TEACHING ENGLISH IN THE SHADOWS: EXPLORING ENGLISH TEACHER-TUTORS' IDENTITIES IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

In recent years, the world has witnessed a considerable expansion of private tutoring (PT), also known as shadow education, a fee-charging educational service provided by tutors outside formal settings in academic subjects such as mathematics and languages. Although research on PT has gained growing recognition with substantial implications for educational practices, English private tutoring (EPT) remains a relatively under-researched area. Besides, most studies on EPT were conducted in the East Asian context, while research in Kazakhstan remains scarce. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to address this glaring lacuna by exploring eight female English language teachers' perceptions of EPT, their professional roles and complex identities as schoolteachers and private tutors and the impact of EPT on mainstream schooling and society as a whole. To answer this question, narrative writing and individual semi-structured interviews were employed as data collection methods for the current research. Drawing on Ball and Youdell's (2008) theory of hidden privatization and Ramarajan's (2014) intrapersonal network identity approach, the study found that the participants were driven into the tutoring profession because of financial interest, professional and personal development opportunities and continuous demand from the consumer. It also revealed that juggling dual roles and identities led to primarily negative consequences, including emotional fatigue, professional burnout and decreased quality of EPT sessions. As for the impact of PT on the wider society, all participants were unanimously positive about PT and its future, highlighting its pivotal role in improving the quality of education in Kazakhstan and beyond. From this qualitative study, pedagogical implications and areas for further research are suggested.