Sticking and tipping points: a case study of preschool education policy and practice in Astana, Kazakhstan

Abstract

A case study of how Kazakhstan’s national kindergarten guidance is enacted in practice. Document analysis, interviews, and observations across six Astana settings reveal competing views of school readiness that both promote and constrain child-led activity. The analysis considers post/neo-colonial legacies, identifies sticking points to reform, and suggests processes for locally grounded praxis to achieve tipping points toward child-initiated pedagogy.