Exploring Teachers’ Perceptions About the Impact of the Unified National Testing on Teaching and Learning in Kazakhstan: A Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

This study explores schoolteachers’ perceptions regarding the impact of Kazakhstan’s Unified National Testing (hereinafter, UNT) on four key educational domains: curriculum, teaching, accountability and students’ learning. The research addresses a gap in the literature by exploring teachers’ perceptions the extend of washback effect of the UNT. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed to provide both breadth and depth. Quantitative data were collected through an online questionnaire from 115 teachers, while qualitative insights were gathered via semi-structured interviews with teachers from both the public and private school sectors. Findings indicate that teachers perceive the UNT’s influence as moderate, selective and context-dependent rather than uniform. While the test is generally viewed as aligned with the state curriculum, this alignment often leads to selective curriculum narrowing, particularly in subjects where essential competencies are not assessed. Teachers report that the UNT results can be used as a diagnostic tool for instructional feedback but remain highly skeptical of their validity as measures of individual teaching quality or professional competence. In the domain of accountability, the study reveals that pressure has transitioned from formal, state-led mechanisms to more diffuse and informal forms, such as parental expectations and institutional reputation. The most significant impact was observed in the student domain; teachers perceive the UNT as simultaneously motivating academic effort while inducing extreme anxiety and exacerbating educational inequities through the expansion of the shadow education sector.