Teachers' Well-Being in Kazakhstan: A secondary-data analysis into its Conceptualization, Influencing Factors, and Outcomes based on TALIS 2018 data

Abstract

Teacher well-being is a cornerstone of effective education systems, significantly influencing both educator performance and student outcomes. This quantitative, cross-sectional, explanatory study investigates the multidimensional nature of teacher well-being in Kazakhstan using secondary data from the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2018. Grounded in the OECD Teachers’ Well-being Framework and the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, the study analyzes responses from a final sample of 4,706 lower secondary teachers nested within 257 schools. The study addresses four research questions concerning the conceptualization, status, determinants, and outcomes of well-being. The findings confirm that teacher well-being in Kazakhstan is a multidimensional construct, yet reveal a deep polarization within the workforce. While a minority of teachers are thriving, a significant proportion fall into "At-Risk" or "Burnt-Out" categories. A critical finding is the identification of a "High-Performing but Exhausted" profile, indicating that high professional efficacy is often maintained at the expense of physical and mental health. The analysis further highlights that social support and work autonomy are critical protective resources, whereas workload and status inconsistency, particularly among teachers with Master’s degrees- are significant stressors. Moreover, well-being is identified as a strong predictor of student-teacher relations, innovation, and retention. The significance of this study is threefold, encompassing contributions to theory, research, and practice. Theoretically, it extends the OECD Teachers' Well-being Framework to the understudied region of Central Asia, filling a gap in the literature by validating a multi-dimensional construct of well-being in a non-Western context. Methodologically, it represents the first attempt to use the standardized TALIS 2018 dataset to assess teacher well-being in Kazakhstan, strengthening the reliability of findings compared to prior custom questionnaires and establishing a benchmark for future cross-country comparisons. Practically, the results offer evidence-based insights for policymakers to develop targeted interventions that go beyond existing legislation. By informing policy adjustments related to training, workload management, and professional development, this study provides a framework for improving teacher retention and fostering a supportive school climate, thereby contributing to long-term improvements in the quality of education.