Evaluating the Impact of Extracurricular English Tutoring on Primary Students’ Performance under China’s ‘Double Reduction’ Policy

Abstract

Since the emergence of the “going abroad fever” in the 1980s, extracurricular English tutoring has flourished in China, with many students attending private lessons to improve their performance. However, the implementation of the “Double Reduction” policy has aimed to relieve academic burden and regulate after-school tutoring. This study examines the impact of extracurricular English tutoring on primary school students’ English performance under this policy. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a questionnaire survey of 102 fourth-grade students at an experimental elementary school in Xi’an with interviews involving three English teachers and three students. The research investigates students’ participation in tutoring, changes in academic performance before and after the policy, and their attitudes toward the policy. Results show that most students engaged in tutoring before the policy and benefited from it academically. These findings contribute to understanding how educational reforms affect student outcomes and provide practical implications for improving English education in primary schools without relying on external tutoring.