A bibliometric mapping of shadow education research: achievements, limitations, and the future

Abstract

This study aims to map the literature on shadow education using metadata extracted from 488 publications indexed in the Web of Science database. It is termed as shadow education because much of its content mimics what is learned in schools. The study uses bibliometric procedures to describe and visually represent available literature on shadow education in terms of main sources, key authors, institutions, and countries leading the production and dissemination of research on shadow education. Further, the study elaborates on h-classics publications to obtain an in-depth understanding of the most influential scientific outputs in this domain. Key findings of the study are that research on shadow education (a) has experienced steady growth over the last decade; (b) is disseminated through a wide range of outlets, mainly in the disciplines of sociology of education, economics of education, educational psychology, and language education; (c) is published mainly by scholars working in East Asia and the United States; (d) has focused on tangible (quantifiable) benefits related to improved examination results; and (e) reveals how this form of instruction primarily benefits students hailing from high socioeconomic backgrounds, thereby contributing to greater educational inequality. This study also suggests pedagogical implications and areas for ongoing research.

Understanding private supplementary tutoring: metaphors, diversities and agendas for shadow education research (Comprendiendo las clases particulares complementarias: metáforas, variedades y agendas para la investigación sobre educación en la sombra)

“…In the early stages of shadow education research, the dominant focus was on relatively macro analyses. Hajar and Karakus (2022) provided a statistical analysis using the Web of Science database. The database, they recognized, is biased towards journal articles, particularly ones written in English, and as such excludes many important publications 1 .…”

“…It also considered variations among subjects within school curricula and across urban/rural areas. The treatment was relatively macro, however, and during the following decade, as noted by Hajar and Karakus (2022), few researchers conducted detailed analysis of shadow education at the levels of individual students and tutors, or at the levels of individual classrooms and schools/tutorial centres. Source: Bray and Thomas (1995, p. 475).…”

“…Re-reading the framework, I feel that it has broadly stood the test of time. Certainly the basic definitions have been employed in many subsequent studies, as evident, for example, in the literature reviews prepared by Hajar and Karakus (2022) and Luo and Chan (2022). Yet while the book has provided a firm foundation, some variations on the basic framework have been pursued even in my own work as well as in that of others.…”

Research on the evolution and improvement of China’s shadow education governance policy from the perspective of multiple streams theory

“…As the supply of off-campus training in the market dwindles, the export of tutoring demand will turn to “one-to-one” or other forms of tutoring. At present, there are many studies on shadow education, and scholars have deduced the achievements and limitations of shadow education research using bibliometric methods ( Hajar and Karakus, 2022 ). However, the field of shadow education research is still nascent, and the terms and parameters of its research are unclear ( Bray, 2010 ).…”

Hope and life satisfaction among Chinese shadow education tutors: The mediating roles of positive coping and perceived social support

“…Furthermore, China has the world’s largest school system and most extensive shadow provision ( Zhang and Bray, 2021 ). Shadow education has caught much attention for its influences on the core domains of schools and schooling, such as the curriculum, academic performance, education policy, and even the maturing global education revolution ( Baker, 2020 ; Hajar and Karakus, 2022 ). Studies about shadow education in the domain of educational psychology paid attention to parents’ anxiety and students’ mental health ( Park et al, 2011 ; Carr and Wang, 2018 ), yet there is a massive gap in the tutors’ mental status and attitude toward shadow education.…”