The structure and predictors of instructional quality in private tutoring: a study among German private tutors

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research on the instructional quality of private tutoring is scarce. Meanwhile, poor instructional quality may be a reason for the minimal or null effects of private tutoring on academic achievement reported in many studies. It is also not clear what makes a good private tutor. To fill in these gaps, the study examined whether the structure of instructional quality in private tutoring could be described using dimensions typically applied to classroom teaching. Moreover, it verified whether tutor enthusiasm for teaching and tutor emotional exhaustion, two central but under-researched antecedents of instructional quality, predicted the quality of private tutoring. We used data of 402 German private tutors (76.74% were female, 57.1% reported being either pre-service or in-service teachers). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the expected structure of instructional quality consisting of cognitive activation, classroom management, and student support. Latent regression analyses revealed enthusiasm and emotional exhaustion to predict the dimensions. The findings suggest that research on instructional quality in private tutoring can connect to research on instructional quality in regular lessons. Moreover, it might be fruitful for tutoring companies and parents to search for tutors who are enthusiastic about teaching.