Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development
In Kazakhstan, pedagogical colleges and universities provide education for prospective primary school teachers. Pedagogical colleges offer a two year program for general secondary education graduates and a four year program for basic secondary education graduates. Graduates of pedagogical colleges typically continue their education at a pedagogical university.
Pedagogical universities provide education for prospective primary school teachers, including courses in science and mathematics, in accordance with Kazakhstan’s Classification of Specialties in Higher and Postgraduate Education. Model curricula for pedagogy and methodology of elementary education, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and geography are based on the State Mandatory Standards of Higher Education.
The theoretical component of Kazakhstan’s teacher education programs consists of 129 credits (206 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, or ECTS, credits). Programs provide additional types of training, such as a professional internship (20 credits) and physical training (16 credits). Graduates obtain a bachelor’s degree in education and a corresponding qualification (e.g., primary school teacher, mathematics teacher, physics teacher, chemistry teacher, biology or geography teacher).
Teacher education is provided in two forms: full time and part time. Full time programs last four years for students who have completed general secondary education and three years for students who graduated from a college. Part time programs run three years for students who graduated from a college and two years for students who have completed higher education.
All pedagogical programs include subjects such as history of Kazakhstan, philosophy, foreign language, Kazakh (Russian) language, informatics, environment and sustainable development, introduction to the teaching profession, ethno-pedagogy, psychology and human development, and methods of teaching mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and geography. Depending on their chosen major, prospective teachers may choose to take the following courses: Fundamentals of Educational Work, Fundamentals of Modern Kazakh (Russian) Language, Elementary Mathematics, Astronomy, Chemical Ecology, or Introduction to Biology.
Within the framework of the Professional Guidance for Teachers course, prospective teachers are introduced to new teaching approaches, develop critical thinking skills, learn to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in teaching, and study leadership and management of change in education. Prospective elementary school teachers study core subjects including Fundamentals of Natural Science and Methods of Teaching Knowledge of the World.
Prospective teachers are required to complete a professional internship organized according to the specifics of their specialization. For example, internships for prospective teachers in the pedagogy and methodology of elementary education include educational and pedagogical training (Introduction to Pedagogical Activity), educational and introductory training (Fundamentals of Natural Science), pedagogical training (Pedagogical Diagnostics of Juniors, Methods of Educational Work, Trial Lessons, and The First Days of a Child at School), a pedagogical internship, and a diploma internship.
Teacher education programs use conventional and unconventional technologies and education techniques. These include interactive technologies, critical thinking development technologies, dialogue training, case studies, smart cards, basic schemes, conceptual tables, graphic representations of information, solving situational and practical tasks, and laboratory workshops.
Certification of teachers is governed by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Education of 2007. Certification defines the qualification requirements by complex analytic generalization of their professional competence. Qualification classification of teaching staff is retained for five years throughout Kazakhstan.14
Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development in Reading for Teachers
According to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Education, teachers should participate in active professional development at least once every five years.15 Kazakhstan has developed a system to support teacher professional development. Professional development of teachers is provided by professional development courses on the basis of 16 regional branches (14 regions and two cities of national status) of the JSC National Center for Professional Development “Orleu.” Teachers in Kazakhstan may take additional online courses. Methodological support and opportunities for professional development is provided by the Center of Excellence of the Autonomous Educational Organisation’s Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools.
Increasing the prestige of the teaching profession and teachers’ professional growth is motivated by annual competitions such as Best Teacher, Rural Teacher, Best Class Teacher, “Altyn Disc for ICT Teachers,” and contests on authorial teaching programs. There are financial and moral incentives for winning.