AN ANALYSIS OF STAKEHOLDERS' VIEWS ON THE DOMESTIC ACCREDITATION SYSTEM AND ACCREDITATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

The post-Soviet period in Kazakhstan saw the introduction of numerous reforms aimed at improving education, which led to the focus on the quality of higher education. In particular, the country’s higher education system has undergone major changes since joining the Bologna Process in 2010. As a result, education quality and assessment became a national priority and were identified as the country’s leading goal in the MoES Strategic Plan for 2014-2018. Despite introducing an external accreditation system twelve years ago, stakeholders continue to have ongoing disagreements about the domestic accreditation process and its impact on improving education quality. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore stakeholders' views about the domestic accreditation system, the process and its opportunities, and its impact on higher education based on the experience of one private university. This study utilized a qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews and the respondents consisted of five different stakeholder groups in one private Kazakhstani university....