Title: Unveiling Educational Needs: A Narrative Inquiry into Kazakh Adult Returnees from China.

The role of adult education as a means of adaptation of citizens to changing society is crucial. One of the communities which tend to be in demand of adaptation and smooth integration into broader society in Kazakhstan are ethnic Kazakh returnees. Returnees from the regions beyond the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) charachtarized by distinctive political regimes and socio-cultural features and writing systems that differ from Central Asian countries have drawn significant scholarly interest which stemmed from various factors which include returnees experience related to adaptation and integration issues in Kazakhstan. This research focuses particularly on adult returnees who come from China and who constitute the second biggest share of returnees among Kazakh diasporas in the world. Various disciplines have sliced the returnee experiences and issues from their perspectives. In particular, the scholarly discourse on China Kazakh returnees in Kazakhstan revolve around historical, legal, economic and political, socio-cultural aspects of the repatriation and adaptation and integration issues. There has been a limited scholarly investigation into the role of education as both a contributing factor to addressing issues among adult returnees and a mitigating  factor in the context of integration. While the legal and regulatory framework for migration has been established and continues to evolve in the country, it is important to highlight returnees’ ongoing integrative challenges. Literature states that lifelong policy predominantly caters for local residents, which raises the concern about its inclusivity. Recognizing the broader challenges related to adaptation and integration, this exploratory study aims to explore educational needs of Kazakhstani adult returnees from China from returnee perspectives. The overarching question of this study is what educational needs do adult returnees have to aid in their successful adjustment and assimilation? This study explores educational needs of adult returnees through Bourdieu's concepts of ‘habitus’ ‘field’, ‘doxa’, and the Third Space Theory by (Bhabha, 1994) and Intersectionality Theory by (Crenshaw, 1991). The study used an eclectic theoretical framework as individually the mentioned theories provide  fragmented picture and cannot individually help me in understanding educational needs of returnees therfore I cinsider them within the  Third Space theory by Bhabha (1994); it is a suitable lens through which I can tap into the complex process of in-betweenness that is cultural hybridity and identity formation experienced by the returnees. As this theory is defined as ‘third space’ where the fusion and convergence of the individual’s prior socio-cultural experiences and new socio-cultural context occur (Bhabha, 1994). I will witness how the returnees’ hybrid identities are constructed, how they negotiate their dual or multiple cultural affiliations and how the negotiation and hybrid identity impact returnees’ educational needs and what educational resources they seek . Through this theory I acknowledges that their needs are not just shaped by straightforward factors like language proficiency or job skills but are intricately linked to their personal histories, societal structures, cultural norms, and evolving identities. In essence, Third Space theory offers a comprehensive lens through which the multi-layered experiences of returnees can be understood and addressed in terms of education. This research can contribute to knowledge by bridging the current gap in the existing body of knowledge on the subject matter, thereby facilitating understanding of the Kazakhstani context bound educational experience of adult returnees and their educational needs in the context of local and global migrant education. 

This research is guided by the postmodernist belief that knowledge is subjective, relative shaped by cultural, social, and historical contexts rather than being universal (Dolphijn & Tuin, 2012). In this vein, it serves as a means for a comprehensive exploration of the educational landscape, viewing each returnee's experience as a unique junction of cultural, social, and individual factors that challenge simplistic categorization. This qualitatively-led research employs narrative research design. The rationale includes first of all experience happens narratively; therefore adult returnees experience should be studied narratively (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). My intention is to hear the stories of adult returnees in relation to their education needs and not obtain fragmented data;only through hearing their stories I can learn about their educational needs (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Their stories not only helps me in this account but also of how the discourse of the social contexts shape the adult returnees’ educational needs. In addition their narrative stories assists me to discover and explore individual needs in relation to education through attending their personal inwards, feelings assumptions which can be reached only through dimensions of narrative inquiry. In this research I 16 male/ female adult returnees in workforce living in Astana city are recruted for intervie. Snowball sampling is used for recruitment which is reported as a method for recruiting future subjects from among their acquaintances, creating a chain of referrals that grows like a snowball. Literature highlights effectiveness of this type of sampling for accessing understandin complex, and nuanced population. The primary instruments for data collection of the study are individual interviews, document analysis. Data collection consist of three phases first document analysis is conducted. The rational of using Document analysis is that “they exist independent of a research agenda, they are nonreactive, that is, unaffected by the research process”; and they are reported as “objective and unobtrusive” source of data which “are product of the context in which they were produced and therefore grounded in the real world ( Merriam and Tisdell, 2015, p. 250). In the second phase the unstructured interview is conducted. The unstructured (open- ended) informal conversational interviews have aided to encourage participants to come up stories to emerge (Charmaz, 2006). Upon analysis of the unstructed interview I have design questions for semistructured interview that have served as a follow up questions based on the findings of the document analyis and unstructured interview.

In this ongoing research exploring the educational needs of adult returnees, several anticipated outcomes are expected to emerge, enriching both academic understanding and practical approaches in this field. A significant portion of the research is projected to uncover the array of challenges these returnees encounter. This encompasses cultural reintegration difficulties, discrepancies in educational and professional methodologies between their host and home countries, and potential skill gaps that may impede their assimilation into the local workforce and thus form educational needs. Furthermore, the research anticipates revealing how these challenges and needs vary across different demographics, influenced by factors such as the duration of stay abroad, age, and professional backgrounds of the returnees. Another crucial outcome will likely be an evaluation of the current support systems and educational programs available to these individuals. As such a primary expected finding is the delineation of specific educational requirements unique to adult returnees in Kazakhstan. This includes identifying key areas such as language proficiency, vocational skills, and the validation of overseas qualifications, tailored to their experiences and the context of their return.

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