Implementing trilingual education with the medium of Kazakh, Russian and English languages in secondary schools in Kazakhstan has been discussed and executed gradually for a few years in the country. The recently approved and currently in force State Program for Education and Science Development for 2016-2019 (SPESD) alludes to the Road-map for Developing Trilingual Education for 2015-2020 (Road-map) with actions determined to reach the goal. The SPESD also declares that the gradual introduction of trilingual education starting with fifth grades was commenced in the 2017-2018 academic year. To ensure seamless transition to teaching in local schools in three languages changes are expected to be made in methodological and staffing aspects: textbooks and teaching materials will be keyed to the new system, as well as teachers will be trained to teach in three languages. In this context key policy makers have provided support for timely and wide-scale capacity building for secondary school teacher. Within this framework Nazarbayev University has been commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan to administrate an intensive Professional Development Program (PDP) for school teachers in all regions of the country and Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education is involved in doing research in the framework of the PDP. The PDP purpose is to facilitate in-service teachers in learning English to enable them to further teach their subjects in English. The purpose of the research is to study the effectiveness of the PDP and school teachers’ attitudes and beliefs about the national policy of trilingual education.

The proposed presentation and paper prepared for the ECER - European Conference on Educational Research in 2018 will depict the Kazakhstani trilingual education policy overview, the PDP background and the research conducted among STEM teachers who participate in the PDP. 

This study is aimed at investigating the effectiveness and impact of the professional development programme (PDP) for secondary school science teachers of Kazakhstan. The Ministry of Education and Science of Kazakhstan commissioned Nazarbayev University and Nazarbayev University in turn commissioned Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education to design and conduct research among content teachers (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Informatics) from mainstream secondary schools to improve their English language competencies that will enable them to implement trilingual education policy in Kazakhstan. PDP participants (STEM teachers) are invited to participate voluntarily in online surveys and interviews.

1.To conduct an impact study of the Professional Development Programme for in-service teachers and determine factors that have positive and negative influence on the efficacy of such programmes in the field of continuing professional development; 2. To investigate school teachers’ and teacher trainers’ values, attitudes and beliefs about the national policy of trilingual education; 3. To provide research-informed recommendations to policy makers, practitioners and teacher educators about the design of professional development programmes as part of in-service teacher and teacher trainer development.

Korthagen, F. J. (2004). In search of the essence of a good teacher: towards a more holistic approach in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 77-97. Mehisto, P., Kambatyrova, A., & Nurseitova, K. (2014). Three in one? Trilingualism in policy and educational practice. In D. Bridges (Ed.), Educational reform and internationalisation: the case of school reform in Kazakhstan. (pp. 152-176). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. MoES (2011) State Program of Development and Functioning of Languages of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020. Adopted by the Decree of the President of Kazakhstan No.110 dated June 29, 2011. MoES (2017). On the approval of educational programs for advanced training courses for teachers of pre-school, secondary, supplementary, and special education. Order of the Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan of January 28, 2016 No. 92. Registered in the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on February 29, 2016 No. 13306. Available online at http://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/V1600013306 OECD (2017). Reviews of National Policies for Education: Higher Education in Kazakhstan. OECD Publishing., Available at http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/higher-education-in-kazakhstan-2017_9789264268531-en