Page 119 of 257 Durham University As only one participant agreed that private tuition and classroom based learning serve the same purpose, this may suggest that overall the two systems are distinct from one another. This has several implications; firstly if the systems are serving different roles, private tuition may not be the result of a deficiency within mainstream education. Schools may be designed for different role to private tutors, which may not necessarily be linked. Secondly, if private tuition and classroom based learning have different purposes, they may be able to ‘co-exist’, as the mainstream and the shadow education systems, with neither having a detrimental effect on the other. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, if the purposes are different, and the purpose of private tuition is to provide an advantage to students, social inequalities may arise between those who can and cannot afford to pay. This is why it may be important to interview non-tutored participants to uncover if they feel at a disadvantage.

When considering the implications outlined above, it is interesting to note that the participant who agreed that they do have the same purpose, also outlined that there are differences as well:

“They are both trying to help me towards the grade that I need, but private tuition helps you get there…because without private tuition I wouldn’t get there, because it gives you the time to ask all the questions you need.”

This aligns with the views of the majority of the participants (9/10), who stated that private tuition and classroom based learning serve different purposes. Within the data three themes emerged in regards to the differences; understanding, confidence and extension.

Primarily students believe that private tuition’s purpose is to ensure ‘understanding’, whereas school provides the foundation knowledge. Teachers deliver the content and “the important things you need to know”, but students believe that it is with tuition that consolidation and clarification occurs. Several strategies were emphasised by the participants as to how understanding is improved within private tuition. This included the opportunities to ask questions, the provision of individualised/bespoke strategies for learning, focus on examination technique and through reinforcement of material; linking to results found in relation to function.

Other differences in the purpose of private tuition included improving confidence, which too may relate to improved understanding. One comment from a participant was

Page 120 of 257 Durham University “I come to school so I can get A-levels and go to university, and I have a tutor to boost my confidence with getting the grades I want in Chemistry”

Previously within the interview this student stated that she learns “quite slowly” and so needed to go back to basics, so she felt reassured in the processes and content covered. Interestingly, the student also stated that she “didn’t look forward to the sessions at all” and found her tutor “intimidating”. Thus although the reason why a tutor was sought was to improve confidence, this was not necessarily achieved.

A final difference presented relating to the purpose of private tuition was extension beyond the examination specification, whereby students claimed their tutors taught them:

“just a little bit above what I’ve already done”

This may suggest students are seeking private tuition for supplementary rather than remedial support (Ireson & Rushforth, 2011). Perhaps, as already discussed lessons in school are constrained due to time and numbers of students, so opportunities to stretch and challenge the most able students may be limited. It would be interesting in future research to consider the attainment levels of students accessing private tuition – is it a full range of abilities? Do students seek tutors to obtain the highest possible grades or to simply pass? Do the effects of private tuition outweigh the impact of school?

Therefore, students predominantly feel that private tuition and classroom based learning differ. The purpose of school is to provide students with foundational information, upon which private tutoring develops. Improved understanding, development of confidence, as well as being extended in terms of content are the three identified differences in the purposes of private tuition. These ideas supports results relating to purpose previously discussed. By asking the two variations of the same question, triangulation has occurred, contributing to both reliability and validity of this project. Interestingly, during one interview a student remarked that although they felt private tuition was beneficial, school serves purpose beyond academic outcomes:

“maybe if I had private tuition for everything and didn’t go to school then I would probably do better, but it’s not ideal. You go to school for more reasons than just that… it’s more sociable and yea you do more than just sit in lessons”

Page 121 of 257 Durham University It appears therefore, despite the view that the two systems are separate, private tuition would not be able to ultimately replace school altogether.