TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PRACTICES IN KAZAKHSTAN: A CASE OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLTEACHERS

Abstract

Teachers’ Perspectives on Inclusive Education Practices in Kazakhstan: A Case of International Schoolteachers Inclusive education emphasizes giving all students the same educational opportunities, regardless of their sexual orientation, language, color, talents, challenges, or background. As we approach the third decade of the twenty-first century, inclusion continues to be one of the significant challenges confronting every school, including international schools. While there has been a lot of interest in implementing inclusive education, effective inclusion has been hampered by teachers’ misconceptions about inclusive education, teaching diverse students, and classroom management skills. The present study investigated teachers’ perspectives and experiences of inclusive education practices in international schools across three regions in Kazakhstan. The study adopted a qualitative case study approach, and the data collection used semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews with seven teachers from five international schools. Thematic data analysis was utilized to analyze the data according to the six steps proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006) using NVivo software. Four main findings are reported in this study. Firstly, the international schoolteachers had diverse understandings of inclusive education; they perceived it from both broad and narrow perspectives. Secondly, international schools have policies and support systems that help implement inclusive education. However, they are influenced by how teachers perceive inclusive education. Thirdly, teachers employed various classroom strategies such as curriculum differentiation and collaboration to meet the diverse needs of their students. Lastly, challenges to effective inclusive education practices were noted. The findings are helpful to international school administrators in identifying and prioritizing support and professional learning, and to underline the need for professional learning in inclusive pedagogy.