Ten Years of Tutoring in Shadow Education: A Narrative Inquiry into Industry Features and Evolution in China

The modernized private tutoring in China appeared in the 1990s and then grew at full speed to become one of the world’s most extensive shadow education systems. Since 2010, the industry has entered an era of deepening institutionalization and capitalization. This paper, through the narrative of an expert tutor, illuminates his experiences of tutoring and managing in this industry from 2010 to 2020 in Mainland China. The narrative was constructed through the tutor’s chronological reflection, which was stimulated by various electronic files he produced during the tutoring period and his ongoing conversations with former colleagues. In making sense of his narrative, the researchers have discussed a neglected phenomenon, three shining points, six gray areas, and four developmental stages of shadow education to demonstrate the industry features and evolution. Through discussing these issues, this paper finds its originality in illustrating at a micro level the industry’s operational mechanism, such as tutor training, curriculum, instruction, and after-class management, from a unique perspective of a tutoring practitioner and entrepreneur.