Gendered Dimensions of Shadow Education: Examining Teacher's Role in Large - Scale Private Tutoring

Abstract

The topic of gender has become a significant focus in political science literature. Numerous aspects have been explored, and this study investigates the gender imbalance in the professional role of teachers within large-scale tuition, an area that has received limited attention in the research literature in the Sri Lankan social context. As Wedikandage (2015) points out, unlike in the past, the teaching profession in Sri Lanka has become feminized, with social stereotypes playing a prominent role in this transformation. These stereotypes have fostered an environment where the role of the teacher in large-scale tuition classes, beyond the traditional government teaching profession, is predominantly filled by males. This research, which employed a quantitative dominant mixed method throughout the study, was conducted through a semi-structured questionnaire administered to 50 teachers involved in large-scale tuition in the Chilaw Municipal Council area of Puttalam District in the North-Western Province, reveals the gender division of labor, social stereotypes, and the marginalization of women within the household.