Teaching in the shadows: Exploring teachers’ intentions and behaviors towards private tutoring in Bangladesh

This study applies the theory of planned behavior to predict Bangladeshi teachers’ intentions and behaviors towards private tutoring. It secured qualitative data from 18 semi-structured interviews with students, parents, and teachers. The data were analyzed using a thematic analysis procedure. The findings revealed that teachers’ behavioral intentions to engage in private tutoring were influenced by their attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Unlike prior empirically-driven studies, this study makes a substantial contribution by establishing a theoretical foundation that can predict teachers’ intentions and behaviors within the context of shadow schooling. Additionally, the moral and professional ramifications of tutoring practice are discussed, and suggestions are made in terms of public policy to manage those ramifications.