Does private supplementary tutoring matter? The effect of private supplementary tutoring on mathematics achievement

Participation in private supplementary tutoring (PT) is a global educational phenomenon especially prevalent in East Asia. This study conducted a student-report questionnaire, collected school reports of mathematics achievement to track retrospective longitudinal variations of PT over half a year, and obtained an analysis of the impact of PT participation on mathematics achievement during the school semester and summer vacation. Results show that, during summer vacation, students' participation in PT has a significant positive effect on their mathematics achievement; however, the effect is insignificant during the school semester. The findings enhance the knowledge about the effectiveness of PT and summer learning.