The phenomenon of private tutoring: implications for public

Abstract

This research study has as its main goal to describe the nature and the extension of private tutoring in secondary education, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, giving special attention to the 12th grade, the year that precedes the entrance in Higher Education. It was used a questionnaire to collect data from the 413 participants (who were finishing High School in Academic Year 2009-2010) with ages between 17 and 23 years. Of the total of respondents, 56,4% are of feminine gender and 42,1% are of masculine gender. During secondary education a significant number of students attended private tutoring classes in last two years, 44% and 41.9%, respectively. Mathematics is the subject that makes the majority of the students to look for this type of services (87,7%). Great part of the students spend 4 to 6 weekly hours in private tutoring classes (56,7%) in private centers (66,7%) and the financial expenses get up to 70 euros per month (68,4%). The majority of the students has a positive opinion (87,7%) about of this type of services, given the fact that their performance has improved allowing positive performance for those with more difficulties and excellence results for the ones with higher grades.