The nature and implications of shadow education for displaced Syrian secondary students in Türkiye: A quantitative inquiry
Hajar A. Özdemir M. AVAN Y. Aypay A.
March 2026Elsevier Ltd
International Journal of Educational Development
2026#121
This study explores the nature and implications of fee-based private tutoring among displaced Syrian secondary school students in Türkiye, a population often overlooked in shadow education research. It draws on quantitative data from 465 students enrolled in twelve public schools in Kahramanmaraş Province to examine patterns of participation, motivations, perceived effectiveness, and socioeconomic determinants. The results show that 24.1 % of students had received private tutoring in the previous year. Most tutoring was provided in large groups and focused on mathematics, reflecting the examination-oriented nature of the Turkish education system. Participation was greatly affected by grade level and maternal education, suggesting that social and economic background influences access to tutoring. Students reported that tutoring enhanced their readiness for examinations, revision skills, and self-learning abilities, although many viewed it as a financial burden on their families. These findings suggest that private tutoring functions both as an academic support mechanism and as a contributor to social inequality among displaced learners. The study calls for national and international collaboration to regulate and subsidise tutoring, ensuring that vulnerable refugee students can benefit from quality educational support and equitable pathways to higher education within Türkiyes inclusive education agenda.
Educational equity , Fee-charging private tutoring , Higher education access , Shadow education , Syrian refugees , Türkiye
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Multilingual Education, of Education, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Faculty of Education, Anadolu University, Eskişehir, Turkey
Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of National Education, Kahramanmaraş, Turkey
of Education, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
Multilingual Education
Faculty of Education
Kahramanmaraş Provincial Directorate of National Education
of Education
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026