WORK-LIFE BALANCE EXPERIENCES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL MOTHER-TEACHERS IN KAZAKHSTAN: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

Abstract

Balancing professional responsibilities with personal life remains a critical challenge for working mothers, particularly in demanding professions like teaching. In Kazakhstan, where traditional gender norms persist and societal expectations are high, mother-teachers face unique pressures in trying to meet both professional and domestic demands. Despite the central role that women play in Kazakhstan’s education system, little is known about their lived experiences. This qualitative study investigates how mother-teachers perceive, experience, and manage their work-life balance. The research aims to understand the nuanced challenges they face, the coping mechanisms they develop, and how these experiences differ between urban and rural environments. Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study explores the influence of five environmental systems—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem—on the daily lives of mother-teachers. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with five mother-teachers from various regions of Kazakhstan. Participants were selected to reflect a range of experiences in terms of geographic location, family structure, and teaching background. The interviews revealed that work-life balance is not viewed as a static or universal concept but rather as a dynamic and context-dependent process. Teachers constantly negotiate between their roles, adjusting priorities based on the needs of their children, students, administrators, and extended family members. Participants identified multiple challenges including emotional strain, time pressure, and gendered expectations, but also reported using proactive time management, spousal and family support, and school-level flexibility as coping mechanisms. The study contributes to understanding the intersection of gender, profession, and culture in Kazakhstan and offers practical implications for education policy and school leadership to better support working mothers in education.