Commentary: A new generation of tuition centres and education influencers are motivating students

SINGAPORE: My Primary 6 child spends half an hour each day trying his hand at different science revision papers on a popular online learning platform that we have a paid subscription to - all without my nagging. 

He’s not just motivated by learning new concepts and revising old ones; he’s also earning points for himself. With every worksheet completed, he accumulates points that can be redeemed for small toys and gadgets.

Similarly, tuition centres today are not simply dishing out mathematical concepts and drilling students with past year papers. They’re throwing in free bubble tea and snacks during lesson time, and occasional trips to escape rooms and theme parks as well.

It may seem like bribery on the surface, but they seem to be working. These tuition centres are winning over the hearts and minds of their young charges, and the wallets of their parents.

What are they doing right? And is there something to be learnt from their strategy of offering fun, food, and friendship?

THE SCIENCE OF BELONGING

The human need to belong has been identified as a universal human need. In Baumeister and Leary’s landmark paper in 1995, belonging is defined as “an individual’s sense of being accepted, valued, included and encouraged by others”.

Studies have also shown that when students feel a sense of belonging in the classroom, it can bolster student esteem, motivation and academic achievement.

A meta-analysis published in 2000 shows that students who feel accepted and valued are likely to perform better in school and show positive motivational, socio-emotional and behavioural outcomes. The researchers also noted that the role a sense of belonging plays in school settings is striking. 

This could be why #StudyTube and #StudyTok have come into existence. In these study versions of mukbang - a word derived from combining the Korean words for eating and broadcasting - content creators like Sugaresque and Fayefilms dish out study tips such as which devices or apps are most handy for taking notes, how to maintain your focus, and how to achieve the grades of your dreams.  

Such trends may come as no surprise since most of us are social creatures and are motivated accordingly. Although there is no real-time connection watching these videos, there is still some form of human touch, which can be said to help alleviate the universal stress of revising for exams. 

When it comes to adolescents, the need for belonging and acceptance may be even more critical. Whenever it is weighted assessments season, my teen daughter can be found studying (and of course chatting and laughing) with a handful of her classmates online over Zoom. She explained that she struggles to maintain her motivation and focus if she studies alone.

While I am glad she has such friendship groups to turn to in her time of need, I am also aware that if she gets a taste of such premium tuition centres, there will probably be no turning back.