DSpace Repository :: Browsing 01. PhD Thesis by Title

01. PhD Thesis

Permanent URI for this collection

https://nur.nu.edu.kz/handle/123456789/8143

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 40

Restricted
CHANGING DESIGN STUDIO TEACHING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY OF TEACHER’S AND STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES
(Graduate School of Education, 2017-02) Kazybayeva, Zauresh
This 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.
Restricted
CONTENT AND LANGUAGE INTEGRATED LEARNING (CLIL) IN KAZAKHSTAN: CASE STUDIES OF FIVE TEACHERS AT A NAZARBAYEV INTELLECTUAL SCHOOL (NIS)
(Graduate School of Education, 2018) Karabassova, Laura
The purpose of this multiple case study of NIS teachers was to explore, and gain a better understanding of, how they conceptualize CLIL and how they implement CLIL approach, if at all, in teaching content subjects through students` L2 or L3. In this study, I also investigated how CLIL is defined by NIS policy makers and communicated to teachers. The participants of the study were purposefully selected and included five teachers of one NIS who provide subject content instruction through students` L2 (Russian or Kazakh) or L3 (English). Two representatives of NIS administration, who were involved in the development of the trilingual education policy and the teachers` professional development programs were also part of this study. This study revealed that the teachers conceptualized CLIL as just using L2 or L3 as a medium of instruction. Interview data indicated that teachers built a boundary between content and language and prioritized content teaching. They did not see their role in explicit language instruction, but in the facilitation of students` language acquisition within their content. Classroom observations showed that participating teachers implemented CLIL strategies incidentally, although they did not always attribute them to CLIL. Policy makers defined CLIL as a core element of trilingual education, although interviews indicated that CLIL pedagogy as a significant component of trilingual education policy planning was missing in the NIS planning. I anticipate that the knowledge generated from this inquiry will contribute to, and uniquely expand, the body of research on CLIL. In particular, this study records the initial planning of CLIL towards a trilingual context, then its ongoing implementation.
Restricted
“CREATIVITY IS AUTONOMY”: THE COMPLEX INTERACTION OF KAZAKHSTANI SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ BELIEFS AND PRACTICES THROUGH MICRO, EXO, AND MACRO CONTEXTUAL FACTORS
(Graduate School of Education, 2022-05) Ibrayeva, Laura
The significance of creativity and fostering creativity in the educational sphere is widely recognized internationally. Kazakhstan’s renewed curriculum emphasizes the importance of developing creativity in schools. Actual classroom practice may lack creativity development. This dissertation fills an important gap in the literature by presenting Kazakhstani teachers’ beliefs about creativity and developing a creative environment through the lens of the micro-context of classrooms, exo-context of schools and macro-context of society and explores this topic by examining how their beliefs and practices shape and are shaped by the three contexts and the relationship between them. The research approach was designed as a qualitative, interpretivist, multiple-case study which included four Kazakhstani secondary schools (NIS, private school, and state Kazakh and Russian language schools). Data collection includes 15 pre- and post-observation interviews, observations of teacher’s classes, and document analysis. The complexity theory of teachers’ beliefs (Zheng, 2015) and the conceptual framework for teachers’ beliefs about creativity (Bereczki & Kárpáti, 2018) were employed in this study. Consequently, these two frameworks combined became a holistic conceptual framework which helped to study the interaction between teachers’ beliefs about creativity, practices and contexts. Despite different types of schools, the findings revealed that teachers’ beliefs about creativity align with many creativity theories, creativity researchers and empirical findings on teachers’ beliefs about creativity. A noteworthy finding of this study was that the creative environment construct of this study’s initial conceptual framework on teachers’ beliefs was expanded with two additional subconstructs: the physical environment and students’ needs. Findings also showed that teachers’ beliefs about developing a creative environment influence their teaching practices in spite of barriers that prevent them from enacting their beliefs in the classrooms. Finally, the findings also supported the dynamic and co-adaptive features of the beliefs-practice system and its complex nature suggested by Zheng (2015). Among the three contexts, the macro-context was the biggest influence on teachers’ beliefs and practices about creativity, and shaped teachers’ beliefs and practices. Based on the findings, the Kazakhstani educational system needs to provide teachers professional training on creativity, better school resources and find ways to address current obstacles to developing creativity so teachers can better develop creativity in the classroom.
Restricted
DIFFUSION OF WESTERN EDUCATIONAL IDEOLOGIES: THE CASE OF DALTON PLAN IN CHINA
(Graduate School of Education, 2023-07) Shon, Peter
This study aimed to investigate the diffusion of transnational educational innovation, analyzing the diffusion of the Dalton Plan in China. The Dalton Plan, developed by American educator Helen Parkhurst in the early 20th century, has seen a revival of interest in China after nearly one hundred years, having spread throughout the world including China in the 1920s. This research employed a qualitative single-case study of the Dalton Plan and its adoption in East-West School (EWS), an international division of a high school managed by a recognized Chinese state university. Ten experts, consisting of administrators and teachers of EWS and Central School, an intermediary organization, were interviewed using semi-structured interviews via Zoom. In addition, multiple data collection techniques were utilized, including document analysis, archival records analysis, multi-media analysis, and social media analysis. These techniques were used gain insights about the environment and atmosphere of the schools without the need to visit in person due to COVID restrictions...
Restricted
EFL TEACHERS’ CONCEPTUALISATION OF CRITICAL THINKING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN
(Graduate School of Education, 2018) Tursunbayeva, Xeniya
The introduction of critical thinking into the national curriculum has recently become one of the aims of educational reforms worldwide. The international agencies present critical thinking as a 21st-century skill contributing to countries’ human capital, and policymakers agree on that, although school educators may have a different opinion. In Kazakhstan, although the current secondary education reform emphasises the importance of developing students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions, there is a discrepancy between policymakers’ expectations and teachers’ practices. The implementation of critical thinking as language pedagogy in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has been an object of both interest and debate. Despite some researchers’ claims that critical thinking is a cultural concept that could be problematic to teach in the countries with long history of teacher- centred pedagogy, other scholars evidenced its efficiency and success.While the international literature on the instructional use of critical thinking in the EFL classroom is abundant, few studies have been conducted to explore how teachers understand the concept of critical thinking and how they feel about teaching for it in the post-Soviet countries. A parallel mixed methods design was adopted with questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and focus groups as key data collection instruments. The data collected from 217 EFL teachers of secondary schools in North Kazakhstan region, indicated that the participants’ beliefs and awareness of critical thinking pedagogy exerted considerable influence on teaching for critical thinking. The educators concurred on the benefits of teaching for critical thinking but regard it as incongruent with the requirements of tests or top- down prescribed curriculum. Besides, other factors affected the teachers’ engagement in critical thinking, such as motivation, professional identity, support from administration, lack of autonomy, quality of teaching materials, and school facilities. The findings suggest that this pedagogy was more challenging for the teachers from mainstream and rural schools or those who had not been specially trained for critical thinking instruction. The study is expected to be useful for teachers, researchers and policymakers in Kazakhstan and other post-Soviet countries who are interested in fostering critical thinking in the context of language teaching and learning.
Open Access
THE EMERGING ROLE OF ACADEMIC DEANS IN THE TRANSFORMING HIGHER EDUCATION LANDSCAPE OF KAZAKHSTAN
(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2024-01) Mustafina, Altynay
Within Kazakhstan’s fast-changing higher education landscape, the nature of academic deanship is also rapidly changing (Arntzen, 2016; Wepner et al., 2015). While deanship has traditionally been associated with curriculum design, student admissions, and faculty hiring, it now also requires engagement in strategic planning, human resource management, budgetary issues, fundraising, and communication with business and industry (Cleverley-Thompson, 2016; Gmelch et al., 2012). Thus, the role of the dean has become a more complex and multifaceted position in academia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore academic deanship in Kazakhstani public universities to find out how deans perceive and experience their jobs, what roles they play as school administrators, and what challenges they face in their positions. For this purpose, this study employed semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 15 academic deans from seven public universities (national and regional universities) in Kazakhstan. The study’s findings indicate that the dean’s executive behavior in public universities is rule-bound and context-dependent due to the inherited centralized governance system in Kazakhstan as a post-Soviet republic. These factors explain top-down control, tight control, hierarchical relationships, and centralized decision-making in universities. Under these conditions, the dean’s autonomy in managing academic schools are restricted in the issues associated with finances, decision-making, and problem solving (Hartley et al., 2016; Sagintayeva et al., 2017; Yembergenova et al., 2021). This suggests that deans who are selected as administrators are limited to fully carry out their administrative and managerial functions. These discrepancies in which deans operate explain their role conflict and role ambiguity in the workplace. These findings contribute to the understanding of academic deanship in the context of the post-Soviet higher education system, highlighting that the dean’s managerial potential remains unrecognized (Cleverley-Thompson, 2016; Wepner et al., 2015). Therefore, the practical implications emphasize the need for empowering deans in Kazakhstani public universities by delegating them greater authority. This will strengthen grassroots leadership among deans, enhancing their administrative-managerial status. Regarding the theoretical implications, executive behavioral theory showed that the dean’s managerial behavior is prone to norm-following behavior, suggesting that this theory is more suitable for analyzing decentralized university governance systems. Role conflict and ambiguity theory allowed to examining the dean’s roles from different perspectives, such as individual and institutional levels, offering deeper insights into understanding the phenomenon under study.
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.
Restricted
THE EXPLORATION OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP AT SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN
(Graduate School of Education, 2016-07) Khoroshash, Aidar
Despite 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.
Restricted
EXPLORING FORMAL MENTORING PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE PRACTICUM PROGRAMMES IN KAZAKHSTAN
(Graduate School of Education, 2022) Turmukhambetova, Lyazat
Initial teacher education (ITE) is attributed a special role, as it prepares teacher candidates to meet the constantly evolving teaching standards tailored in accordance with the national contexts (Bridges et al., 2014; Kosnik et al., 2016, Murray et al., 2019). The educational reform has also impacted Kazakhstan, changing the discourse of teacher professionalism in the country (Fimyar, 2014). Therefore, it is critical that teacher education programmes could successfully integrate the teaching profession's practical and theoretical underpinnings to successfully promote the educational reform, making the practicum programme the leading facilitator of practice-based learning within ITE. The mentoring role can be essential in delivering and helping student teachers integrate their theoretical knowledge into practice and developing their situated understanding (Winch et al., 2015) of the teaching profession through reflection and collaboration. This multiple- case study aimed to explore how the formal mentoring programmes are practised and conceptualised in two Kazakhstani school-university partnerships. By conducting 23 one-on-one semi-structured interviews, one paired interview, four focus groups and documentation analysis, this study revealed multiple understandings of mentoring, including the elements of traditional and transitional mentoring approaches. This study provides an evidence-based representation of the conceptual mentoring model by Ambrosetti, Knight, and Dekkers’ (2014) on maximising the mentoring potential for ITE students by modifying it through the additional lens of the practicum advisors and positioning the conceptual understanding of mentoring within the framework. As the study demonstrated, the perceptions of mentoring by the main stakeholders within the school- university partnership may shape the mentoring practices, inevitably affecting all mentoring stages and the relational and developmental outcomes.
Restricted
EXPLORING GIFTED SCHOOL GRADUATES’ ADJUSTMENT TO UNIVERSITIES IN KAZAKHSTAN: FEATURES, FACTORS, AND IMPLICATIONS
(Graduate School of Education, 2017) Almukhambetova, Ainur
In 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.
Open Access
EXPLORING UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: A CASE STUDY OF TWO AGRARIAN UNIVERSITIES IN KAZAKHSTAN
(Graduate School of Education, 2023) Mazbulova, Zhanar
Restricted
FACULTY EXPERIENCES OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THREE KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITIES WITH DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS
(Graduate School of Education, 2021) Rydchenko, Viktoriya
The last decades witnessed substantial changes occurring in the higher education curriculum across the world. The transition to the knowledge-based economy has become the focus of the political agenda in many countries, including Kazakhstan, as a result, the function of accumulating knowledge and its further application for the economic development of the country has increasingly been transferred to universities. In this context, the significance of curriculum provision comes into the foreground in enhancing the quality preparation of the cadres. Kazakhstani universities are currently undergoing transformations in how they approach curriculum development. The changes have been triggered by the adoption of the Bologna process framework and an increase in academic autonomy of Kazakhstani universities. As a result of these higher education transformations, the academic staff has received more freedom to decide on the educational experiences they wish to provide for their students. However, the increased faculty involvement in curriculum development comes with a multitude of challenges, as universities intend to develop new institutional structures to ensure the quality of the curriculum provision. The legacy of past practices makes the process of curriculum development complex, providing opportunities as well as presents some challenges. This dissertation research explores the curriculum development experiences of universities in Kazakhstan. Drawing on the elements of Giddens’ Structuration Theory, the multiple-case study identifies features of curriculum development in Kazakhstani universities. The study considered how academic members construct the curriculum and explore the processes that shape, enable and constrain curriculum development. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews, data for this study were collected from 22 faculty members at three different universities. Findings of the research suggest that conceptions of curriculum development at two state universities can be described as a combination of content-based and competence-based, and the university with a higher degree of autonomy follows an outcomes- based model of curriculum development. The study shows that university structures support and/or hinder these curriculum development approaches of faculty members. As a result, this empirical study made contributions by producing findings that may influence curriculum development practice in Kazakhstani universities and contribute to the theoretical body of knowledge of higher education curriculum development.
Restricted
FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF CURRICULUM RENEWAL OF MASTER’S PROGRAMMES IN ONE KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITY
(Graduate School of Education, 2016-09) Akhmetova, Guldana
The 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.
Restricted
FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF AUTONOMY REFORMS IN KAZAKHSTANI HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
(Graduate School of Education, 2020-05) Apergenova, Renata
The aim of this study was to explore faculty perceptions and experiences of autonomy reforms at three Kazakhstani public higher education institutions. Kazakhstan has taken great steps toward institutional autonomy since the first years of its independence since 1991. However, the official movement toward autonomy was announced only in 2010 (MoES, 2010), so it is a relatively new phenomenon and an ambitious reform for Kazakhstan. The term autonomy is not conceptualized on the national level yet. This influences the procedures and policies that play a role in implementing institutional autonomy. A national understanding of what autonomy means is required. Within this context, the study explored faculty individual perceptions (Vygotsky, 1986),) of academic autonomy at Kazakhstani public higher education institutions to explore their understanding of autonomy reforms. The study is focused particularly on understand faculty experiences of autonomy in terms of teaching, research, and service within the context of reforms in organizational structures and cultural values in Kazakhstani HEIs. The study adopted a qualitative approach to explore how faculty construct their understanding of academic autonomy and interpret their experiences of autonomy reforms. The research draws a distinction between two related terms, “academic autonomy” and “academic freedom.” Institutions and faculty have a different understanding of autonomy. Some faculty indicated support of education reforms focused on autonomy, although they believe they currently have sufficient academic autonomy. Other faculty believe their work should be guided by the ministry, even though they are granted academic autonomy. In a few instances, faculty rejected the concept of autonomy outright. Institutional culture is a mindset, framed by values from the Soviet system together with power structures such as policy and legislation that could resist academic autonomy reforms. Faculty mindset, including strong traditions and habits, also influences perceptions of academic autonomy. Thus, one of the key elements of the theoretical framework is a case of cultural beliefs and norms within the institutions considered through faculty perspectives. A strong governmental power structure exists in Kazakhstan with the Ministry of Education and Science wielding considerable influence. The interplay of culture and organizational structure is considered through the Mintzberg’s theory (1979) and Hierarchy cultural dimension of Knien, Greven, Bending and Brettel (2019). Based on the investigated case study, the research has practical implementation on how the autonomy has been implementing within the Hierarchical structure of Mintzberg (1979) and how it impacts on the cultural environment. Such interplay of the cultural and structural environments may cause the restriction of autonomy. Vygotsky’s theory of human cultural and biosocial development (Vygotsky, 1986, p. 54, 59) is considered as a tool that can be used in mediating autonomy reforms to manage the cultural and structural environment of HEIs. The considered theoretical framework is useful in providing the alternative perspective in implementing autonomy reforms at the state and institutional level. The research found five key factors: national overregulation, financial dependence, external pressure, lack of trust, and lack of shared understanding of the concept of autonomy, that restrict autonomy reforms.
Embargo
GHANAIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION
(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2024-07) Antwi, Seth Kwadwo
In agreement with the international perspectives on technology as a valuable tool in the teaching and learning process, Ghana has implemented various technology policies and projects including the 2021 ‘One Teacher, One Laptop’ initiative to promote technology use in the classroom. Therefore, it is expected that Ghanaian teachers utilize technology as a pedagogical tool to create a stimulating, interactive, and innovative classroom environment. It is believed that integrating technology into the science classroom will help students become digitally competent citizens fully prepared to cope with the complexities of the current competitive global knowledge economy driven by technology. However, previous studies have revealed that Ghanaian science teacher’s acceptance rates and the use of technology as a pedagogical tool in the classroom still fall short of global expectations. Therefore, this qualitative phenomenological study explores Ghanaian science teachers’ perspectives and practices of technology integration by eliciting their views on the role of technology in the science curriculum, gaining insights into how various contextual and teacher-related factors impact their technology integration, and how technology is utilized to support their pedagogical practices...
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, Madina
Nowadays 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.
Restricted
HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING DURING ECONOMIC CRISES IN KAZAKHSTAN FROM 1991 TO 2015: COST SHARING POLICY AS EVIDENT RESPONSE
(Graduate School of Education, 2022-04) Nurpeissova, Aigul
Kazakhstan, being dependent on the world economy due to international cooperation in various aspects of the economy has been facing the economic issues in the world economy. During twenty-five year of independence, Kazakhstan has experienced three major economic crises. All these economic recessions affected all the spheres of life including higher education. Hyperinflation, devaluation of national currency explicitly caused the budget cuts. This study investigates how the measures taken by the government and universities to respond crises were effective. Particularly, cost sharing shifts in higher education has been analyzed It is worth noting that the frequency of financial crises is decreasing every time. The observation demonstrate the frequency of the economic crises which suggests that financial crises occur twice as often in the world than it was before. Thus, the train made three different stops to demonstrate long-term and short-term responses to Financial сrises occurred. The main lenses of investigating how higher education policies have responded to different crises is through cost-sharing practices. This is considered to be appropriate theory for this research since if we examine each level of crisis and how the government has responded to it, we evidently find that financial responses include gradually shrinking public shares in higher education, which leads to shifting the burden of the cost of higher education onto the shoulders of parents and students. Cost sharing seems to appear as a policy response in different countries and in different shapes. In order to answer the posed research questions in this study, a qualitative research approach which could provide with the detailed investigation was used for this study. “A qualitative research design not only allowed the study itself to identify the variables for exploration, but also provided ideas and sensitivities as different factors come into play at different levels including national, institutional and individual” (Creswell, 2008). The existing research took an in-depth look at the role of the government and heads of state and private higher educational institutions in the periods of crises. A qualitative methodology was applied in this study to observe higher education response to financial crises in three given periods. The qualitative research approach is used as a primary design of the study. 5 The existing research took an in-depth look at the role of the government and heads of state and private higher educational institutions in periods of crisis. A qualitative methodology was applied in this study to observe higher education response to financial crises in three given periods. The qualitative research approach is used as a primary design of the study.
Embargo
INITIAL TEACHER PREPARATION FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN: PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' BELIEFS ABOUT STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND THEIR INCLUSION IN MAINSTREAM CLASSROOMS: A MIXED-METHODS
(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2023) Tussupbekova, Gulmira
The notion of inclusive education has become a widespread discussion topic and common practice internationally. Globally inclusion conveys the broad meaning of supporting and welcoming children’s diversity and meeting their varied individual needs (Ainscow, 2020; Graham, 2020). By bearing in mind the right of children to be educated without discrimination in schools, Kazakhstan is moving towards inclusion and spreading inclusive education in mainstream schools. Since signing the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) in 2008 and ratifying it in 2015, Kazakhstan has prioritised special and inclusive education. The inclusion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools is a key focus, as outlined in the State Programme for the Development of Education and Science for 2020-2025 (Ministry of Education and Science [MoES], 2019). However, there is a significant need for well-trained teachers and methodological support to promote inclusive education throughout Kazakhstani schools (MoES, 2019; 2021). To address this, understanding pre-service teachers' beliefs about inclusion is crucial for effectively implementing inclusive education policies and practices in secondary schools. This research, which examines pre-service teachers' beliefs regarding students with SEN and their inclusion, is grounded in critical realism. It offers a helpful framework for evaluating the underlying causes and mechanisms that result in certain beliefs. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-method design in two quantitative and qualitative phases. In the first phase of the study, the questionnaire that examines beliefs about students with SEN and future teachers’ self-efficacy and readiness to work in an inclusive environment was spread among pre-service teachers at 12 higher educational institutions in Kazakhstan. Then the qualitative phase of the study involved online semi-structured interviews with 12 pre-service teachers to explore their beliefs, concerns and suggestions regarding inclusive education and improvement of initial teacher education (ITE) for inclusion. The empirical findings of this study have the potential to contribute to the knowledge of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. The study provides insights that can inform policymakers in implementing educational reforms and improving teaching practices related to ITE for inclusion. This research also opens avenues for further exploration of pre-service teachers' beliefs about children with SEN and their inclusion in mainstream schools in Kazakhstan. Finally, this thesis offers several policy, practice, and future research suggestions to address the identified issues
Restricted
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN: A NARRATIVE ENQUIRY ABOUT HUMAN AGENCY IN THE PROCESS OF ADAPTATION
(Graduate School of Education, 2017) Mukhamejanova, Dinara
Kazakhstan 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.
Restricted
INTERNATIONALIZING IDENTITIES IN POST-SOVIET CONTEXTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF FACULTY IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN
(Graduate School of Education, 2022-09) Tazabek, Sholpan
This qualitative study explores how faculty members in higher education understand and experience internationalization. Driven by the idea that understandings of internationalization of higher education are strongly connected with the specific sociocultural contexts in which they are understood and enacted, this study sought to explore the perspectives of Kazakhstan-based university educators whose professional experiences have been established within the medley of post-Soviet reforms. What makes Kazakhstan a peculiar case of inquiry is that it represents a postcolonial context where nation-building rhetoric has been escalating along with the country’s aspirations for global and international education. At the same time, there are social and educational legacies of the Soviet Union that continue to remain strong in Kazakhstan, impacting the ways in which faculty members navigate within this controversy of trajectories in the country. Approached via in-depth interviews at two universities, this study analyzed faculty members’ perceptions and experiences through Gee’s (2000) perspective of identity. It emerged that internationalization of higher education represents a discursive space whereby faculty members experience a multiplicity of discourses and whereby they (re)construct their personal and professional identities. The study revealed how certain discourses of internationalization can determine certain ways of professional and personal positioning that faculty members knowingly or unknowingly take over. Concurrently, the findings indicated that while faculty members interpret internationalization in their individual ways, they may use their interpretations to negotiate their personal and professional identities in response to these discourses. This is explicit in post-Soviet contexts where historically developed definitions of academic professionalism may differ from hegemonic interpretations of internationalization, increasingly defining it as the synonym of academic excellence and academic success. Some discourses like, for instance, a “Scopus-driven internationalization” – a term that emerged in the findings of this study – may even lead to ill-conditioned and disruptive understandings of internationalization, resulting at best in academic homogeneity, and at worst in the loss of local academic traditions. The study raises these questions in light of a growing scholarly appeal to develop internationalization as a meaningful, inclusive, and a more ethical notion.