Abstract
The research of private supplementary tutoring in the Czech Republic has not yet become a standard topic of educational research, in contrast to increasing interest in other European countries. Based on the analysis of 50 papers on this topic, the study presents key subthemes (research problems) in the research concerning this phenomenon in Europe and critically reviews the employed research methods.
The paper evaluates their advantages and disadvantages and points out some problems or pitfalls when used in private supplementary tutoring research. In the analysed sample, descriptive and analytical studies focusing on the scope, nature, intensity, price, or types of private tutoring were the most frequent, often combined with an analysis of drivers of the demand, followed by research on the impact of tutoring on academic achievement and on the perceptions and opinions of various stakeholders.
The pedagogy of private supplementary tutoring was the least researched subtopic. With regard to methodology, quantitative studies outweighed qualitative ones.
The questionnaire survey was the most frequently used method, followed by a secondary analysis of data from national as well as international studies, in-depth interviews, content analysis, and observations. The use of experiments and focus groups was rather rare.