01. PhD Thesis
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Item Embargo GHANAIAN SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHERS PERSPECTIVES AND PRACTICES OF TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION(Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, 2024-07) Antwi, Seth KwadwoIn 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...Item 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, GulmiraThe 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 issuesItem 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, AltynayWithin 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.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 INTERNATIONALIZING IDENTITIES IN POST-SOVIET CONTEXTS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF FACULTY IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2022-09) Tazabek, SholpanThis 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.Item Restricted UNDERSTANDING SERPIN POLICY AS AN INTERNAL MOBILITY PROGRAM IN KAZAKHSTAN: CASES OF STAKEHOLDERS’ IMPLEMENTATION AND INTERPRETATION OF THE POLICY WITHIN THREE UNIVERSITIES(Graduate School of Education, 2022-12) Ivatov, SerikLocal actors play a crucial role in policy implementation as their actions may affect policy success. Although there has been the proliferation of studies on policy implementation and interpretation, there is the relative lack of empirical research on how local actors make sense of and implement policies in higher education. In addition, most of the extant studies has been done in countries with a decentralized higher education system, overlooking countries with a transitional higher education system. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how university officials (vice-rectors, deans, heads, faculty members) interpret and implement the Serpin policy in Kazakhstan that has the transitional system. This study employed exploratory sequential mixed methods research design that contains two phases: qualitative, that has higher priority, followed by quantitative. In the first phase, I first explored through document analysis and one-on-one interviews how the policy is framed and implemented at the central level so that these data could be used as a baseline. Then, using this baseline, I explored through document analysis and semi-structured interviews how university officials make sense of and implement the policy, and what affects their sensemaking. In the second phase, I investigated the projected outcomes of the university officials’ implementation of the policy as perceived by the Serpin students, employing a survey developed based on the qualitative findings. The participants of this study included 25 university officials from three universities, one policymaker, and 295 undergraduate students. The study has several main findings. First, the state narrative of the Serpin policy included the description of its goals, problems it aims to address, and the image of the target population. Also, the Ministry of Education and Science is implementing the Serpin program, using an educational grant, which does not imply mandatory employment in the region of study, as a policy instrument. Second, university officials’ understanding of the Serpin policy diverged from state messaging, illustrating their synthesis of state and local messaging into a locally driven narrative. In addition, university officials did not make any changes in their practices to achieve the program’s goals, demonstrating satisficing implementation behavior. They did not offer specialized services or support for the Serpin students. This approach appears not to be fully effective in producing the main expected policy outcome, namely the retention of the Serpin graduates in the region of their higher education provider. Third, university officials’ sensemaking was most influenced by power (the interaction with powerful actors), followed by a lesser degree, the perception of region, the interaction with target population, the perception of institution, personal beliefs and experiences, institutional leadership, the interaction with employers, and the perception of existing policies. It can be concluded that local actors in transitional systems can be active policy sense-makers but passive policymakers. Their discretion to decide how to implement policies handed down from above may directly affect the achievement of expected policy outcomes.Item Restricted TEACHER APPRAISAL FOR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING: PERSPECTIVES FROM ONE SECONDARY SCHOOL IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2022-04) Ablayeva, MoldirMuch attention has been focused on educational accountability globally. Therefore, teacher appraisal has become a high-stake teacher certification process in many contexts with the growing demand to enhance the quality of education. Countries have started implementing teacher appraisal policies and practices to meet these requirements. However, in many countries including Kazakhstan, the accountability purpose of teacher appraisal (attestation) prevails and therefore it fails to improve teachers’ professional learning and development. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has repeatedly identified the specific need for Kazakhstan to link teacher appraisal practices to high-quality professional development opportunities to improve teacher classroom practice. Thus, Kazakhstan has invested in teacher quality by initiating and launching the law on teacher status, developing professional standards, and increasing teacher salaries through its new teacher appraisal policy. However, since these initiatives have been taken recently, there exist gaps in understanding how the newly introduced teacher appraisal works, especially in the mainstream schools in Kazakhstan. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore teachers’ and school leaders’ perceptions of teacher appraisal and its influences on teachers’ professional learning in a secondary mainstream school in Kazakhstan. Using the principles of adult learning theory as a framework, the data were collected through 23 one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 15 research participants, observations of teacher appraisal meetings, and analysis of relevant documents. The study findings revealed that teacher appraisal enhances career development, engages teachers in multiple professional development opportunities, encourages teacher leadership, and motivates teachers to stay on the job. Also, the study revealed that the current teacher appraisal in Kazakhstan prioritizes breadth over depth of appraisal practices thus making teachers more accountable for their performativity rather than continuous learning. Although these findings reflect some principles of adult learning theory, they are hardly self-directed and based on teachers’ individual needs. By exploring current teacher appraisal and its influences on teacher learning through the lens of adult learning theory, this study contributes to the current understanding of teacher appraisal and its influences on teacher professional learning. The study also offers useful insights to the policymakers, school leaders, and teachers about the conceptualization and practices of teacher appraisal in Kazakhstan.Item Restricted TEACHING MIXED-AGE GROUPS IN RURAL, UNGRADED KAZAKHSTANI SCHOOLS: TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVES(Graduate School of Education, 2022-02) Lopez Lara, Marcelo JorgeIn Kazakhstan, ungraded schools account for 56.5% of all schools (Yakavets & Dzhadrina, 2014). The State Program of Education Development for 2011-2020 (Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan, 2010) affirms that one out of six students in the country attends an ungraded school. According to the Multi-dimensional Review of Kazakhstan (OECD, 2016), ungraded schools tend to be understaffed, under-resourced, with students often underperforming. Thus, the challenge of teaching and learning in Kazakhstan's 4331 ungraded schools serving every sixth student (Ministry of Education and Science, 2010) has recently emerged as a growing area of policy concern in a national education system aspiring to prepare human capital capable of bringing Kazakhstan into the top 30 economies in the world. Although single and mixed-age groups in rural schools have traditionally been encapsulated under the ungraded school umbrella, each group has its peculiarities and must be addressed differently from the teaching perspective and given the complexity of the problem, the research requires focus to understand the phenomenon. The research purpose of this qualitative multiple case study inquiry is to explore the perspectives of rural teachers regarding their teaching practices before mixed-age groups to understand the factors hindering or enhancing those practices as well as to identify opportunities and challenges for teaching improvement. The study investigates teaching mixed-age groups, using in-depth interviews of five teachers, observations, and document analysis. The study aims to create awareness of the current teaching practices in some ungraded schools to indicate potential learning risks and, to underline opportunities and challenges to improve teaching practices for mixed-age groups. Furthermore, the study could enable, with evidenced adaptive ways of teaching, the continuation of essentially non-viable school to support communities.Item 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, LauraThe 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.Item Restricted PLAYING TO THINK CRITICALLY: A DELPHI STUDY ON DIGITAL GAMES FOR CRITICAL THINKING(Graduate School of Education, 2022-08) Khanin, StanislavAs advocated by many researchers, policymakers, and educational authorities, critical thinking, in its many forms and definitions, is a key to sustainable development, life, and career readiness, and therefore an essential component to be embraced by educational systems. One of the ways that the development of critical thinking could be supported is through the medium of digital technology and digital games. Current research on the relationship between digital games and critical thinking is in its infancy and this study aims to cover this research gap. This thesis explores the position of international subject-matter experts (SMEs) to present a comprehensive picture of how digital technologies and games can be used as a medium to develop critical thinking. The research employs a research design based on the “contributory” Kantian Delphi method that was chosen to provide as many perspectives on the nature of an under-researched phenomenon as possible. The study included three Kantian Delphi rounds deploying three anonymous questionnaires. Thirty-six SMEs joined Round 1 (22 SMEs—Round 2, nine SMEs—Round 3), all with diverse professional backgrounds related to education and technology. Participants included teachers, game developers, researchers, methodologists, and other specialists working with digital technology in education. The findings of the study demonstrate that SMEs conceptualize critical thinking in various ways. These differences were evident when analyzed with the theoretical framework of this study. SMEs’ definitions of critical thinking fit within the psychological (17 SMEs), philosophical (9 SMEs), and educational (8 SMEs) traditions of thought as theorized by Sternberg (1986). The majority of SMEs’ accounts of critical thinking included cognitive skills, judgments, and dispositions (23 SMEs), with some of them also exemplifying critical action (6 SMEs). SMEs emphasized both the relevance of critical thinking to an individual’s development (18 SMEs), as well as its importance to society (12 SMEs). At least 16 SMEs made connections to creative thinking, which, as discussed in this...Item Restricted LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE IN THE UYGHUR COMMUNITY IN THE CONTEXT OF TRILINGUAL EDUCATION POLICY IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2022-04) Makhmutova, AlfiraThis study investigates Uyghur community stakeholders’ attitudes in relation to the trilingual education policy and Uyghur language maintenance in Kazakhstan. The Uyghurs form a minority group (1.4%) of 224,000 people in Kazakhstan positioned fifth out of 130 ethnic groups behind ethnic Kazakhs, Russians, Uzbeks and Ukrainians (Smailova, 2011, p. 10). The Uyghur language belongs to the Turkic group of the Altaic family of languages and Uyghurs, as with other minorities in Kazakhstan, are given the right to receive education in their mother tongue. However, over the last three decades, the number of Uyghur schools has sharply declined. Additionally, with the implementation since 2014 of a policy on trilingual education—that embraces teaching subjects in Kazakh, Russian, and English—Uyghur language maintenance has become even more of a challenge. This work explores various Uyghur stakeholders’ attitudes and responses towards the maintenance of the Uyghur language in the context of such an important Kazakhstani policy. The study focuses on factors that influence language maintenance in the Uyghur community including attitudes towards different languages alongside the deliberate actions of community leaders, active community members, teachers and parents. A total of 24 participants took part in this study based on an ethnographic approach. Data for this study were collected primarily through semi-structured interviews as well as participant observation and focus group discussions. Two theoretical frameworks informed this study: Kloss’ (1966) identified clear-cut and ambivalent factors that influence language maintenance and shift in migrant contexts, and Giles et al.’s (1977) Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory. It was found that the trilingual education policy views expressed by stakeholders are positive; they believe the policy will have a positive impact and will contribute to the progress of Uyghur children. On the other hand, there is also a view that this policy will affect the minority schools’ future. Moreover, this study reveals that the national identity and stakeholders’ attitudes towards all four languages are identified as factors affecting Uyghur language maintenance. The findings also suggest that the school is one of the key domains among other domains, namely, meshrep (male gathering), theater, Institute, and the newspaper, where the Uyghur language is being maintained. This study concludes that the trilingual education is a policy which might not be rejected by the Uyghur community; rather, it is seen as an important policy, which needs to be implemented appropriately though the Uyghur community. However, community stakeholders and policymakers need to pay more attention to the development of school domain as it was regarded as one of the key domains that contribute to maintenance of Uyghur language in Kazakhstan.Item Restricted EXPLORING FORMAL MENTORING PROGRAMMES WITHIN THE PRACTICUM PROGRAMMES IN KAZAKHSTAN(Graduate School of Education, 2022) Turmukhambetova, LyazatInitial 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.Item 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, AigulKazakhstan, 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.Item Restricted KAZAKHSTANI PRIMARY PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF ASSESSMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW SURVEY: AN EXPLORATORY SEQUENTIAL MIXED METHODS RESEARCH(Graduate School of Education, 2021-07) Makhmetova, ZhadyraThe double role of pre-service teachers (PTs) as future teachers and as students challenges the findings of many studies on PTs’ understanding of assessment. Only a few studies consider PTs as both students and teachers at the same time. More research is needed in this field, and more specifically in the context of Kazakhstan where there is a limited number of studies examining primary PTs’ education. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to conduct a qualitative study to explore how Kazakhstani primary PTs learn about, and develop their understanding of, educational assessment; (2) to develop a survey based on the findings of the qualitative study to specifically address primary PTs in the Kazakhstani context; (3) to administer this contextually and culturally sensitive survey in the quantitative phase to test it and explore Kazakhstani primary PTs’ understanding of educational assessment. These three purposes were met and supported by the sequential exploratory mixed methods design and its three phases. The research site was the Pedagogy and Methodology of Primary Education Program at Kazakhstani Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) which prepare future primary teachers. Phase 1 was a qualitative study at one of these HEIs. It involved the analysis of documents, six focus group interviews with 34 primary PTs, and one-on-one interviews with five of their teacher educators. Building on qualitative Phase 1 findings, the Kazakhstani Pre- service Teachers’ Understanding of Assessment survey was developed and pilot tested in Phase 2. This survey was administered in Phase 3 with 210 primary PTs enrolled in the Pedagogy and Methodology of Primary Education Program at the 10 Kazakhstani HEIs which agreed to participate in this research. Both strands of data, qualitative Phase 1 and quantitative Phase 3, were subsequently integrated and the joint results interpreted in relation to the theoretical background and previous studies. The results of this study revealed that Kazakhstani primary PTs’ experiences—as pupils at schools, as students at universities, and as student-teachers during practicum—contributed to their perception of multiple understandings of assessment with a dominant view on control, accountability, accuracy, and teaching values. The main contribution of this study is the development of a survey culturally sensitive and relevant to PTs in the Kazakhstani context. In conclusion, I submit several implications for theory, methodology, policy and practice, and for teacher education programs, and I suggest several recommendations for future research.Item Restricted FACULTY EXPERIENCES OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN THREE KAZAKHSTANI UNIVERSITIES WITH DIFFERENT GOVERNANCE SYSTEMS(Graduate School of Education, 2021) Rydchenko, ViktoriyaThe 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.Item Restricted SECONDARY SCHOOL NOVICE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING AND EXPERIENCES OF BECOMING A TEACHER PROFESSIONAL IN KAZAKHSTAN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY(Graduate School of Education, 2021) Namyssova, GulnaraThe role and status of teachers have been key agenda items of education reform in Kazakhstan since its independence. The evolving conceptualizations of teaching and teacher in Kazakhstan necessitate a deeper understanding of teachers’ perceptions of teacher professionalism and the concept of being a teacher professional. This is particularly important for novice teachers in the process of forming their professional identity. Therefore, this thesis explores novice teachers’ understanding of teacher professionalism, by identifying their perceptions of the attributes of teacher professionalism, by eliciting novice teacher reflections on themselves as teaching professionals, and by gaining insights on the contribution of initial teacher education to the development of their professionalism. This study employs a qualitative phenomenological methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 novice teachers of public schools of Nur-Sultan city and this constituted the main data source for this study. An analytical inductive data analysis approach was utilized to analyze the collected data. The study revealed that novice teachers of public schools of Nur-Sultan city understand professionalism as a phenomenon that implies a strong knowledge base, limited decision-making power, and grand responsibilities for human betterment. The participants perceive the development of teacher professionalism as a process that involves ongoing learning and it starts with initial teacher education. The initial teacher education is perceived as providing a foundation and basic knowledge, which is seen as insufficient, but a necessary part of the journey towards becoming a professional. The future teachers’ preparation for the profession is hindered by challenges associated with initial teacher education, i.e. insufficient provision of pedagogical knowledge, the gap between university and school, and insufficient practicum. Another important finding of the study is that none of the participants consider themselves professionals during the initial years of teaching due to a lack of experience and practical knowledge. They rather see themselves as novice teachers proceeding towards professionalism. The knowledge generated by this study will contribute to the literature by providing a conceptualization of teacher professionalism from Kazakhstani novice teachers’ perspectives, revealing the important challenges associated with initial teacher education which causes the under-preparedness of the novice teachers and identifying the specific issues faced by novice teachers during their initial years in the profession. Based on the findings of the study implications for practice and policy are made on pre-service teacher preparation and in-service teacher professional development.Item Restricted RESEARCH EDUCATION OF DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION REFORMS IN KAZAKHSTAN: CASES OF TWO UNIVERSITIES(Graduate School of Education, 2021-05) Kuchumova, GulfiyaTo prepare researchers who can “make important contributions to frontier research” (Bogle et al., 2010, p. 3) is a primary function of PhD education. PhD (doctoral) students grow as researchers by acquiring research competences through participation in a complex series of doctoral education practices (Cumming, 2010). While we have much to learn from previous research on how doctoral students are taught to do research, there is still limited understanding of research competences developed at the PhD level (Böttcher & Thiel, 2018), the interplay of doctoral education practices and doctoral students’ research competences, as well as how the development of research competences varies across disciplines and universities (Feldon, 2016). This study aims to explore how PhD programmes in Kazakhstan develop doctoral students’ research competences. A conceptual framework of PhD research education designed for this study is based on literature about research competences, research methods courses, supervision, research opportunities, and practice theory perspectives. The study employs a qualitative multiple case-study design and focuses on four PhD programmes belonging to two distinct disciplinary areas – Chemistry and History - at two universities in Kazakhstan. To gain a holistic picture of research education, this study uses different data sources. 26 participants – doctoral students, research methods instructors and local and international supervisors – took part in individual interviews. Document analysis complemented interview data. Findings from this study show that research competences developed in a PhD are interdisciplinary, knowledge-based, and comprise intellectual and technical research skills associated with the stages of the research process. The acquisition of these competences differs across individual doctoral students, localities, and more significantly between the disciplines. Despite the proliferation of research opportunities in PhD programmes, the acquisition of research competences remains substantially dependent on supervisors. This raises concerns over the quality of research education when supervision is highly non- directive and hands-off. The low contribution of other doctoral education practices is related to faculty members’ limited research capacity and pedagogy, low organisational quality, inadequate institutional research environment, and insufficient state support. The study argues that in contrast to externally-driven and top-down approaches, sustainable improvement of research education in Kazakhstan could be achieved by building the capacity of PhD programmes locally. This, in turn, requires a more substantial focus on educational gains and pedagogy of research education, as well as the environment it is embedded in.Item Restricted PRACTICES PROMOTING INCLUSION OF ADULT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN KAZAKHSTANI TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTIONS (TVETIS)(Graduate School of Education, 2021) Assanbayev, ArmanThis study discusses inclusive education in the Kazakhstani context. Next, the chapter elaborates on inclusive education policy context of Kazakhstan. Since the thesis covers the topic of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the chapter sheds the light on inclusive education in TVET system of Kazakhstan. The chapter also elucidated on the main concepts of the study such as inclusion, adult student, disability and TVET. Then, the chapter introduces the problem statement, research questions and aims and objectives of the study. Special attention was paid to the significance and motivation of the study. The chapter also covered the topic of contribution of the study. Finally, the chapter provided guidance for the whole thesis with the short outline of each chapter...Item Restricted MAPPING INTERACTIONS OF UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY-GOVERNMENT PARTNERSHIPS IN RESEARCH: BIBLIOMETRIC AND MIXED METHODS SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF PATENTS IN KAZAKHSTAN DURING 1993-2018(Graduate School of Education, 2021-07) Orynbassarova, DilaraThis study aims to map the interaction of university, industry, and government (UIG) partnerships in research in Kazakhstan and pursues two major goals. First, the research aims to analyze the patterns of UIG partnerships in research, and identify factors that may stimulate or constrain them. To analyze the patterns of UIG interactions, the study aims to understand to what extent UIG actors participate in research co-patenting, and how they contribute to joint research patenting in Kazakhstan; and employs co-patent data as the measurement of UIG research collaborations. Second, via identifying the factors that stimulate and constrain UIG to partner in research, the study identifies the motives for revealed patterns and benefits of UIG research collaborations in the context of Kazakhstan. The concepts of social network analysis (SNA) along with the model of the triple helix are used to explain the UIG interactions in joint research. The mixed-methods study is conducted in three phases composed of a) a bibliometric study (Phase 1), and b) a social network quantitative (Phase 2) and qualitative study (Phase 3). The results indicate the underdevelopment of research partnerships between UIG participants in Kazakhstan. In comparison to many bilateral co-patent collaborations, there has been found very little tripartite collaboration among UIG participants. Both quantitative and qualitative results suggest the prevalence of the etatistic model of UIG in Kazakhstan, where the government takes the initiative and leadership in establishing UIG partnerships in research by contributing to the science core, and stimulating research and development through governmental funding and programs (OECD, 2013). The joint partnerships in research remain weak, and are mainly constrained by such factors as shortage of resources, inadequate coordination mechanisms, lack of interest by industry, lack of mutual trust, complex bureaucracy, and weak patent commercialization and implementation processes. The study inputs multiple contributions to research and policy. The study proposes insights for policy; and adds to the international and national empirical literature on UIG partnerships, including the triple helix and social network analysis. The study examines UIG interactions through an unexplored framework of SNA relational property using qualitative component. By connecting the network structure with an actor perspective, the study holistically constructs & maps UIG relationship patterns utilizing both structural & relational properties. It empirically examines the triple helix application & synergy in the context of the Post-Soviet region, and provides the context specific impeding factors to adapting the TH model.Item Restricted FACULTY PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF AUTONOMY REFORMS IN KAZAKHSTANI HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS(Graduate School of Education, 2020-05) Apergenova, RenataThe 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.