Mapping Educational Change in Kazakhstan

by Colleen McLaughlin (Editor), Liz Winter (Editor), Natallia Yakavets (Editor)

Overview

Based on an in-depth, ten-year study, this novel book examines the reform of Kazakhstan's education system, from the initial plans and models of change, through to the implementation at all stages and places in the education system. Through an exploration of a wide range of data, it maps the problems, models, challenges, interventions, and successes of educational change. It covers the viewpoints of all stakeholders involved – policy makers, teachers, regional officials, head teachers, parents, and pupils – to provide a comprehensive assessment of the perspectives of people at all levels. It will be invaluable to those interested in the implementation of radical development and change, and it is essential reading for researchers and students in education reform and education policy, as well as teachers and educational professionals. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781009074483
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/10/2025
Series:	Cambridge Education Research
Pages:	356
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.61(h) x 0.74(d)

About the Author

Colleen McLaughlin is Emeritus Professor of Education, University of Cambridge. She was Director of Education Innovation at the Faculty of Education, where she led the Education Reform and Innovation team. Her research interests include educational reform, school university partnerships for educational research, teacher development, and mental health in schools.

Liz Winter is a Lecturer in Educational Psychology at the School of Education, University of Exeter. Apart from researching the impacts of educational reform, she is a chartered psychologist interested in how wellbeing is meaningfully constructed and measured in non-western contexts.

Natallia Yakavets is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Management at the School of Education, Nottingham University. Her research interests relate to how processes of educational reform influence school leadership, teacher professional learning, and the quality of student learning along with inclusion.

Table of Contents

List of Figures; List of Tables; List of Contributors; Acknowledgements; Preface Nick Fielding; Introduction Colleen McLaughlin and David Bridges; Part I. Foundation of Scaling Up: 1. Rationale for and Perceptions of the Educational Reform in Kazakhstan Kulyash Shamshidinova, Svetlana Ispusinova, Zhanyl Zhontayeva and Colleen McLaughlin; 2. The New Educational Structures and Networks as Drivers of National Modernisation: The How of Transformation Svetlana Ispussinova and Nazipa Ayubayeva, with Olga Mozhayeva, Zhanar Abdildina, Zhanbota Kabdykarimova and Aidana Shilibekova; 3. The Translation of 'World Class' Academic Research Practices in Kazakhstan Olena Fim'yar, Kairat Kurakbayev and David Bridges; 4. Teaching Science in English in Secondary Schools in Kazakhstan: Policy and Practice Perspectives Bridget Goodman, Alexandra Nam, Almira Yembergenova and Kathy Malone; 5. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Kazakhstani Schools Tsediso Michael Makoelle, Daniel Hernández-Torrano, Michelle Somerton and Natallia Yakavets; Part II. Piloting Initiatives and Scaling Up to the Whole System: 6. Piloting the Renewed Content of Education Natallia Yakavets, Liz Winter, Assel Kambatyrova and Aizhan Ramazanova; 7. Revising the Content and Standards of Student Assessment Olga Mozhayeva, Aidana Shilibekova and Dinara Ziyedenova and Zamira Rakhymbayeva; 8. New Ways of Financing Schools – Per Capita Funding Ali Ait Si Mhamed, Liz Winter, Rita Kasa, Gulmira Qanay, Zhanyl Zhontayeva and Laila Aringazina; 9. Professional Capacity of the Leading Schools as a Managing Mechanism in Updating the Content of Secondary Education in Kazakhstan Irina Ausheva and Zhanbota Kabdykarimova; 10. The Teacher Leadership in the Kazakhstan Initiative: Antecedents and Achievements Gulmira Qanay and David Frost; 11. Developing Teachers as Researchers: Action Research as a School Development Approach Nazipa Ayubayeva and Colleen McLaughlin; Part III. Evidence on Implementation: 12. The Aims and Methods of Evidence Collection: Introductory Comments on Part 3 Liz Winter and Colleen McLaughlin; 13. Regional Case Study 1 Liz Winter, Nazipa Ayubayeva and Zarina Khamidulina; 14. Regional Case Study 2 – A Regional Study of Stakeholders' Perspectives on Education Reform in Kazakhstan Olena Fimy'ar, Janet Helmer, Xeniya Tursunbayeva, Laila Aringazina; 15. Regional Case Study 3. A Regional Study of Stakeholders' Perspectives on Education Reform in Kazakhstan Natallia Yakavets, Kathy Malone, Zhanyl Zhontayeva, and Gulmira Qanay; 16. Beyond Piloting: A Reflection on Coherence and Systemic Implementation Liz Winter, Zhadyra Makhmetova and Kathy Malone; Part IV. Conclusions: 17. Reflections and Pathways Colleen McLaughlin; Select Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

‘Rarely do scholars look back to assess the impact of a reform ten or twenty years later. This book fills this gap: the distinguished authors examine how the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools evolved over time and which of their key features were actually scaled up and adopted by regular public schools. Moving beyond mere description, this book is a very important contribution to comparative policy studies as it captures the fascinating new trend towards internationalization, typically first piloted in a few experimental schools of the country with the promise of infusing later on the innovations into the remaining public schools.’ Gita Steiner-Khamsi, Professor and UNESCO Chair in Comparative Education Policy Teachers College, Columbia University, New York

From the Publisher