Universities In Kazakhstan Research Articles

Gaps between policy aspirations and enactment: graduate students’ struggles with academic English amidst a turbulent transition to the EMI environment in Kazakhstani universities

ABSTRACT This study investigated multilingual students’ linguistic challenges at English-medium instruction (EMI) universities in Kazakhstan. Using language policy and planning as a theoretical lens, this study looked at EMI policy in general, particularly the academic English challenges of students due to a haphazard implementation of the EMI policy in Kazakhstani universities. The data were collected through an online survey and semi-structured interviews held with students and instructors at eight purposefully selected EMI universities in Kazakhstan. The data analysis revealed that over 70% of students had no prior exposure to EMI, 66.9% were dissatisfied with their English proficiency, 65.3% were dissatisfied with their literacy skills, and 72.6% did not enjoy reading and writing in English. Therefore, their transition to the EMI environment was chaotic and stressful. The EMI policy and practice seem to have failed because the macro-level policy from the top is not in sync with the resources and preparation at the micro-level (teachers and students). The ambitious goals of internationalization, global competitiveness, and human capital development through EMI cannot be achieved without careful planning, systematic implementation, and appropriate support mechanisms for students and instructors.

Case study on retraction of articles by <i>Thinking Skills and Creativity</i> journal

In 2022, the journal of the first quartile, indexed by Web of Science and Scopus, called Thinking Skills and Creativity, retracted 47 articles simultaneously. The author of this article found that 27 of the retracted articles belonged to authors from China, 10 – from Russia and 10 – from Kazakhstan. The article describes how the fact of retraction was perceived by the Kazakhstan authors of the retracted articles, what is the role of intermediaries, the degree of participation of the authors themselves in the work on the articles, what lessons were learned by the authors from this case. The research method used in this work is an interview with the authors responsible for correspondence, according to a questionnaire that included 11 questions. The sample included six authors from various universities of Kazakhstan. When analyzing the data, the content analysis method was used. The respondents’ answers to each question were analyzed by code and category. The answers showed that in order to publish an article in this journal, the authors: a) used the help of intermediaries; b) were not acquainted with the reviews in the process of double-blind peer-review; c) tried not to disclose the fact of retraction at their university; d) after retraction tried to make intangible claims to intermediaries, but were refused; e) in general, consider the fact of retraction an annoying misunderstanding due to the fault of the editorial board of the journal. This case clearly showed that it is necessary to purposefully and constantly improve the skills of authors in communication with foreign and domestic rating publications during the publication of scientific articles, to develop a culture of scientific writing at the institutional and individual level.

STRATEGIC PLANNING IN UNIVERSITIES OF KAZAKHSTAN IN THE POST-PANDEMIC PERIOD

The purpose of the research – This research aims to study the practices of strategy development in public and private universities in Kazakhstan and develop recommendations for their improvement. Particular attention is paid to the strategy development process, stakeholder engagement, the impact of the pandemic, as well as issues of well-being and digitalization.Methodology – Semi-structured face-to-face and online interviews were used as a collection method. The researchers conducted 7 semi-structured interviews with senior or middle managers who participated or are involved in the development of the strategy (rector, vice-rector, head of the department), as well as an analysis of strategic documents.Originality / value of the research – There are many studies in the scientific literature on the impact of the pandemic on various processes in higher education, but the impact on the strategic planning process, taking into account digitalization and the well-being of students and staff, is poorly studied. This study fills this gap, and also shows practices and difficulties in strategic planning at universities in Kazakhstan.Findings – In the process of strategic planning, there is a top-down approach, with low involvement of stakeholders. In public universities, the dominant role is played by key performance indicators (KPIs), released by the EOM, turning strategies into a plan to achieve these KPIs. The pandemic has prompted universities to take a strategic approach to digitalization, but well-being issues are not taken into account in the planning process.

Influence of premix for dairy cattle on milk productivity and milk quality of simmental breed cows

The paper shows the results of testing a new premix developed by scientists of the North Kazakhstan University named after M. Kozybayev. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of the new premix compared to the manufactured P-60-1. For this purpose, 3 groups of heifers of 10 heads were formed (1 – control, 2 group – diet with premix PSVM-1, 3 group – PSVM-2). The inclusion in the concentrate part of the silage-hay-hay rations of heifers instead of the premix P-60-1 produced by the feed industry, the premixes PSVM-1 and PSVM-2 developed by us allowed us to increase the concentration in the dry matter of the cobalt rations to 0,49 mg, copper – to 8,60–8,67 mg, zinc – to 30,4–30,6 mg, manganese – up to 44–45 mg, vitamin A – up to 3250–3300 м.е. and vitamin D – up to 1289–1276 м.е. The milk yield of the experimental groups of animals at a probability level of p<0,05 exceeded the control by 1,5 kg per day. The content of milk fat in the colostrum of cows of group 3 increased (6,18±0,18% versus 5,13±0,16 in the control) and vitamins A and D, which is very important for the normalization of metabolism in the body of a newborn calf at a probability level of p<0,001. Enriching the diet of animals with vitamin and mineral complex allowed the heifers of the experimental groups to get more growth live weight from 72 to 140 g in the third group per day at p<0,001.

“I am a mixed person of Kazakh, Turkish and English”: Multilingual students’ identity in EMI universities in Kazakhstan

With the increasing growth of English as a medium of instruction (EMI) programs around the globe, there is a need for systematic research situated within the multilingual nature of EMI settings. Drawing upon the theory of Pavlenko and Blackledge's (2004) identities in multilingual contexts, this study investigated the construction of students' identities in EMI universities in Kazakhstan. The data analysis revealed how multilingual students' identity can be affected by language ideologies and power relations of the wider sociolinguistic and socio-political context in Kazakhstan. The empirical evidence indicated that identity may consist of multiple domains, which can be reshaped depending on the contextual features. Multilingual students in EMI programs can construct a variety of identities due to the existing macro discourses shaping language ideologies in Kazakhstan and resist the imposed identities by exerting their agency. The findings of this research contribute geographically and theoretically to the existing EMI scholarship with nuanced insights on the sociolinguistic role of multilingualism in students' identity, which can be used to inform EMI policies and practices based on a bottom-up approach.

Conceptualising the Integration of Action Research into the Practice of Teacher Education Universities in Kazakhstan

This study provides a critical review and assessment of the problems of enhancing the research activity at a Kazakhstani pedagogical university that prepares future teachers. The aim of this study is to provide a rationale for the relevance of scientific and methodological support for increasing the research activity of teachers at pedagogical universities through the systematic integration of practitioner action research into professional practice. The value of action research is related to the change in and improvement of the professional practice of teachers based on the convergence of practice-oriented science and science-oriented practice. This work is in response to the gap in the professional preparation of future teachers, particularly in terms of developing research competencies and equipping future teachers with knowledge about action research. This is in marked contrast to in-service teachers who have been exposed to action research through the whole country’s ongoing reform of teacher education. Using a large survey of academic staff, the paper identifies the key factors influencing the research activity of university teachers. The findings from the survey and the narrative review suggest a willingness and openness to new ways of working among staff, which would make it possible to increase the research activity of university teachers themselves by integrating non-formal forms of research such as action research into their practice.

Navigating the potentials and barriers to EMI in the post-Soviet region: insights from Kazakhstani university students and instructors

ABSTRACT Kazakhstan has made remarkable strides forward in internationalisation of its higher education by adopting a trilingual education policy, joining the Bologna Process, cooperation with foreign universities, and academic mobility. As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of English medium instruction (EMI) programmes offered by Kazakhstani universities. However, despite the growing popularity of EMI, there is very little empirical evidence on how EMI is received in Kazakhstan. Using a qualitative research design, this study investigated graduate students’ and instructors’ perceptions and experiences of EMI in three purposefully selected universities in Kazakhstan. The data collected through semi-structured interviews revealed that EMI, in general, is seen as a prestige and high social status, a passport that facilitates entry to universities and job markets around the globe, and a pedagogical tool. However, the data also explored that EMI is a factor that creates inequalities and hardships, causing stress and anxiety in students. There are also concerns over the way the EMI policy is implemented on the ground, indicating a gap between policy aspirations and implementation that can be witnessed in many other countries around the world.

The Effect of Variables Associated with the Digital Learning Environment on Students' Motivation and Attitudes

The aim of this study is to determine the relationships between digital learning readiness, attitudes, academic motivation and attitudes of students studying in the department of educational sciences of a university in Kazakhstan in terms of some variables. The data of the study were obtained from 1st-4th grade students studying in the department of educational sciences of a university in Karaganda, Almaty, Aktau, Kazakhstan in the academic year 2021-2022 (N=261). Percentage, frequency, mean, Independent Samples t test, F test and Regression Analysis techniques were used to analyze the data. In the study, it was found that students' digital learning attitudes were positive and their digital learning readiness was at a moderate level. Digital learning readiness and attitudes of university students showed a significant difference according to gender variable. However, no difference was found in digital readiness and attitudes according to the class variable. Finally, according to the regression analyses, it was found that the participant university students' digital learning readiness and attitudes predicted their academic motivation and attitudes at a significant level.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION RESHAPING TOURISM EDUCATION: INVESTIGATING THE INFLUENCE OF MOOCS ON TEACHING TOURISM FUNDAMENTALS AND LOCAL LORE

With the rapid development of new innovative technologies in the education system, massive open online courses (MOOCs) have begun to appear. It is very important to evaluate the effectiveness of MOOC in teaching the basics of tourism and local lore to students of the educational program in Geography. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of teaching the discipline "Fundamentals of organising and conducting tourism and local lore activities" to students of the Geography educational programme of higher education institutions (universities) in Kazakhstan through MOOC. In the study, the elective subject "Fundamentals of organising and conducting tourism and local lore activities" was taught through MOOC on the Eduardo platform. The study consisted of two phases, with 14 students from the Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University (KNWTTU) as the control group and 19 students from the Astana International University (AIU) as the experimental group. As a result, at the first stage, KNWTTU and AIU students were approximately at the same level. In the second formative stage, students in the control group remained at the initial level, while students in the experimental group showed a high level. In the first phase, the experimental group scored 10.5% "high", 15.8% "medium" and 73.7% "low"; after MOOC training, 31.6% "high", 47.4% "medium" and 21% "low". Thus, the use of MOOC in the formation of tourism and local lore competence of future geography teachers contributes to the improvement of students' knowledge and understanding of their native land and the formation of tourism and local lore skills.

Assessment of Biology Teacher Candidates' Attitudes and Competencies Toward Virtual Reality Applications

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the attitudes and competencies of biology teacher candidates regarding virtual reality applications based on scientific and methodological developments for the improvement of the visualization system in biology. In this study, the survey model, which is one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The sample group of the research consists of 244 biology teacher candidates studying at various universities in Kazakhstan in the 2022–2023 academic year. Research data were collected with a virtual reality attitude and competence scale developed by the researchers. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and construct validity studies were carried out, reliability analyses of the scale were made to get the final form of the scale, and Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient was calculated. As a result of the research, it was determined that the attitudes of pre-service biology teachers towards virtual reality were high and their competencies related to virtual reality were low. This suggests that biology teacher candidates have a medium level of attitude and competence in the virtual reality attitude and competence scale. In line with the findings obtained from the research, suggestions were made to improve the virtual reality attitudes and competencies of teacher candidates.

Pedagogical Conditions for the Training of Future Teachers Based on Digital Educational Technologies

This study aimed to assess the pedagogical frameworks for developing future teachers using digital education technology. The mixed-methods design, which combines quantitative and qualitative approaches, was employed to develop this study. Three hundred seventeen teacher candidates who are enrolled at several universities in Kazakhstan make up the research team. The researchers created a semi-structured interview form and an attitude scale toward digital technology in order to gather research data. The data was determined to be regularly distributed. Therefore, descriptive statistics, the T-test, and one-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were employed to assess them. The descriptive analysis method was applied to study the research’s qualitative data. The study’s findings showed that most pre-service teachers who took part in it thought that teacher training programs based on digital technology had adequate pedagogical conditions. Based on its results, the study offers recommendations.

Women Leaders: Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in Higher Education in Kazakhstan

While impostor syndrome has attracted considerable scholarly interest in the Global North, in the context of Kazakhstan, it was mainly discussed on popular social outlets. This paper explores whether female leaders in higher education in Kazakhstan have experienced impostor feelings and if so, how -if at all- they overcame it. To explore it, a narrative approach was used to interview ten female leaders working in universities of Kazakhstan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the participants’ experience. This first study on Imposter Syndrome in Kazakhstan shows that almost all women leaders face these problems. Based on their experience of impostor syndrome, the participants provided recommendations to help cope with it.

Experience in forming entrepreneurial education in Kazakhstan universities in the conditions of information and digital development

Information and digital technologies can help in shaping the experience of using online courses for student entrepreneurs. This study constitutes an original investigation dedicated to the cultivation of entrepreneurial education experience within Kazakhstani universities, situated within the context of informational and digital development and the contemporary challenges encountered by all nations in the global arena. The main objective of this research was to determine how the academic performance of students studying entrepreneurship through online courses changed over time. The study enrolled 282 second-year and third-year students of the faculty of public administration, business, and law from one Kazakh university. In this study, an experimental design was employed to ascertain the effectiveness of integrating MOOC through the amalgamation of statistical data analysis and paired t-tests. The primary mode of assessment was testing, encompassing closed-end assessments comprising one hundred questions based on the outcomes of a specific course. Each question held a point value of one, with the maximum achievable score being one hundred points. The authors juxtaposed mean scores across different time intervals to ascertain the intervention’s impact on student performance. The Student’s t-test was utilized to compare the mean values by identifying significant disparities at the 0.05 level. The academic achievements of second-year students in some disciplines improved after the MOOC implementation compared to Point 1. According to the calculations, there was a significant difference in student performance before and after learning with MOOC; the mean score difference and t-value with the paired value are higher than the t-value in the tests of the first and last assessments. Thus, online courses have shown their effectiveness in improving student performance in all ten subjects of the entrepreneurial course. This contributed to improved efficiency of the educational process and the implementation of information and digital technology in the online environment without losing its productivity. This research is of practical value as it indicates the need to integrate information and digital technologies into entrepreneurial education. Educational institutions, curricula, and scientific research may use these findings.

Exploring the use of ICT by language instructors at a university in Kazakhstan: Expectations, realities, and factors influencing adoption

The field of English Language Teaching (ELT) is undergoing a revolutionary shift in response to the spread of English as a lingua franca around the world, aligning itself with the needs of English as a tool for international communication (Cameron & Galloway, 2019). This change calls for a closer look at how teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) in ELT and how they view the changing environment. Research on educators’ attitudes about the use of ICT is crucial to examine before adopting such changes to ICT use practices, since this offers invaluable insights into the viability of curriculum innovation in language teaching and learning. There have been more studies addressing language attitudes on ICT use, but there remains a scarcity of studies that look at instructors’ views regarding ICT use beliefs from the perspective of multilingualism. Even though the body of knowledge about language instructors’ attitudes has grown, few studies have looked at teachers’ attitudes about ICT use from the perspective of their multilingualism (Dalvit, 2010). By filling this important gap, the current study aims to clarify how instructors’ perceptions of English, Russian and Kazakh in Kazakhstan’s higher education context interact with micro (personal beliefs), meso (colleagues in the department) and macro (wider environment). These attitudes have the potential to have a substantial impact on how successfully ICT use approaches are incorporated into a multilingual educational environment. Our understanding of how teachers’ ICT use attitudes manifest within the Kazakh multilingual context.

Interactive training in the organization of independent work of students in universities of Kazakhstan

The purpose of the article is to improve the methods and forms of teaching students, the formation of a scientifically based unified system. The training of qualified specialists at the university requires the use of new forms and methods of teaching. It is necessary to identify and improve the ways of education based on innovative pedagogical technologies. One of the new tasks of state strategies remains to increase the requirements for training specialists in the international education market and the active introduction of modern innovative technologies into the educational process, support for the promotion of scientific technology in higher education and medicine. The introduction of interactive learning technologies into the educational process, including the use of remote technologies with video content, the strengthening of the material and technical base for medical and technical specialties, the increase in the number of electronic reading rooms, the organization of research work, continues widely.It should be noted that modern innovative technologies are widely used not only in the educational process, but also in the training of competitive young professionals who are in high demand on the international market. Effective ways of education are determined at the level of knowledge using various methods. Today, along with the basic teaching methods formed in the learning process, new methods are often used. The assessment of the level of knowledge of students is determined by various teaching methods.

Physical fields as factors of natural processes in the works of the center for astrophysical research of North Kazakhstan University

Physical fields as factors of natural processes in the works of the center for astrophysical research of North Kazakhstan University

Effects of implementing a problem-solving template in introductory physics courses

Many introductory physics textbooks include problem-solving templates that are intended to assist students in solving complex physics problems. Despite the widespread use of such templates, there is little evidence as to their effectiveness. In this study, we investigated the effects of using a research-based problem-solving template in three physics courses at a university in Kazakhstan. We generally found that students who were taught using the problem-solving template performed significantly better than students in a control group on midterm examinations. However, we saw no difference between the control and template groups on the final examinations or post-test. We saw significant uptake (60%–80%) of the template components when we analysed homework solutions from the template group and found that student attitudes toward the template were generally positive. Interestingly, we did not find substantial correlations between course performance and the degree to which students used the template on their assignments. Overall, the results are somewhat inconclusive as to the effectiveness of research-based problem-solving templates in traditional physics classrooms because of the limited sample size, unique institutional context, and mixed results from the analysis. This indicates a need for more robust and continued research in the area of problem-solving templates.

The Moderating Role of Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control on the Effect of the University Environment and Program on Entrepreneurial Intention and Attitudes

<p style="text-align: justify;">This article examines the influence of the university environment and learning programs on students' entrepreneurial intentions and attitudes, considering the moderating roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and locus of control. The empirical analysis employs a multilevel (hierarchical) linear model, utilizing responses from 713 students across 30 universities in Kazakhstan who participated in the GUESSS 2021 project survey. Our findings reveal that students' entrepreneurial intentions are directly influenced by entrepreneurial self-efficacy and locus of control. However, the locus of control is also indirectly influenced by the university environment and learning program. The learning program's effect on both entrepreneurial aspirations and attitudes is mediated by self-efficacy. Locus of control, conversely, negatively affects both entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions in program learning. The study's results underscore that student entrepreneurship is shaped by personal factors such as self-efficacy and locus of control, alongside the university context. Interestingly, the findings also indicate interdependencies between these factors, further influencing students' entrepreneurial intentions and attitudes.</p>

Private supplementary tutoring and educational inequality in secondary education in Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT This mixed-methods study is the first to explore the association between fee-charging private supplementary tutoring (PT) participation and access to higher education in Kazakhstan from the perspectives of Grade 11 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Guided by the work of Entrich in 2018, a four-dimensional model of educational inequality in PT, this study found that the scale of PT had expanded during the pandemic, with 75.06% (623 out of 830) of participants engaged in PT, mainly to excel in the university entrance examinations and gain a state grant at their preferred university in Kazakhstan. Also, 73.8% of the students spent 40,000 tenge (US$88) or less on PT per month. Although participants’ families prioritized boys for providing PT services, most participants neither agreed nor disagreed that PT was a financial pressure on their families, probably because the majority attended group tutoring delivered at tutorial centres, and this mode of tutoring reduced the unit cost and gave them the attention they needed from their tutors. The 30 interviewees had positive attitudes towards PT, but some mentioned a few of its disadvantages, including the spread of less qualified, costly tutors due to the unregulated PT market in Kazakhstan. This study suggests pedagogical implications and areas for ongoing research.

Знание, наука, университет в координатах информационной агрессии (опыт социально-философского дискурса)

In this article, the author subjects the socio-philosophical analysis of the current state of science in the context of the information boom, the role of university education as a model of a universal institution. The author explores the nature of knowledge and its relationship with information. The article proposes an understanding of the parallels knowledge-information, knowledge-wisdom, knowledge-science. In such research coordinates, there is an understanding of the importance of the modern understanding of the meaning, role, status of knowledge in the conditions of modern information sabotage. The author evaluates knowledge through its two universal characteristics – universality and impersonality, which allows knowledge to exist for a long time and be firmly integrated into the human worldview system. Much attention in the article is paid to the question of the historicity of knowledge, its dependence on the historical scenery in which it arises, exists and is affirmed. The author notes how the most important attribute is his impersonality, in contrast to wisdom, which is more of an axiological nature. To confirm his author's positions, the article analyzes the scientific position of Lyotard, who is a supporter of functionalism, conceptualizing society as a machine. Within the thematic space of the article, the author draws attention to the main functions of university education in the modern world, its special role and responsibility in shaping the scientific picture of the world and obtaining universal knowledge. The author is convinced that the development of metacognitive complexes, in our opinion, should be dealt with by the university in the 21st century. Unfortunately, today's universities in Kazakhstan are limited only to the training of specialists who are hostages of their professional skills and, as a rule, do not allow a broader, more panoramic look at the world