This mini review explores the role of entrepreneurial resilience among shadow education entrepreneurs, who

offer private supplementary tutoring in volatile, competitive educational markets. Resilience is defined as the

capacity to adapt, recover, and innovate in the face of adversity. This quality has become increasingly vital due

to the challenges posed by regulatory reforms, changing parental expectations, digital disruption, and crises such

as the COVID-19 pandemic. A thorough literature search was conducted using Scopus and Google Scholar up

to 25 August 2025, employing Boolean search strings and keywords such as ‘entrepreneurial resilience,’ ‘shadow

education,’ ‘business challenges,’ and ‘innovation.’ Eligible studies included original research, systematic

and concerns over data ethics. While resilience provides clear benefits, debates remain over whether it should

be framed primarily as individual adaptability or as a collective, systemic response shaped by socio-economic

and policy contexts. Gaps in cross-cultural research, long-term technological evaluation, and attention to

psychological well-being suggest the need for deeper inquiry. Strengthening resilience will require collective

infrastructures, equitable policy frameworks, and ethical integration of digital tools, ensuring sustainability and

Keywords: entrepreneurial resilience, shadow education, private tutoring, educational innovation, and adaptive

The proliferation of shadow education, private supplementary tutoring services that complement formal

impact within such challenging contexts. This concept, encompassing an entrepreneur’s capacity to adapt,

innovate, and recover from setbacks, has gained particular significance following recent global disruptions,

These events compelled numerous entrepreneurs to fundamentally restructure their business models, embrace

Despite its critical significance, the concept of resilience within shadow education entrepreneurship remains

insufficiently explored in academic literature. Current research predominantly focuses on market dynamics and

policy implications, creating substantial knowledge gaps regarding the psychological, organizational, and

technological factors that influence resilience. Moreover, scholarly discourse continues to debate whether

resilience should be conceptualized primarily as individual adaptability, organizational strategy, or a collective

transforms educational provision, ultimately proposing pathways toward more equitable and sustainable

Entrepreneurial resilience, conceptualized as the capacity to adapt, recover, and flourish amid adversity, assumes

particular significance for entrepreneurs navigating the shadow education sector. This environment is

characterized by market volatility, regulatory pressures, and shifting societal expectations, which collectively

create complex operational challenges. Shadow education, encompassing private tutoring and supplementary

educational services, is frequently subject to unpredictable disruptions, including policy changes, economic

Resilient entrepreneurs within this sector demonstrate sophisticated adaptive strategies that extend beyond mere

substantial reliance on private tutoring, underscores the fundamental role of psychological and social capital in

fostering resilience. Research demonstrates that entrepreneurs possessing strong cultural competency and

emotional intelligence are better positioned to maintain client relationships and adapt service delivery methods

The resilience trajectory of shadow education entrepreneurs is significantly influenced by their capacity to

cultivate strategic networks and harness external resources for risk mitigation. Social capital, derived from

relationships with parents, students, educational institutions, and industry peers, serves as a critical buffer against

market uncertainties (Li, S. & Sanusi E. S., 2025). This relational capital enables entrepreneurs to access referral

networks, secure funding opportunities, and establish institutional legitimacy in competitive markets (Tian et al.,

innovation initiatives such as integrating artificial intelligence tools for personalized learning experiences, has

The synthesis of adaptive strategies with robust network capital enables shadow education entrepreneurs not

merely to survive market challenges but to thrive in highly competitive, dynamic environments. This resilience

framework ultimately contributes to the sector's overall sustainability while enhancing educational outcomes for

("entrepreneurial resilience" OR "entrepreneurship" OR "business resilience" OR "adaptive capacity") AND

("shadow education" OR "private tutoring" OR "supplementary education" OR "educational services") AND

(owner* OR "institution owner" OR "business owner" OR "operator") AND (challenges OR "business

challenges" OR "market dynamics" OR "economic pressures") AND (strategies OR "coping strategies" OR

Keywords such as entrepreneurial resilience, shadow education, business owner, challenges, and innovation were

Figure 1, generated by Scopus AI Analyzer, illustrates the conceptual map of entrepreneurial resilience among

shadow education entrepreneurs, highlighting its interconnected themes. Core areas include recovery strategies,

the impact of COVID-19, leadership and emotional intelligence, educational aspects, and factors influencing

resilience. These themes further branch into subdomains such as emotional intelligence skills, entrepreneurial

leadership, social learning theory, adaptability, crisis management, and entrepreneurship education. Together, the

figure emphasizes how resilience is shaped by both internal capabilities and external pressures, underscoring its

transformation, and network cultivation, enabling adaptation to regulatory changes such as China's "Double

Reduction" policy. While resilient practices sustain educational access and drive innovation, they also pose

challenges, including financial instability and ethical concerns about educational inequality. Technological

integration enhances personalization through AI-driven systems. However, it raises privacy and algorithmic bias

concerns. Current strategies often favor larger enterprises, disadvantaging smaller operators. Thus, future

research must examine resilience as both individual adaptation and collective practice, emphasizing systemic

The COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped shadow education, compelling entrepreneurs to demonstrate

unprecedented resilience through rapid digitalization and business model adaptation. Resilience is manifested

wellbeing of entrepreneurs. Therefore, future scholarship must transcend individualistic resilience

conceptualizations, emphasizing collective and ethically informed approaches that address structural inequities

adaptability or as a collective, systemic response to structural inequities. At the same time, gaps exist in

crosscultural analyses, attention to entrepreneurs’ psychological well-being, and long-term assessments of

technological impacts. Future research should move beyond individual survival strategies to emphasize

collective infrastructure, equitable policies, and ethical technology integration. Practically, fostering professional

associations, cooperatives, and supportive regulatory frameworks could help ensure that resilience sustains

entrepreneurial activity and advances equity and inclusivity in the evolving landscape of shadow education.

Future research on entrepreneurial resilience in shadow education should examine countries with diverse

cultural, religious, and ethnic contexts, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and India, where these factors may shape

resilience in unique ways. Comparative cross-national studies would provide deeper insights into how such