ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THE PLANNED AND ENACTED CURRICULUM: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF INTEGRATING CRITICAL THINKING IN THE HISTORY CURRICULUM IN TWO LYCEUM SCHOOLS IN ASTANA

Abstract

Kazakhstan's education reforms after independence in 1991 have concentrated on the school curriculum. Kazakhstan has implemented several curriculum modifications to replace the curriculum model it inherited from the Soviet Union, which was perceived as too focused on content and less so on developing students’ critical thinking. Modernizing the curriculum has been used to help achieve the country’s development goals. A series of curriculum changes in Kazakhstan collectively known as the "Updated Curriculum Reform" sought to modernize existing teaching strategies by requiring teachers to switch from learner-centered to teacher-centered pedagogy in an effort to foster students' capacity for critical thought, problem-solving, and research....