Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches
This research explores the Kazakhstani public schools’ English language teaching (ELT) policy. Despite numerous policy reforms to enhance English language teaching (ELT) in Kazakhstani public schools, relatively little research has examined teachers’ perspectives on the interface between the top-dow...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/66 |
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| author | Dinara Imanova Assel Akzhigitova Anastassia Zabrodskaja |
| author_facet | Dinara Imanova Assel Akzhigitova Anastassia Zabrodskaja |
| author_sort | Dinara Imanova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This research explores the Kazakhstani public schools’ English language teaching (ELT) policy. Despite numerous policy reforms to enhance English language teaching (ELT) in Kazakhstani public schools, relatively little research has examined teachers’ perspectives on the interface between the top-down policy and classroom realities. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by investigating the lived experience of English language (EL) teachers from 17 regions, highlighting significant disparities in resources, training, and personnel. The findings suggest that top-down policies create a mismatch with realities at the classroom level, where training is insufficient. Resources are lacking, and ELT policy intentions have not met the real needs of the EL teachers. This paper criticises the ELT policymaking for the marginalisation of the voices of EL teachers. Instead, it advocates a more participatory approach at the bottom of policymaking, which embodies educators themselves. This paper contributes to the wider discussion on language policy by drawing attention to the role of teacher agency, emphasising contextually valid and equitable policies that would address the relevance of ELT in multilingual and resource-lacking contexts like Kazakhstan. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-443111cc142f4ef3a0579a118d2af69c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-443111cc142f4ef3a0579a118d2af69c2025-01-24T13:30:27ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022025-01-011516610.3390/educsci15010066Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up ApproachesDinara Imanova0Assel Akzhigitova1Anastassia Zabrodskaja2Faculty of Philology, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, KazakhstanFaculty of Philology, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana 010008, KazakhstanBaltic Film, Media and Arts School, Tallinn University, 10120 Tallinn, EstoniaThis research explores the Kazakhstani public schools’ English language teaching (ELT) policy. Despite numerous policy reforms to enhance English language teaching (ELT) in Kazakhstani public schools, relatively little research has examined teachers’ perspectives on the interface between the top-down policy and classroom realities. Therefore, this study addresses this gap by investigating the lived experience of English language (EL) teachers from 17 regions, highlighting significant disparities in resources, training, and personnel. The findings suggest that top-down policies create a mismatch with realities at the classroom level, where training is insufficient. Resources are lacking, and ELT policy intentions have not met the real needs of the EL teachers. This paper criticises the ELT policymaking for the marginalisation of the voices of EL teachers. Instead, it advocates a more participatory approach at the bottom of policymaking, which embodies educators themselves. This paper contributes to the wider discussion on language policy by drawing attention to the role of teacher agency, emphasising contextually valid and equitable policies that would address the relevance of ELT in multilingual and resource-lacking contexts like Kazakhstan.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/66language policyEnglish language teaching (ELT)teacher agencyKazakhstantop-down approachbottom-up approach |
| spellingShingle | Dinara Imanova Assel Akzhigitova Anastassia Zabrodskaja Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches Education Sciences language policy English language teaching (ELT) teacher agency Kazakhstan top-down approach bottom-up approach |
| title | Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches |
| title_full | Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches |
| title_fullStr | Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches |
| title_short | Language-in-Education Policy for English Language Teaching in Public Schools of Kazakhstan: Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches |
| title_sort | language in education policy for english language teaching in public schools of kazakhstan top down vs bottom up approaches |
| topic | language policy English language teaching (ELT) teacher agency Kazakhstan top-down approach bottom-up approach |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/1/66 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dinaraimanova languageineducationpolicyforenglishlanguageteachinginpublicschoolsofkazakhstantopdownvsbottomupapproaches AT asselakzhigitova languageineducationpolicyforenglishlanguageteachinginpublicschoolsofkazakhstantopdownvsbottomupapproaches AT anastassiazabrodskaja languageineducationpolicyforenglishlanguageteachinginpublicschoolsofkazakhstantopdownvsbottomupapproaches |