Involvement, features and practice of Bangladeshi distance learners in private tutoring through blended learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose Open and distance learning (ODL), facilitated by technology, is a widely recognized platform for delivering education worldwide. Students have greater freedom with traditional distance learning in terms of both physical distances and session schedules. The purpose of the study is to comprehend the role that private tutoring played throughout the Corona Virus Disease (COVID)-19 pandemic. It covers the aspects of private tutoring using a blended approach, the involvement of distance learners in private tutoring and variations in tutoring participation based on gender and location. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a mixed-methods design with quantitative data from questionnaires of 380 participants, comprising distance learners and their parents, and qualitative data from individual interviews of 24 participants, including distance learners, parents, and teachers. Findings The study has identified how many distance learners engaged in tutoring and how gender and geography affected participation rates during the COVID-19 epidemic. It has also concentrated on the traits and practices of fee-paying hybrid private tutoring. The COVID-19 outbreak significantly influences the ODL method, which offers educational services through a blended tactic. Originality/value Although fee-paying tutoring in a blended mode has been popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, its features and methods in the context of distance learning are not well understood. The study contributes to technology-based learning, distance education, private tutoring, blended learning, and social perspectives, providing an argument over the participation and consequences of distance learners' private tutoring during the COVID-19 epidemic.