Kitsch in Education: Is the Commercialisation of Education Kitschy?

Educational kitsch refers to elements, materials, or educational approaches perceived as overly simplistic, sentimental, or lacking in depth. In an educational context, kitsch may manifest in various forms, such as teaching materials, methods, or educational content prioritising superficial appeal over substance. The tendency to turn online education into a marketable commodity without sufficient regard for educational quality may be considered kitsch. The primary purpose of this study is to explore the commercialisation of education as a kitschy phenomenon. The authors use an exploratory research approach, while the methodology is based on a qualitative review of the literature taken from multiple databases. The primary analytical tool is the kitsch experience theory (Szostak & Sułkowski, Kitsch in Management: Characteristic Forms, Carriers and Propagators. Communications of the IBIMA, 7584–7598, 2020). The study results show that not all aspects of commercialised education are kitschy, and some degree of commercialisation is necessary for the sustainability of educational institutions. However, a balance must be struck to ensure that the primary focus remains on providing high-quality education rather than catering to market trends or profit motives.