NUGSE Research in Education Journal
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Item Open Access A Multilingual Journey: An Autoethnography of Language Learning and Transformation(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 7(1), 2024) Jumamuratova, GullalaMultilingualism has become a daily tool in communication in the modern world for many members of it (Stein-Smith,2021). High-speed globalization is accelerating multilingualism; however, the education system in many countries uses a monolingual approach (Tucker, 1999), Therefore, it is necessary for the education system of many countries to consider the needs of society to shift from monolingual traditional education to multilingual education. It is necessary to give space for multilingual students in a safe and inclusive classroom where they can learn without being neglected in their home languages (Garcia et al., 2014). Multilingual education goes beyond the classroom. It requires cooperation among teachers, families, and communities to ensure that everyone comprehends and recognizes the significance of speaking multiple languages. This can be done through community programs, engaging parents, and collaborating with local organizations that promote language diversity. Embracing multilingual education is not only crucial but also an opportunity to set fairness and inclusivity in education. Therefore, it is crucial for education systems worldwide to acknowledge the value of speaking multiple languages and take steps to celebrate linguistic diversity in the school setting.Item Open Access Abay’s Legacy to the Philosophy of Education(NUGSE Research in Education, 2(1), 2017) Shon, PeterAs early as the nineteenth century, Abay Kunanbayev foresaw the need to adapt to the world being altered by the hands of geopolitical powers. Rather than to be swept away by the waves of colonial influences, he became the lonely voice in the wilderness urging the Kazakhs to become educated multi-lingually. Though Abay is revered as the country’s foremost philosopher and poet, his writings are mostly covered in secondary school Kazakh Literature courses; though often quoted, the work of Abay is seldom read in its entirety. In addition, information about the impact of his writings on present-day educators in Kazakhstan is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to describe and juxtapose the main ideas in Abay’s The Book of Words, first published in 1909, with various philosophers from the West to examine the relevance of his philosophy in today’s Kazakhstani society. This paper is a historical description which seeks to answer the metaphysical, epistemological, and pedagogical questions under the themes of man, knowledge, and education. This study will contribute to bringing a further spotlight on Abay, not only as a steppe philosopher and poet of the past, but as a philosopher in education for contemporary Kazakh society.Item Open Access ABILITY GROUPING IN KAZAKHSTANI EFL SECONDARY SCHOOL CLASSES(NUGSE Research in Education, 6(2), 2023) Ussenova, AyimThe ability grouping in Kazakhstani English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class is a process where a class is divided in two subgroups if class capacity is twenty-four or more students in both rural and urban schools. However, clear instructions of how to produce such divisions are not described and teachers are left to choose for themselves. This study's primary purpose is to study the teachers’ experiences of grouping students in Eng-lish classrooms and it provides a qualitative interview-based research approach, where a teacher from one sec-ondary school in Astana was selected through a purposeful maximal variation sampling strategy. The findings revealed practices of structuring English language programs in Kazakhstan. The use of mixed-ability groups is a key aspect, driven by the need to balance students' academic performance levels. Challenges arise when stu-dents with diverse learning experiences join a single class, emphasizing the teacher's role in navigating these differences. The study suggests that while mixed-ability groups have advantages, concerns about evaluating oral competency and potential conflicts among teachers underscore the complexity of class organization in Kazakh-stani EFL instruction.Item Open Access Academic mobility and the labor market(NUGSE Research in Education, 1(1), 2016-06) Jumabayeva, ZhannaThe current study is aimed to better understand the concept of academic mobility and identify its labor market outcomes in the context of Kazakhstan. The paper considers whether mobility is an advantage for the domestic employment market and whether it enhances graduates’ employability. The researcher also investigates whether in Kazakhstan students’ participation in the international programs, particularly the Bolashak International Scholarship of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, affects their employment upon completion of their studies. This investigation indicates that increasingly large numbers of students continue to study abroad despite the lack of clear evidence supporting the gains graduates have in finding jobs. This suggests that students who return are not necessarily guaranteed with ideal jobs upon their graduation. Just because someone studied abroad, the competition for them does not disappear: work experience can have a higher priority. Hence, the results of this study showed that the Bolashak program is not always a ticket to a better future, at least in the short term.Item Open Access APPLYING STATISTICAL DATABASES ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH(NUGSE Research in Education, 6(1), 2023) Alimkhanova Dinara, Drybrough Andrew G.This review presents information on international and national statistical databases that can be used for the purpose of educational research. Each database is derived from the websites and the authentic website source is provided through a hyperlink. These hyperlinks were accessible and working at the time of writing. Although most of these websites contain a range of types of data on different subject areas (e.g., economic and demographic statistics) each website has at least one section of data or research relating to education, or that might be of interest to the educational researcher. There are also some sites that may be of more specific interest to those involves in educational assessment. The analysis of each databases will cover two main aspects. First, there will be a short description of the statistical database. This is then followed by a brief analysis of that database that identifies the benefits and/or limitations of it. We begin by describing and analyzing the international education databases, followed by national educational databases of Kazakhstan. We have found these of use in our research and teaching, and hope that they can be of benefit to anyone who is interested in international educational research and educational research in Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region...Item Open Access Balancing life and studies in a classroom without walls: graduate students’ perspectives on online learning(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(1), 2018-06) Akhmetova, DinaraTechnological advancements taking place in the 21st century are changing the ways in which classes are taught (Allen & Seaman, 2011). Education worldwide is reaching far beyond the four walls of classroom by offering courses online. This paper explores students’ perspectives on the quality of courses offered online by one Kazakhstani University, based on the advantages and challenges 12 master’s degree students faced while studying some courses online during two academic years of their enrollment. According to the results of this study, participants highlighted the flexibility of online education in pursuing their academic endeavors concurrently with other responsibilities as the main advantage. However, students were challenged in managing their time due to overlapping dates for submitting the tasks completed for online courses. Since the findings of the study have limited generalizability due to small size of population, several recommendations will be made for the future research.Item Open Access A Case Study: What is Better for His Future?(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(2), 2018-12) Manuilova, NatalyaThis case describes the implementation of inclusive education within a mainstream secondary school on the example of the experience of a student with a cognitive developmental delay, whose special educational needs limit his academic participation and socialization in a school learning environment. The policy initiative is administered by the school principal who needs to make a decision about the best option in addressing the situation. This case narrative both highlights the complexity of the policy execution, the challenges the school principal encounters when designing actions in ensuring student’s participation; and reflects ethical issues involved in the provision of special educational services. While there are no straightforward solutions to meeting all students’ diverse needs, this case provides helpful lessons for educational leaders working in accommodating students with special educational needs. Keywords: inclusion, leadership, mainstream school, special school, student development...Item Open Access CHANGES IN TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS TRANSLANGUAGING(NUGSE Research in Education, 6(1), 2023) Tastanbek Serikbolsyn, Kazymbek Aigerim, Kalizhanova Zarina, Kaipova DinaraTeachers have different views toward translanguaging, which is a pedagogical approach that has garnered significant attention over the last decade. This study investigates the changes in attitudes towards translanguaging off our teachers doing a master’s degree program in Kazakhstan through autoethnography. The findings revealed that the teachers’ present attitudes were formed either during their teaching practice or while studying at graduate school. Some participants’ attitudes were negative when they were teaching, and they mainly associated translanguaging with low language competence and a deficient level of education. However, after a year of studying, the participants changed their attitudes into one that was more positive since they understood the value and benefits of translanguaging. The study suggests that the MA program has the potential to be a good platform for the development of teachers’ plurilingual competence and their appreciation of student plurilingualism…Item Open Access CLT IN POLICY DOCUMENTS AND EFL CURRICULA(NUGSE Research in Education, 6(1), 2023) Oralbayeva NurziyaSince the use of English expanded throughout the post-Soviet states, the trend towards the use of the grammar-translation method in EFL teaching in schools can still be prominent in post-Soviet countries (Hasanova, 2007). It is common knowledge that this approach often results in low communicative language competence. Thus, the primary purpose of this paper is to discover whether the grammar-translation method is still promoted or is re- placed or shifted to CLT. The paper presents a critical analysis of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in the contexts of Kazakh- stan and Uzbekistan through analyzing the goals and objectives in the policy documents regarding the teaching of English to track whether the goals determine CLT. Besides, the paper aims at discovering whether the goals in curricula are directed toward developing communicative competence in learners...Item Open Access Conducting large-scale collaborative research on higher education finance: an insider’s view(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(1), 2018-06) Ippolitova, Mariya; Sanat, Aisulu; Serikbayeva, SagidaNational-level reports and programs are written annually but it is rarely possible to talk to the people who actually worked on these documents and find out the story behind them. We were lucky to interview Dr. Ali Ait Si Mhamed, one of the main investigators in the research team on higher education sustainability, who prepared a chapter in the “Development of Strategic Directions for Education Reforms in Kazakhstan for 2015–2020” diagnostic report of 2016. In the current issue, you can find the executive summary of the report but in our editorial, we want to share some insights on the project. First, we asked Professor Ali to tell us a little bit about the project and the people who worked on it before delving into Dr. Ali’s views on education in general, and various facets of Kazakhstani education system in particular. In addition to getting an expert’s view on the current situation, we were interested in the ways to improve the country’s higher education financing system. We ended our interview by asking for a few pieces of advice for young researchers who would like to work on state-level research projects.Item Open Access Critical Response: “Teaching Approaches: Theory and Practice” by Olessya Akimenko(NUGSE Research in Education, 2(2), 2017-12) Ivatov, SerikIn her article published by NUGSE Research in Education in December 2016, Akimenko discusses the theoretical understandings of teacher-centred and student-centred approaches, and examines these theories with regard to teaching approaches in Kazakhstan. Teaching approaches have been studied very well abroad so that they can be considered as old chestnuts. However, Kazakhstan will likely benefit greatly from a comparison of teaching approaches in international and Kazakhstani practices. If we study international practices, we will get better understanding of our own. In addition, comparative research may help us to discover which teaching approaches are beneficial and how best to implement them. I agree with the author’s position that Kazakhstani teachers should take advantage of teaching approaches from international practice; however, she does not manage to accomplish all her goals set in the article.Item Open Access Dietary Habit Adjustment of International Students in Kazakhstan: An Autoethnographic study(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 7(1), 2024) Bemah, LydiaOver the past decades, the internationalization of higher education has become a significant global trend, with countries like Kazakhstan developing policies to attract international students. However, studies indicate that international students encounter myriad challenges in their adjustment process which sometimes hinder them from achieving their dream academic goals. Using an autoethnographic perspective, I explored the challenges I have encountered with my dietary habits adjustment as an international student studying in an unfamiliar cultural and geographical context. I highlighted the causes of my dietary adjustment challenge, which primarily stem from the unavailability of familiar food ingredients. I also highlighted the overall effect this adjustment challenge has had on me and the strategies I have employed to mitigate the challenges and the effects of the challenges. Since food is a basic necessity for humans, fulfilling not only biological needs but also social and psychological ones, prioritizing the dietary adjustment of international students is crucial. I, therefore, recommended an intervention that can be implemented to mitigate the dietary adjustment challenges faced by international studentsItem Open Access Dilemma in Inclusive Education: How Amre Challenged the Policy of Proportions of Students With and Without Disabilities in an Inclusive Education Center(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(2), 2018-12) Rollan, KamilaThis case study highlights a teacher’s struggle to include a student with autism spectrum disorder into a classroom, where there is already a maximum number of students with special educational needs compliant to the principle of the natural proportions. This study provides a narrative of an ethical dilemma faced in the realization of the educational inclusion of a child with special needs. The case raises the following question: where is the line between adhering to the principles of the natural proportions and excluding a student? This qualitative narrative study facilitates a critical reflection of the dilemma in the inclusive educational leadership, when difficult decisions need to be made.Item Open Access Enrichment clusters: educating for the real world(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(1), 2018-06) Adilzhanova, Lyutsiya; Ixanova, Ulyana; Kaus, AlyonaOver the last three decades, there has been a dramatic change in the expectations the society holds about compulsory education. Contemporary education is expected to cultivate highorder thinking as well as to develop life skills and functional literacy in school graduates. However, public satisfaction and student performance on international testing are far below these expectations. Enrichment clusters (EC), which are group projects aimed to connect students to address real-life issues, could be an alternative solution to bridge the theoretical knowledge and practical skills that schools provide. This paper, therefore, aims to justify the importance of life skills education, to highlight the necessity to improve the quality of Kazakhstani secondary education, to compare two current models of life skills education, and to argue for EC to become an integral part of the secondary school curriculum to promote functional literacy.Item Open Access Essential Conference Tips for Graduate Students(NUGSE Research in Education, 1(2), 2016) Yessenova, AisaraItem Open Access An Exercise in Argumentative Writing: Arguing Both Sides of an Issue(NUGSE Research in Education, 2(2), 2017-12) Chsherbakov, AndreyLatinisation of the Kazakh alphabet is well under way. The President has signed the Law; a working version of the new script has been approved; and responsible state agencies have been appointed. However, the reform continues to generate heated debates in the media, on social networks, and in the old-fashioned offline (kitchen) conversations...Item Open Access Experiencing inclusion in higher education: a student perspective on Nazarbayev University practices and lessons drawn from U.S. policies(NUGSE Research in Education, 1(1), 2016) Abdykaimov, ZiyatAs the first Nazarbayev University (NU) student with special needs, I am currently researching emerging practices and policies of inclusion at NU. In this editorial I take an opportunity to reflect on my nearly year-long study experience at NU and present some lessons learned from the U.S. policies and practices of inclusion based on an investigation of the disability support system at University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the NU's strategic partners. I proceed from the premise that based on its model of partnership with top international universities, NU could collaborate with UW-Madison and bring lessons learned to its own practices of inclusion.Item Open Access Guidelines for Writing a Book Review: Through the Lens of the First-Year Doctoral Student Experience(NUGSE Research in Education, 2(1), 2017) Orynbassarova, DilaraWriting a critical book review is an integral part of the scholarly development process of any emerging researcher. The payoff of writing a book review is great, as it helps the emerging scholar to sharpen both writing and critical thinking skills, and understand the process of writing and editing a book. A critical review of the book may include a brief yet effective summary of the book; the relevance of the ideas today in general; a thorough analysis of the author’s main concepts and ideas, including the discussion about the authors’ main arguments, how and why the author has put the book together in such away, how well the author has supported ideas and facts; and discussion of the book’s strengths and weaknesses, which may include the overall content, organization, style and application to a certain context. Mentioning whether the author has achieved the stated purpose of the book is also important. For example, you may find this information in the preface or the introduction part of the book. My personal experience of writing a critical book review indicates that the process has three stages: before, during and after.Item Open Access I AM LOST’: MAINSTREAM SCHOOL TEACHERS AND CLIL(NUGSE Research in Education, 6(2), 2023) Bazylkanova, Aiza; Jumamuratova, Gullala; Shorman, MariyaThe successful implementation of new policies and reforms usually depends highly on the context. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and limitations of CLIL implementation within the Kazakhstani mainstream school context, drawing up-on both global and local perspectives. Through this analysis, the paper identifies the specific challenges that hinder effective CLIL implementation in Kazakh-stan. Based on the discussion, this paper identifies the emergent problem of the disconnect between theoreti-cal tenets and practical realities of CLIL implementa-tion in Kazakhstan. It concludes by offering a series of evaluative recommendations specifically designed to bridge this gap and enhance the effectiveness of CLIL within the Kazakhstani contextItem Open Access In defense of the student-centered approach: responding to a critical review(NUGSE Research in Education, 3(1), 2018-06) Akimenko, OlessyaWhat can be more rewarding than having your article published and read? It is, of course, having it critiqued. I do think that if your work has motivated others to think and create something of their own, writing it was not in vain. Therefore, I was extremely delighted to see a critical response to my article in the December 2017 edition of NUGSERIE, written by Serik Ivatov. In my opinion, this is a very well-written article, which makes many valuable points. However, as having academic discourse is almost as enjoyable as writing articles, I have decided to address some of the comments Ivatov makes in his article. In his critical response, Ivatov gradually analyzes the main points that have been made in the article, as well as gives his suggestions regarding the areas that could be improved. In this article I will follow the same order to make it easier for readers to review both articles.