Facilitating teacher leadership in Kazakhstan Gulmira Kanayeva (Qanay) Murray Edwards College January 2019 Supervisors: Dr David Frost and Dr Ros McLellan This dissertation is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Declaration of authorship This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration, except as specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any that I have submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted for a degree or diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as specified in the text. I further state that no substantial part of my dissertation has already been submitted or is being concurrently submitted for any such degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the Preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit of 80,000 words excluding figures and references. i Abstract Gulmira Kanayeva (Qanay) Facilitating teacher leadership in Kazakhstan This is an action-based study that was conducted in four schools in Kazakhstan with the purpose to facilitate teacher leadership for sustainable improvement of practice and enhancing the teacher’s role in education reform in Kazakhstan. By drawing on a non-positional approach to teacher leadership, this study sought bottom-up approaches to educational reform, school leadership and professional development in schools in Kazakhstan. The nine-month intervention programme, which was called the Teacher Leadership for Learning and Collaboration, introduced strategies and created conditions for teachers to lead educational improvement at classroom, school and system level. This has implications for a wider societal development. With the dissolution of Soviet Union, Kazakhstan has been undergoing transition for the last few decades. In the new era, the country is seeking the revival of its national identity, inclusion of its citizens and economic competitiveness, wherein educational improvement has become the country’s top priority. The outcomes of this study indicate that educational improvement requires building local capacity by empowering teachers to lead learning and innovation within and outside their schools. Such a grassroots movement requires systemic and systematic facilitation in schools in Kazakhstan. Ongoing practice-oriented critical reflection, focused action, horizontal communication and school networking can enable teachers and school leadership team members to develop their understanding and foster participatory practices within schools. The study employed a critical participatory action research approach that enabled the building of context-sensitive knowledge and included the voices and reflections of the participants involved in this research. Data were collected through multiple research tools, analysed both during and after the intervention process and presented in the form of a critical narrative to depict the nuances of local reality. The outcomes of this study suggest that teachers can innovate, engage in creative pedagogical practice and lead educational improvement, which requires developing strategies and involving all stakeholders in facilitating teacher leadership. ii Acknowledgements I would like to dedicate my doctoral study to my father Amirkhan and mother Paliya, who taught me the importance of education and inspired me to pursue learning as a lifelong endeavour. I am immensely grateful to my supervisor Dr David Frost for helping me to enable teachers in my country to lead educational reform and seek improvement of practice. I am indebted to him for his wisdom and patience which facilitated my growth both as a researcher and a practitioner. His intellectual stimulation empowered me to take action and seek knowledge that is of benefit to society. I am deeply grateful to my supervisor Dr Ros McLellan for her encouragement in times of self- doubt, critical friendship and support. I would like to thank all 31 teachers and school leadership team members who trusted me and had the courage to set out on this journey with me. I would like to thank the Talap scholarship programme and the citizens of Kazakhstan for making my participation in the doctoral programme possible. I would also like to thank my colleagues at the HertsCam Network and ITL initiative for their ongoing support and encouragement and for permission to adapt tools and materials. Thank you for being a source of inspiration for teachers in other parts of the world. I would like to thank my PhD friends, Hanan and Assel, who shared countless hours in the PhD room with me and challenged my thinking throughout the write up process. iii Abbreviations and acronyms CoE Centre of Excellence School Director School principal in Kazakhstan GoK Government of Kazakhstan Gorono City education department ITL International Teacher Leadership initiative LED Local education department LfL Leadership for learning MoES Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan NGO Non-governmental organisation NPTL Non-positional teacher leadership NIS Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools Oblono Regional education department Pedsovet Pedagogical council SPED State Programme of Education Development 2011-2020 TLDW Teacher-led development work TLLC Teacher Leadership for Learning and Collaboration TL Teacher leadership iv List of tables Table 1: Education system in Kazakhstan Table 2: Data collection methods Table 3: Programme participants List of Figures Fig.1: The governance of education and the selection system Fig.2: Education reform and teacher leadership Fig.3: Leadership development and learning models Fig.4: Facilitating TL: a conceptual framework Fig.5: Action research cycles Fig.6: Main events of the creating the conditions stage Fig.7: Main events of the Phase 1 of the programme Fig.8: Main events of the Phase 2 of the programme Fig.9: Main events of the Phase 3 of the programme List of photos Photo 1: Geographical location of Kazakhstan Photo 2: The group ethics set by the participants Photo 3: Images of the pre-existing understanding of leadership (Phase 1) Photo 4: Group reflections and feedback after the first School Network event Photo 5: Teachers’ conceptions of leadership (Phase 3) Photo 6: Teachers’ conceptions of collaboration (Phase 3) Photo 7: Teachers’ conceptions of learning (Phase 3) v Contents Declaration of authorship i Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Abbreviations and acronyms iv Lists of tables, figures and photos v Contents vi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: The educational context in Kazakhstan 4 Chapter 2: Conceptualising teacher leadership for educational improvement 19 Chapter 3: Research methodology and design 47 Introduction to the critical narrative 73 Chapter 4: Critical narrative: creating the conditions 76 Chapter 5: Critical narrative: reorientating 94 Chapter 6: Critical narrative: enacting 136 Chapter 7: Critical narrative: reflecting 166 Chapter 8: Facilitating teacher leadership: key insights 200 Chapter 9: Implications, recommendations and contributions to knowledge 233 Final reflections and future action 238 References 240 Appendices vi Appendix 1: Interview guide Appendix 2: Observation tool Appendix 3: Research journal checklist Appendix 4: List of participants Appendix 5: Informed consent form for school directors Appendix 6: Informed consent form for participants Appendix 7: Key issues, insights and features Appendix 8: Participants’ ethical protocols Appendix 9: Reflective pro forma Appendix 10: Planning tools vii Introduction There is an old Kazakh saying: ‘a teacher is the craftsman of the future’ (ustaz keleshektiń ustasy). Before I explain how teachers can craft the future, I would like to reflect on how the profession of teaching has had a profound influence on my own background. My mother has been teaching in schools in Kazakhstan for the last 36 years. Growing up observing her teaching, I developed a fascination for the profession and a deep respect for the people in it. My mother has had a great deal of resilience throughout the social, political and economic transitions that have been taking place in my country since independence. My mother’s experience prompted me to take a different path. Having obtained my undergraduate degree in teaching, I continued pursuing knowledge on how to empower teachers, so that they are no longer undervalued technicians of the system but full participants in the educational processes in my country. Through my own teaching experience, I understood that pre-school training and other ad- hoc professional development opportunities were insufficient for me to provide quality education for my students. Therefore, I pursued a graduate degree at the University of Warwick (UK), where I began my study on professional development in the educational institutes in Kazakhstan. The findings of my study echoed the problems in the system, such as increased workload and accountability, lack of resources, incentives and support for ongoing professional development. Since graduating from the University of Warwick in 2011, I have been able to witness striking changes in the school system in Kazakhstan. These changes were triggered by the government's initiative to join the 30 developed economies in the world by 2050 (OECD, 2014a). In order to ensure sustainable economic growth, the government has initiated rapid educational reform with the purpose of improving the quality