04. Graduate School of Education
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Item Open Access University teachers’ perception of assessment in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2014-07) Makhmetova, ZhadyraAssessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. There have been many research studies worldwide conducted on assessment, and specifically focusing on assessment in higher education. Many international research studies focus on the importance of teachers' assessment beliefs and practices. However, this topic has not been researched in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore teachers‟ assessment beliefs and practices of assessment approaches in one university in Oral town of Kazakhstan. The case study design was conducted, and it enabled the researcher to undertake an in-depth exploration of the topic in one university in Oral. Purposefully selected five university teachers were interviewed, and teachers‟ syllabuses were reviewed to gather data. The study thus presents interesting findings about the university teachers‟ assessment beliefs and practices. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge in this field and also offer some key practice and policy implicationsItem Restricted TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN A KAZAKHSTANI SECONDARY SCHOOL(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2015-07) Mustafina, AliyaThe government of the Republic of Kazakhstan from 1997 started operating a systematic state policy for informatization of education. Many scholarly papers show that the success of the educational reform efforts depend not only on the ability of the government to supply all schools with ICT, but also on the ability to make teachers possess positive attitudes toward ICT integration. This study contributes to the existing knowledge by providing a current picture of the process of ICT integration in Kazakhstani secondary schools through the lens of the main facilitators of this process – teachers...Item Restricted STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR FIRST-YEAR UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE: CASE STUDY OF NAZARBAYEV UNIVERSITY(Graduate School of Education, 2016) Saniyazova, ArayThis mixed-method study examines and develops in-depth understanding of first-year university experience of undergraduate students at Nazarbayev University, an elite international university, located in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. The study is based on the investigation of students’ perceptions of their first-year experience with a focus on challenges and opportunities that students encounter during their first year in university and the ways they address them. The students’ perceptions have been investigated through an online survey as an initial stage of the study that identified preliminary themes and categories to build on further through in-depth focus groups and individual interviews that eventually comprised the main body of the study. The study has revealed that first-year experience is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon which is shaped by a number of various aspects and factors. According to students’ perspectives the success of their university experience, which they largely define as feeling comfortable academically and socially, and remaining motivated and confident in own abilities to progress in studies, greatly depends on such factors as early communication of information and orientation of prospective student, comprehensive new student orientation, quality of curriculum and classroom instruction, and good campus facilities. On the top of it appears to be interactions with peers and faculty, and academic and social support that students receive at the university from peers, faculty and staff. The study suggests some important areas that higher education institutions in Kazakhstan may find useful to focus on when addressing challenging and promoting opportunities that students face during their first-year in university. Those areas include clear communication of information, continuous support and encouragement, and every effort to integrate students into an institution both academically and socially in order to ensure enriching and rewarding first-year experience.Item Restricted TRILINGUAL EDUCATION POLICY IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN: TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND CLASSROOM PRACTICES(Graduate School of Education, 2016-05) Iyldyz, LeilaThe purpose of this qualitative PhD study is to explore how secondary school teachers in Kazakhstan interpret and appropriate trilingual education policy. The goal of the new policy is that future generations will be at least trilingual (Kazakh, Russian, and English). However, there is not yet an explicit written trilingual education policy or clear guidance for implementation in schools. This study examined three research questions: 1) How do teachers understand the language policy and trilingual education policy in particular in the context of Kazakhstan? 2) What do teachers think the policy means for their classroom practices? and 3) How do teachers appropriate the trilingual language policy in their own classrooms? The sample included ten teachers who teach Sciences and Mathematics in English and five History of Kazakhstan teachers who teach in Kazakh in five schools located in historically Russian- speaking areas. The conceptual framework draws upon a language policy and planning “onion” (Ricento & Hornberger, 1996), internal and external supports and hindrances pertinent to teacher beliefs and practices (Buehl & Beck, 2015), a policy interpretation and policy appropriation lens (D. C. Johnson, 2013), teacher agency (Biesta, Priestley, & Robinson, 2015), and linguistic culture (Schiffman, 1996, 2006). The findings stem from the data collected through interviews with teachers and observations of classes they teach. It was found that teachers perceive their roles as appropriators of trilingual policy and exercise agency through the lens of their own beliefs. Teachers’ personal qualities fuelled by the ideology of patriotism and the national competitiveness agenda serve as a foundation for their agency. Their explicit aim is helping students to learn new subject content and acquire linguistic competences. Against the difficulties teachers face, including lack of ready-for-use textbooks and adequate training in L2 methodologies as well as limited linguistic proficiency, they find ways and spaces for making modifications in teaching for the benefit of their students. In the context of Kazakhstan, it is critical to recognise teacher agency in policy processes. Their beliefs about policy and the ways they affect their classroom practices should be taken into account at other policy levels and research.Item Restricted EXPECTATIONS OF GRADUATES’ EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS: THE CASE OF NAZARBAYEV UNIVERSITY FIRST COHORT(Graduate School of Education, 2016-05) Mukhametzhanova, Assel“Education for employment or education for employability?” is the question raised by many researchers and stakeholders worldwide. On the one hand, there is a lack of specialists with relevant skills in the labor market, which results in challenges with recruitment and the need for additional investment in retraining employees and challenges with recruitment. On the other hand, educators argue that the “true” purpose of education goes beyond preparing students for jobs, and that shifts in educational policies around the world are gearing towards meeting labor market needs more than they should. This study explores expectations of graduates’ employability skills from the perspectives of stakeholders, using the case of Nazarbayev University, a newly-established flagship university in Kazakhstan. The context of a new international university with top ranking partners and its talented students is analyzed in this research in order to shed light on the experiences of these students in regards to their employability. Kazakhstan’s historical transition from Soviet planned economy (education for employment) towards market and knowledge-based economy (education for employability) in the last 25 years of independence also provides an interesting context to analyze both sides of employability. This research was conducted at Nazarbayev University, through a survey of Nazarbayev University students as well as conducting semi-structured interviews with employers, Nazarbayev University faculty and focus group interviews with NU students. This empirical study found that stakeholders recognize the increasing importance of soft skills in the changing labor market conditions, especially in the context of elite university. Skills for lifelong and life-wide learning are considered essential by stakeholders. The study found that international environment serves both as a benefit (positive signal to employers) and a challenge (international faculty unawareness of the local context) for graduate employability skills. The study also reveals that stakeholders need to work in collaboration in order to accommodate a smoother education-to-labor-market transition.Item Open Access Twice Exceptionality: A case study of educational experience of a gifted hyperactive child through the perspective of the child, his teachers and his parent.(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2016-06) Shaimakhanova, DinaraThe main focus of this study is to explore the phenomenon of twice exceptionality in one of Kazakhstani mainstream schools. One of the main educational strategies of the development of educational system in Kazakhstan till 2020 is connected with improving inclusive education in Kazakhstani mainstream schools. That is why the phenomenon of twice exceptionality is becoming a hot topic for both practitioners and researchers. The purpose of the qualitative research is to explore the educational experience of a twice exceptional child identified as GADHD (gifted/ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) studying in a mainstream school in Kazakhstan within the context of inclusive education.Item Restricted A GROUNDED THEORY APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT PRACTICES OF TEACHERS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2016-07) Tynybayeva, MadinaNowadays Kazakhstan is in the process of reforming secondary education. Reforms include the transition from 11-year to 12-year schooling, implementation of new curriculum, trilingual education, and new assessment system. However, the current situation in secondary schools, in terms of teachers’ classroom teaching and assessment practices, is understudied. The aim of the present research is to study teachers’ classroom assessment practices in grades six to eight of secondary schools in Kazakhstan. There are two research questions in this study: RQ1: What are teachers’ classroom assessment practices in secondary schools in Kazakhstan? RQ2: How do teachers understand the assessment practices they use in the classrooms? For the study a qualitative grounded theory design is employed. Data-driven theory formation approach is used throughout the data collection, data analysis, and discussion of the results of the analysis. Document study, lesson observation, individual interviews and focus group interviews are used as the research methods. Participants in the study were twenty-five teachers in two schools with Kazakh medium of instruction and two schools with Russian medium of instruction. Two of these schools were situated in the urban area and two in the rural. The main findings were built from empirical data analyzed using NVivo software. In total, sixty sources of data were collated and thirty-four were used for analysis: official documents, audio files with interviews, word files with transcribed interviews, protocols with lesson observations. The research resulted in the emergence of four main categories around which the theory was built. First, the answer to the research questions was sought through the prism of the professional development of the participating teachers and how professional development impacts the practices in the classroom. Second, the link between classroom assessment and teachers’ individual pedagogical style was identified. Third, the external factors that put pressure on teachers and their classroom assessment practices were revealed. Finally, in the framework of current reform of secondary education, teachers’ different reactions to the changes and reforms in the education were discussed. The study has a significant role in contributing to international empirically-based theory on assessment practices and perceptions of school teachers, and should be of particular interest to researchers interested in school education reform in post-Soviet and Central Asian contexts. It may also provide insights for those involved in proposed reforms of the education system in Kazakhstan.Item Restricted THE EXPLORATION OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2016-07) Khoroshash, AidarDespite the vast amount of research about educational leadership found in international literature, Kazakhstan has not yet developed an extensive discussion about leadership in education, including teacher leadership. This study explores teacher leadership at secondary schools in Kazakhstan, looking specifically at how important it is for Kazakhstani education to promote its teachers as leaders. Various stakeholders from two local schools such as principals, vice-principals, teachers and students were surveyed and interviewed to identify their perceptions of teacher leadership in both theory and practice, and also to understand what either facilitates or challenges teacher leadership in this country. Because Kazakhstani education is still connected to its Soviet Union heritage, the interviewed administrators and teachers were questioned about whether a typical Soviet school would have any elements of leadership, in order to relate them to the current situation in independent Kazakhstan. An analysis of the main findings yielded the stakeholders‘ own explanations that teacher leadership is a rare case in schools, since teachers lack the chance to extend their understanding of leadership. As a result of such a poor level of knowledge, teachers miss an opportunity to develop leaderful practices in and outside their schools because of the topdown tradition and highly hierarchical relationships still inherent in the system. The `Soviet` leadership, often associated with `high moral values` by veteran teachers, remains deeply embedded in the minds of many, while others blame Communism for its false proclamations and ideology in education. The findings ultimately suggested that re-orienting the current system from top-down to shared governance should both reconcile the schools with the Ministry of Education and empower teachers in Kazakhstan to actively participate and voluntarily commit themselves to change and reform in the country. With such major implications drawn from the findings, this project will contribute to current and future research on teacher leadership in Kazakhstan.Item Restricted FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF CURRICULUM RENEWAL OF MASTER’S PROGRAMMES IN ONE KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITY(Graduate School of Education, 2016-09) Akhmetova, GuldanaThe aim of the study is to explore faculty members’ perceptions and transitioning experience from State Standards control to greater academic freedom of curriculum renewal of Master’s programmes in one Kazakhstani university. After the dissolution of the USSR, Kazakhstan changed its economic direction to a market-oriented economy. One of the impacts of a market-oriented economy was reforms in education because with fluctuations in the labour market, it was no longer appropriate for the government to control the content of university programmes. As a result, the government incrementally expanded academic freedom in the university curricula by providing of elective courses in line with the General State Standards of Compulsory Education. However, this transition to greater academic freedom raised the question of how faculty members who were experienced in delivering prescribed courses addressed the new role of designing elective courses. Within this context, this study aimed to examine faculty members’ perceptions and experiences of curriculum renewal in Master’s programmes in one Kazakhstani university, focusing on the implementation of elective courses. This qualitative research is premised on an ethnographic design. A grounded theory approach was employed to collect and analyse the data. Data collection was conducted over three-month period in 2015. A total of 42 faculty members engaged in semi-structured interviews; 17 faculty members were involved in focus group discussions; observations of setting and meetings, documentary analysis, and informal talks were undertaken as well. The findings from the study suggest that the expansion of academic freedom has caused uncertainty in faculty members due to the predominance of the previous education paradigms, in particular, the findings reveal a lack of relevant professional knowledge, a lack of support in course design, late adoption of the legal regulations that underpin course design, and ingrained reliance of relying on previous State Standards. The faculty members perceived that the previous Soviet mentality was impeding them from practicing the new education paradigm. The study indicates that these challenges need to be addressed in order to strengthen the education reforms aimed at educating qualified specialists. This study contributes to knowledge of education change in post-Soviet countries by exploring the transition of faculty members from State Standards control to greater academic freedom in curriculum design in Kazakhstan. The research suggests that faculty members feel uncertain about transitioning to greater academic freedom due to the predominance of previous education paradigms in their practice, attitude and mindset.Item Restricted TRUST AND TRANSPARENCY IN ACCOUNTABILITY RELATIONSHIPS IN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM: THE CASE OF DATA WAREHOUSE PROJECT IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2016-10) Abeldinova, SauleThe study investigates the connection between data reliability and trust in accountability relationships between participants of the higher education system in Kazakhstan. Institutional data in Kazakhstan has a great potential to become an important source of information both for the government and universities to make effective decisions and conduct accurate research. In order to get that the Kazakhstani higher education system’s participants should be able to transform the existing internal data into a transparent and 3 reliable national data warehouse system. The success of this initiative depends on capabilities of the process’ participants to openly interact and to take shared responsibility for the quality of the provided data. Are Kazakhstani university leaders ready today to share internal strategic data for common benefits of the education system? Are university leaders ready to be accountable and take shared responsibility for the quality of data? The overarching question of the research is: What are the main factors influencing willingness of the education system’s participants to share the reliable internal information? The main hypothesis of the research is that the phenomenon of trust/distrust is the leading factor influencing the participants’ willingness to share/not share the internal information and predetermining the quality of the data provided. The research was held on basis of the case of the Kazakhstani Higher Education Data Warehouse Project (DWP). The project was jointly developed by the Learning Alliance for Higher Education at the University of Pennsylvania (USA), the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education’s Research Institute (Kazakhstan), and the Ministry of Education and Science, Republic of Kazakhstan. The Data Warehouse is a utility for collecting and storing data elements from higher education institutions allowing providing the universities with comprehensive and comparative information for analytical and planning work. Taking advantage of being among the members of the Data Warehouse project’s team I used the Data Warehouse as a case for evaluating universities’ reaction to data transparency promised by the project, analyzing the reliability of data, provided by the participating universities and exploring the reasons of university trust or distrust to this initiative. Mix methods approach was used for the purposes of the current research. The quantitative analysis of demographic data, submitted by the participating universities, allowed for making conclusions concerning the quality of the data. This analysis helped to reveal consistent patterns explaining an attitude of universities to data completion requirements. An ethnographic case study observation allowed to understand the process of interaction between experts and participants of the Data Warehouse Project and investigate factors of the trust/distrust in naturalistic settings. 16 universities that were invited to take part in the DWP project became also a sample for the current research.Item Restricted INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN: A NARRATIVE ENQUIRY ABOUT HUMAN AGENCY IN THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION(Graduate School of Education, 2017) Mukhamejanova, DinaraKazakhstan has taken considerable steps to improve the incoming mobility of international students; however despite these measures the number of international students studying in Kazakhstan is still very low. Research indicates that in order to attract and retain international students it is necessary to build a thorough understanding about their experiences in the host country. This narrative research was designed to gain a better understanding about international students’ experiences in Kazakhstan by exploring how they exercise their human agency while adapting to the academic and socio-cultural life in Kazakhstan. I used a purposeful criterion sampling to select six international students from Afghanistan, Great Britain, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine, and the United States studying at Kazakhstani universities to participate in this research. The primary data collection was semi-structured in-depth interviews. Supportive methods included a demographic questionnaire and a researcher journal. The data was analyzed in two steps. The first step was to develop the participants’ individual accounts. These individual accounts were composed around the main foci which emerged from the interviews and manifested the complexity and interconnectedness of the international students’ experiences in Kazakhstan. The second step was to conduct a cross-account analysis of the international students’ individual accounts to compare and contrast their experiences and to contextualize them in a broader academic discourse. The cross-account analysis findings were organized according to the research questions and on the analytical categories based on the study’s conceptual framework: push and pull factors that motivated the international students to study in Kazakhstan; academic, socio-cultural, and financial-practical challenges the international students had to face in Kazakhstan; and positive aspects of studying in Kazakhstan in the form of growth and change, social support, academic support, navigating host culture, and sense of belonging. I explored the interrelation between the analytical categories and the exercise of human agency by the international students in the process of adapting to the life in Kazakhstan through the lens of Albert Bandura’s (2001) social cognitive theory. This research revealed that the international students actively employed their human agency to negotiate their studying and to adapt to their life in Kazakhstan. They did not simply adjust to the host environment, but also learned from it and attempted to transform it according to their circumstances and goals. These results suggest that to increase the number of international students and by doing this to raise the quality of their research and teaching practices and to gain socio-cultural and economic benefits in the form of diverse learning environment and revenue, the Kazakhstani host universities are implied to improve these students’ experiences in Kazakhstan. The theoretical approach employed in this study allowed me to conclude that international students’ experiences in host countries might be improved by providing them with opportunities to exercise their human agency.Item Restricted EXPLORING GIFTED SCHOOL GRADUATES’ ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITIES IN KAZAKHSTAN: FEATURES, FACTORS, AND IMPLICATIONS(Graduate School of Education, 2017) Almukhambetova, AinurIn 2009, Kazakhstan has started a project of 20 Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) for gifted children which now operates in all regions of Kazakhstan with an aim to accelerate the development of the educational system and prepare an intellectual elite of the country. Since 2010, the graduates of these schools have been entering Kazakhstani higher educational institutions, but little is known about the university adjustment of these students. This mixed methods dissertation aimed to explore NIS school graduates’ adjustment to university life, as well as the personal and contextual factors influencing their adjustment. It also aimed to understand how the gifted students’ experiences vary across two top Kazakhstani universities with different characteristics: autonomous Nazarbayev University and Eurasian National University, both located in the capital city Astana. Based on prior research, university adjustment was conceptualized in this study as multi-faceted construct, which involves academic, social, personal-emotional dimensions and includes such dimension as institutional attachment. The study employed a mixed-methods explanatory sequential research design. A sample of 201 students participated in an online survey, while qualitative set of data was collected with the help of individual and focus group interviews. The study revealed that gifted NIS graduates in general adjusted well to the demands of university life, though some specific environmental institution-related and student-related factors were identified as influencing their adjustment to university. Also, a set of non-institutional environmental factors, such a pre-enrollment family/financial circumstances, influence of parents on students’ choices, high societal, familial and personal expectations, as well as students’ “gifted” characteristics, have considerably influenced their adjustment process. The study also revealed that students encountered a number of specific issues while adjusting to universities, such as negotiating their identities: an identity of an adult, an identity of a higher education student, and an identity of a gifted student. It was also revealed that NIS graduates experienced a “fear to fail” and “of not looking smart enough” in peers’ and professors’ eyes and a mismatch between their expectations and actual experiences at university. The study also identified that the students had different adjustment experiences in two types of universities. Finally, the study uncovered several important issues in higher education context of Kazakhstan that have become obvious through the prism of gifted students’ adjustment experiences at these different university contexts.Item Open Access STEM and Social Sciences Students’ Language-Oriented Academic Challenges in English Medium of Instruction (EMI) Programs: The Case of An International University in Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017) Karabay, AkmaralEnglish Medium of Instruction (EMI), that is teaching subjects in English, is becoming a new phenomenon across Kazakhstani Higher Education. However, students have the language challenges when studying in English since it is not their first language. Therefore, the study has investigated STEM (i.e. Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) and Social sciences students‟ perceptions on choosing EMI and language challenges in EMI academic environment in an international university whose practices can be translated to other state universities newly implementing EMI. The research questions that guided study are as follows: What are STEM and Social sciences students‟ and teaching administrative staff perceptions of EMI and how do they describe and address the students‟ language challenges in academic contexts in EMI programs? The study is drawn upon qualitative case study research design employing interviews with 3 teaching-administrative staff members from 3 departments (2 STEM and 1 social sciences school), 1 university administrator as well as 1 focus group and 7 in-depth interviews with students. The data indicate that STEM and social sciences students have different level of language challenges. However, what was similar across the majors is that their challenges were mostly oriented on writing and speaking. Professors showed their awareness about the language challenges of students, although their understanding differed a bit in some details such as the nature of listening challenges caused by professors‟ language deficiency. In contrast, support provided by university and professors reportedly addresses students‟ academic difficulties during their studies. Yet, unlike social sciences, in STEM areas students are less likely to get their language improved by the end of their studies. Overall, the study suggest professors to interact with students more to learn and address students‟ language challenges. As EMI cannot guarantee students‟ English improvement, students may enhance the language by creating English environment around themselves. Английский язык обучения (EMI), то есть обучение предметов на английском языке, стало новым феноменом в Казахстанском высшем образовании. Тем не менее, у учащихся возникают трудности в ходе обучения на английском языке, так как английския язык не является их родным языком. В этой связи, в данном исследовании изучены восприятия и причины выбора обучения на английском языке студентов СТЕМ (то есть наук, технологии, инженерии и математики) и социальных наук, а также их языковые проблемы в академической среде международного университета, практики которого могут быть переведены в другие государственные университеты, внедряющие обучение на английском языке. Вопросы, которыми руководилось исследование, состоят в следующем: Что представляют собой восприятия студентов STEM и социальных наук, а также преподавательского- административного персонала университета об обучении на английском языке, а также какие языковые проблемы возникают и студентов в академическом контексте программ с английским языком обучения и как эти сложности решаются? Данная работа основано на качественном методе исследования, в котором использовалось интервью с 3 преподавателями-администраторами из двух факультетов STEM и одного факультета социальных наук, 1 администратором университета, а также 1 фокус-группа и 6 интервью со студентами. Данные исследования показывают, что студенты STEM и социальных наук имеют разный уровень языковых проблем. Однако одинаковым является то, что их проблемы в основном ориентированы на письмо и устную речь. Профессора продемонстрировали свою осведомленность о языковых проблемах студентов, хотя их понимания немного отличались в некоторых деталях, например, в таких, как характер проблем с аудированием, вызванных языковой недостаточностью преподавателей. Поддержка, предоставляемая университетами и преподавателями, отвечает нуждам студентов, чтобы справляться трудностями академического языка. Тем не менее, в отличие от студентов социальных наук, в СТЕМ областях студенты, очевидно, имеют меньше шансов улучшить свой язык по окончанию университета. Исследование рекомендует преподавателям более тесно взаимодействовать со студентами, чтобы они, то есть преподаватели, могли узнать и предоставить поддержку в решении языковых проблем студентов. Поскольку обучение на английском языке не может гарантировать улучшение английского языка, студенты сами могут улучшить язык, создав вокруг себя английскую среду.Item Restricted UNDERSTANDING UNIVERSITY TEACHING APPROACHES IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2017-01) Jumabayeva, ZhannaDespite the large amount of research on teaching approaches internationally, there is little research on Kazakhstani university teachers’ teaching approaches, especially in light of current higher education reforms. The aim of this study is, therefore, to develop an in-depth understanding of the ways teachers of two universities understand and use teaching approaches, and how these teaching approaches promote students’ learning. This research examined current higher education reform initiatives that influenced the way teachers teach. The study employed mixed methods design combining qualitative and quantitative research. For the qualitative research part, interviews at two universities in Kazakhstan were conducted to investigate university teachers’ perceptions and views on how they understand and change teaching approaches under current higher education reforms and how (or if) these changes affect students’ learning. Moreover, focus groups with students were conducted to ask their views regarding the topic. For the quantitative research part, a survey was conducted with a larger sample of students from the same universities to explore their perceptions of their teachers’ teaching approaches and the impact on their learning. The data from the findings revealed that teachers encounter a wide range of challenges in accommodating their teaching approaches to support students’ learning needs. The study also revealed that teachers need proper training, clear direction and instructional support from the Ministry to accommodate a smoother transition from traditional to new approach. Overall, this study found that university teachers recognize the importance of using new teaching approaches as it affects students rather positively. Teachers and students generally agree that these approaches have contributed to a) more in-depth knowledge, b) higher motivation and interest towards learning, c) greater appreciation for teachers’ instruction, and d) improved attendance and participation. Along with that, university teachers acknowledged that different factors, including teacher workload, paper work and bureaucracy, impeded them from the use of new teaching approaches.Item Restricted CHANGING DESIGN STUDIO TEACHING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY OF TEACHER’S AND STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES(Graduate School of Education, 2017-02) Kazybayeva, ZaureshThis action research thesis presents an account of how features of constructivist learning theory were used in a Design studio at one department of architecture in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Constructivism as a paradigm for teaching and learning replaced the behaviourist perspective is widely used in conventional design studio teaching where investigation was carried out. Therefore, this study is a possible answer to the question of how to teach architectural design in a different way rather than in the post-Soviet Kazakhstan fashion where teacher-centred instruction with power relationship prevails. The study has revealed the positive outcomes and challenges of creating a constructivist learning environment in a Design studio. Through various learning activities the link between the classroom environment and students' engagement was identified. According to findings, teacher- student interaction and socio-emotional aspects of learning process influence on students' commitment to learning and on overall learning experience. The course artefacts demonstrated the effect of problem-solving on creativity of architectural students. Moreover, based on the students' current views on the Design studio pedagogy, several issues of the existing cultural context were identified during the study. In addition, action research strategy was examined as a tool for teacher learning and used with the aim to improve my teaching. Consequently, this study contributes to the growth of literature on the capacity of applying action research and self-study to teacher’s professional development in Kazakhstani higher education institutions.Item Open Access Teachers’ and Students’ Perceptions on the Role of the First Language in Foreign Language and Science Classes at Bilim Innovation Lyceum(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017-06) Abdrakhmanova, MadinaOne major theoretical issue that has dominated the field of education for many years concerns the role of the mother tongue in teaching foreign languages. Existing theories on the use of L1 in foreign language classes hold opposing views regarding the use of the first language. Taking into consideration recent trend of teaching science subjects in the foreign language, this debate concerns schools in Kazakhstan that are launched for Trilingual Policy, especially Bilim Innovation Lyceum. The purpose of the study is to examine the role of the students’ native language in a foreign language class and scientific class that is taught in a foreign language through exploring what teachers and students think about using the native language in the class and what kind of practices they use. A qualitative case study design is implemented in this study. Semi-structured Interviews were conducted with 4 teachers and 10 students of 7th-9th grade at Bilim Innovation Lyceum in the Northern region of the Kazakhstan Republic. English, Turkish and Math classes were observed. The findings of the study indicate that although teachers prefer monolingual policy in teaching languages but not the scientific content, they still use L1 for pedagogical purposes that serve to make meaning of the content, to manage the classroom and for informal communication. As for the role of the languages in the classrooms, the Russian language seem to be more superior than Kazakh language, although many multilingual students’ native language is Kazakh. The study shows a need for the use of L1 in foreign language and science classes in BIL classrooms as it used for pedagogical purposes. Один из основных теоретических вопросов, которые в течение многих лет доминируют в области образования, касается роли родного языка в преподавании иностранных языков. Существующие теории использования функционально первого (основного) языка при изучении иностранного языка придерживаются противоположных взглядов относительно использования первого языка. Принимая во внимание недавнюю тенденцию преподавания научных дисциплин на иностранном языке, этот вопрос касается школ, обучаемых в рамках Трехъязычного Образования, в том числе Лицея «Білім-инновация». Целью исследования является изучение роли первого языка учащихся при изучении иностранного языка и точных наук на иностранном языке, путем исследования того, что учителя и ученики думают об использовании родного языка в классе, и какие практики они используют. В этом исследовании применен качественный анализ ситуации. Проводились полуструктурированные интервью с 4 преподавателями и 10 студентами 7-9 классов Лицея «Білім-инновация» в Северном регионе Республики Казахстан. А также проводились наблюдения английского, турецкого языков и математики. Результаты исследования показывают, что, несмотря на то, что учителя предпочитают монолингвальную политику в преподавании языков не научного контента, они по-прежнему используют первый (родной/основной) язык учащихся для педагогических целей, которые служат для передавания смысла содержания, управления классом и неформального общения. Что касается роли языков в классах, то русский язык, судя по всему, превосходит казахский, который является родным языком многих мультилингвальных учащихся. Исследование показало необходимость использования первого языка при изучении иностранных языков и точных наук в Лицее «Білім- инновация», поскольку он используется в педагогических целях.Item Open Access Uzbek Minorities’ Experiences in Majority Higher Education Institutions(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017-06) Abdurakhimova, DilnozaKazakhstani higher education is quite diverse; there are representatives of 85 nations who are currently studying at higher education institutions. One of the representatives of these language minority groups are Uzbek students, who are taught in their native language in primary and secondary levels, learning majority languages as a subject at schools. However, the graduates of Uzbek medium schools have to continue their post-secondary education in the majority language medium HEIs, because there are no Uzbek medium programs in Kazakhstani HEIs. As a result, students who used to learn the content in Uzbek at secondary level, switch to Kazakh or Russian, which are the mediums of instruction in post-secondary level. The purpose of this study was to explore Uzbek language minority students’ experiences in majority universities. The study sought to answer the following research question: “What are the Uzbek speaking minority students’ experiences of social and academic integration in Kazakh and Russian medium programs in Kazakhstani HEIs?” The study used the qualitative phenomenological approach and the data was collected using semi-structured in-depth interviews. Seven students from Kazakh and Russian medium programs participated in the study. The study revealed that students’ social integration was relatively easier than academic integration. The challenges faced during the integration period were mostly language-oriented. Students’ language of instruction choice, either Kazakh or Russian, affected their preparation and integration. Moreover, the study pinpointed the importance of social support from teachers and administrative staff, which positively affected to students’ persistence and motivation to study. The study findings suggest that university administrations should increase the level of social and academic support and raise teachers’ awareness of approaching minority students. Also, school-counselors are recommended to guide applicants when choosing a language of the test and language of instruction in HEIs. Студенты высших учебных заведений Казахстана - представители 85 этнических и языковых групп. Одним из представителей этих групп являются представители узбекского этноса, которые обучаются на родном языке в начальной и средней школе, и изучают казахский и русский языки в качестве школьного предмета. Тем не менее, выпускники средних узбекских школ продолжают свое высшее образование на казахском и русском языках, так как Казахстанские ВУЗы не предоставляют программы с узбекским языком обучения. В результате, учащиеся, которые раньше обучались на узбекском языке, переходят на казахский или русский язык. Целью этого исследования было изучение опыта интеграции студентов из узбекских школ в ВУЗах Казахстана. Исследование отвечает на следующий исследовательский вопрос: «Каков опыт социальной и академической интеграции узбекских студентов в ВУЗах казахским и русским языками обучения?» В исследовании использовался качественный феноменологический метод, и сбор данных был осуществлен с помошью использования углубленных интервью. Семь студентов из казахских и русских программ приняли участие в исследовании. Исследование показало, что социальная интеграция студентов проходила относительно легче чем академическая интеграция. Проблемы, с которыми столкнулись студенты в период интеграции, касались в основном умения использования русского и казахского языков. Выбор языка тестирования и обучения повлиял на их подготовку к поступлению в университеты и интеграцию в университетскую среду. Кроме того, исследование выявило важность социальной поддержки со стороны учителей и администрации университета в настойчивости и мотивации студентов к учебе. Результаты исследования предполагают, что администрации университетов следует повысить уровень социальной и академической поддержки и повысить осведомленность учителей в отношении учащихся из числа языковых меньшинств. Кроме того, школьным консультантам рекомендуется предоставлять помощь и поддержку абитуриентам при выборе языка тестирования и далее языка обучения в ВУЗе.Item Open Access Teacher perceptions of project-based learning in a Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum in the northern part of Kazakhstan(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017-06) Intykbekov, AidynProject-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered teaching approach that organizes learning around projects. It increases students’ motivation to learn and prepares them for the 21st century demands through developing real-world experience. Many scholars have investigated teacher perceptions regarding PBL, its benefits and challenges; however, no similar research was conducted in Kazakhstan and it remains unclear how Kazakhstani teachers understand PBL. This study attempts to fill in the existing gap of knowledge and practice in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this study is to explore secondary school teachers’ perceptions about project-based learning, its benefits and challenges. It is a qualitative case study. The sample consists of 4 teachers (male) who teach Chemistry, Computer Science, English language, and Physics in a Kazakh-Turkish Lyceum in the northern part of Kazakhstan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants. The collected data was coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. The study revealed that the participant teachers perceive PBL as a beneficial teaching approach that has the potential to increase student engagement and help them understand more deeply the subject content through self-learning and learning by doing. The advantages of using PBL discussed by the participants were improved teacher-student and student-student relationships, skill development and real-world practice. The study also identified the challenges the participant teachers have to cope with such as: lack of time, lack of knowledge, and group work problems. The results of this research show that teachers understand PBL from both positive and negative perspectives through its perceived benefits and implementation challenges. It is considered that findings of this study would improve students’ motivations and equip teachers with necessary skills to successfully implement PBL. Метод проектов является подходом к обучению через проекты, которые направлены на учащегося. Этот подход повышает интерес учащихся к обучению и с помощью реальной практики реализует их подготовку к требованиям 21 века. Было проведено много исследований о восприятии этого метода учителями, но представления Казахстанских учителей об этом методе, его положительных и отрицательных сторонах не были изучены. Остается неясным как воспринимают этот метод Казахстанские учителя. С целью восполнения пробелов в знаниях и практике Казахстана, была необходимость провести соответствующее исследование. Цель моей работы – изучить представления Казахстанских учителей о методе проектов, его положительных и отрицательных сторонах. Я использовал качественное тематическое исследование. Выборка состоит из 4 учителей (мужского пола), преподающих физику, химию, информатику, и английский язык в одном из Казахско-Турецких Лицеев в северной части Казахстана. Мной было использовано частично структурированное интервью. Собранные данные были закодированы и анализированы с помощью тематического анализа. Данные указывают на то, что учителя представляют метод проектов в положительном свете, делая акцент на потенциал этого метода повышать интерес учащихся к обучению и способствовать более глубокому пониманию учебного материала с помощью самообучения и обучения через практику. Были перечислены положительные стороны метода, такие как улучшение взаимоотношений между учащимися, между учителем и учащимися, а также развитие навыков и всемирный опыт. Учителя указали также такие отрицательные стороны этого подхода, как нехватка времени и знаний о методе, и проблемы групповой работы. Результаты выявили, что учителя воспринимают метод проектов, как в положительном, так и в отрицательном свете, выделяя многочисленные вышеперечисленные преимущества и недостатки этого метода. Важно отметить то, что результаты этой работы могут быть полезными для повышения интереса учащихся к обучению и снабжения учителей необходимыми навыками для успешного использования метода проектов.Item Open Access Academic burnout among high-school students in Kazakhstan: The protective role of personality and academic motivation.(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017-06) Munko, YekaterinaThe current study aimed to investigate the relationship between Big Five Personality Factors, academic motivation elements and academic burnout of high-school students at NIS, Taraz. Additionally, the relationship between academic burnout and certain student background factors (gender, grade, profile subject, relationship with parents), together with school-related factors (teacher support, teacher attitude, school support, class atmosphere) was examined. Academic burnout manifests itself through feeling of emotional exhaustion, cynicism towards studying and feeling of inadequacy as a student. The study used a non-experimental explanatory cross-sectional survey design. The research site for the study was Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Taraz, Kazakhstan. The participants were selected using non-probabilistic convenience sampling procedure. The sample comprised 113 NIS students of 10th and 11th grades. Data was collected using School Burnout Inventory (SBI), Big Five Inventory (BFI), Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), and Academic Burnout Factors Questionnaire (ABFQ). Data was analyzed using descriptive (mean, standard deviation), inferential (t-test, ANOVA) and bivariate (correlation, regression) analyses. The results of the study showed that the overall level of academic burnout among NIS high-school students is considered average. Furthermore, neuroticism was found to be a significant predictor of academic burnout in school. Intrinsic motivation oriented on accomplishment had a modest negative effect on academic burnout. Considering school-related factors, teacher support and school support were negatively related to academic burnout. Among student background factors, female students’ burnout level was higher than of male students, tenth grade students had a lower academic burnout that eleventh grade, and natural sciences students experienced higher level of academic burnout than students majoring in technical sciences.Item Open Access Motivation of Students in Russian Medium Groups to Learn Kazakh in CLIL Approach(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2017-06) Abdimanapova, LailaMotivation is one of the key factors that triggers efforts for learning language. Recently, many countries have started to implement the Content and Language Integrated Learning programs (CLIL). Coyle (2013, 2014) describes it as using target language for learning academic subjects in such a way that generates students’ motivation for learning and applying language in the future. In Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) also use the CLIL approach for teaching History of Kazakhstan, Geography and Basic of Law in Kazakh (Mehisto, 2015). However, the motivational impact of this approach for learning Kazakh has not been investigated yet. This study aimed at exploring Russophone students’ motivation to learn Kazakh by learning some subjects in Kazakh with CLIL approach. It used the embedded mixed method approach. Data was collected from the NIS students who live and study in one of the Russian dominated urban areas in the North Kazakhstan region. It used survey method to measure students’ integrative, instrumental and integrative motivations (Dornyei, 2009). 83 secondary school Russian medium group students participated in the survey. Also, three focus group interviews were conducted to understand how CLIL drives motivation of students. The descriptive statistics show the higher level of integrative (M=37.20; SD=8.50) and instrumental motivations (M=39.13; SD=6.97) than intrinsic motivation (M=18.7; SD=15.48). T-test also confirmed these statistical differences. Spearman rho showed strong correlation between the CLIL impact and those three types of motivations. The content analysis of students’ discussion indicates the seven factors that can promote students integrative, instrumental, and intrinsic motivation. Overall, CLIL seems to promote students integrative motivation and long-term instrumental motivation and provide the short term-instrumental motivations. Their intrinsic motivation can change dynamically due to their experiences in CLIL. Мотивация является одним из факторов, который возбуждает усилия при изучении языка. В последнее временя, многие страны стали внедрять CLIL программы (предметно-языковое интегрированное обучение), как подход, который Койл (2013,2014) описывала, использование языка при изучении учебных предметов, таким образом, который создает мотивацию для учащихся к обучению и применению языка в будущем. В Казахстане, в Назарбаев Интеллектуальных Школах (НИШ) также используют CLIL подход для преподавания истории Казахстана, географии и основа правы на казахском языке (Мехисто,2015). Но, мотивационное влияние этого подхода к изучению казахского языка еще не было исследовано, особенно мотивация CLIL учащихся к изучению казахского языка ранее не рассматривалась. Целью этого исследования является раскрыть мотивации русскоязычных учащихся к изучению казахского языка при изучении некоторых предметов на казахском языке с использованием подхода CLIL. Встроенный смешанный метод был использован при исследовании. Данные были получены от учащихся НИШ, которые живут и учатся в одном из русскоговорящих городов Северного Казахстана. Опрос использовался для измерения интегративной, инструментальной и внутренней мотивации (Дорнией, 2009) учащихся. В опросе приняли участие 83 учащихся русских групп средней общеобразовательной школы. Кроме того, в исследовании было проведено три фокус-груп интервью, с целью выяснить, как CLIL стимулирует мотивацию учащихся. Описательная статистика показывает более высокий уровень интегративной (M = 37.20, SD = 8.50) и инструментальной мотивации (M = 39.13, SD = 6.97), чем уровень внутренней мотивации (M = 18.7; SD = 15.48). Т-тест также подтвердил эти статистические различия. Спиерман ро показал сильную корреляцию между воздействием CLIL и этими тремя типами мотиваций. Анализ содержания дискуссии студентов показывает, что семь факторов, которые могут способствовать интеграции учащихся, инструментальной и внутренней мотивации. В целом, CLIL, по-видимому, стимулирует интегративную мотивацию студентов и долгосрочную инструментальную мотивацию, и обеспечивает краткосрочные инструментальные мотивации; И их внутренняя мотивация динамично может, изменяется из-за их опыта в CLIL.