“They Would Do Just Fine Without Me”: Experiences of Private Tutoring in Denmark

Abstract

Purpose: Building on a qualitative case study of parents and tutors previously involved with a large commercial tutoring company, this article investigates experiences of private tutoring in Denmark. Design/Approach/Methods: The case study centers around an affective analysis of eight interviews—three parents and five tutors—centering on why and how the interlocutors decided to hire services from or work for the tutoring company. Findings: The article illustrates how the parents’ and tutors’ experiences of private tutoring are colored by a series of affective patterns that set the tone for how the parents and tutors make sense of and feel about the phenomenon. Three patterns are drawn forth which together sustain the “mood” in which the parents and tutors encounter the tutoring phenomenon: teacher intimacy, institutional professionalism, and nonexclusivity. Originality/Value: The article provides an empirically grounded perspective on the stakes of commercializing education in spaces characterized by egalitarian ideals in education.