This research presented in this paper was completed to fulfill the preliminary stage of the fieldwork for my PhD study. As an emerging researcher I am interested in teachers’ teaching quality and how it is assessed. Therefore, I would like to present in this paper the findings as a result of the survey.

There are frameworks practised worldwide known as teacher appraisal, performance appraisal, and teacher evaluation. In the Kazakhstani context, it was given the name of teacher attestation by the Ministry of Education and Science (MoES, 2000). The Kazakhstani teacher attestation is defined by Pak (2020) as a periodical process which takes place to identify the level of professional and qualification training of teachers to determine the level of pedagogical skills.

Teacher attestation, which was first practiced in countries such as England, Canada, Australia and United States in the 1980, aimed to improve the qu ality of education (Pak, 2020). However, as effective teacher attestation might be in fostering quality of teaching, it is also criticized among scholars. Darling-Hammond (2013) argues that relying on standardised test scores and measures which do not reflect actual teaching quality, the systems often fail to assess the complexity of teaching. The Kazakhstani attestation system has also been facing criticism over the years. Teachers’ attitudes towards the attestation such as completing it for promotional purposes rather than enhancing teaching practices (Ayubayeva, 2018) and taking actions only in the last year before getting assessed for the attestation is frequently practiced (Zhumykbayeva& Ablayeva, 2023). Furthermore, according to the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s report only 23 percent of teachers in the country hold the highest category of attestation and criteria of the attestation system change frequently (Tokayev, 2023).

Success of the teacher attestation depends on perceptions of those who are being assessed (Elstad et al., 2015). In terms of Kazakhstan, the lack of studies which explore the teachers’ understanding of the local teacher attestation system should be addressed.

Therefore, this study seeks to answer the following question:

1.     What is the relationship between teacher attestation and teaching quality?

As it was stated above, this study aims to investigate the relationship between teacher attestation and teaching quality in Kazakhstan by examining teachers’ perceptions of how the process influences their professional development and instructional practices. To explore the relationship between teacher attestation and teaching quality in the Kazakhstani context, I have found myself in the spectrum of philosophical stance that combines constructivist ontology, interpretivist epistemology, and qualitative research methodology design. As an emerging researcher, my such belief is based on the understanding that reality is shaped socially and influenced historically, culturally, and contextually (Guba & Lincoln, 1994). However, to present in this paper, I will conduct preliminary research by implementing a survey for teachers. The survey will be conducted in three different school settings. The selection of three distinct types of schools—Nazarbayev Intellectual School, an urban public school, and a rural public school—aims to provide an overview of the varying contexts within which teacher attestation occurs and its perceived impact on teaching quality. This diverse sample is crucial for several reasons. First, Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools represent schools created under a national initiative to foster gifted and talented students and are often well equipped with resources and innovative teaching practices (MoES, 2011). Investigating teacher attestation in such an environment can provide insights into how such processes are perceived in settings where there is a high emphasis on advanced educational outcomes and teacher performance. Secondly, the choice of an urban public school allows for the exploration of teacher attestation in a more typical educational setting, which might contrast significantly with the context of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools. Urban schools often deal with a diverse student body and may face different challenges such as larger class sizes and a broader range of student needs. Understanding teacher perceptions in this context can generate knowledge on how attestation impacts teaching quality where resources and student demographics differ markedly from more privileged institutions. Fianally, including a rural public school in the study acknowledges the imbalance that often exists between urban and rural education systems. Rural schools might struggle with issues such as limited access to resources, professional development opportunities, and isolation from mainstream educational developments. Exploring teacher attestation in this setting is essential to understand how such processes are perceived and implemented in environments that might not have the same level of support or resources as their urban equivalents.

Using data collected through a survey of teachers from three diverse educational contexts—Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools, urban public schools, and rural public schools—this research seeks to provide an understanding of the perceived benefits and challenges of the attestation system in Kazakhstan. The survey results will contribute to the broader discourse on improving teacher evaluation policies, ensuring that they support meaningful professional growth and increase teaching effectiveness. It is projected that the survey findings will reveal varying perceptions of the attestation process based on school types and their unique contexts. Teachers in Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools may highlight the alignment of attestation criteria with advanced teaching practices, while those in urban and rural public schools may underscore challenges related to resource constraints, inconsistent criteria, or inequitable implementation. By addressing these issues, the research expects to offer valuable insights into how the attestation system can be refined to better align with teachers’ needs and the overall goal of improving teaching quality. The findings will inform policymakers and stakeholders about the potential to balance accountability measures with professional support, ensuring that teacher attestation contributes meaningfully to educational improvement in Kazakhstan.

Ayubayeva, N. (2018). “Teacher collaboration for professional learning: Case studies of three schools in Kazakhstan.” University of Cambridge, 128-134. Darling-Hammond, L. (2013). Teacher evaluation: A problematic obsession. Journal of Educational Policy, 28(4), 351-356. Elstad, E., Lejonberg, E., & Christophersen, K.-A. (2015). Teaching evaluation as a contested practice: Teacher resistance to teaching evaluation schemes in Norway. Education Inquiry, 6(4). Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. Handbook of qualitative research, 2(163-194), 105. Law of the Minister of Education and Science (MoES) of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Status of ‘Nazarbayev University,’ ‘Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools’ and ‘Nazarbayev Fund’,” dated January 19, 2011 No. 394-IV. Retrieved [7.12.2023] from [https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z1100000394] Order of the Minister of Education and Science (MoES) of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On approval of the Rules on the certification of attestation staff,” dated April 28, 2000 No. 422. Registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on July 13, 2000 No. 1193. Retrieved [5.12.2023] from [https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/V000001193] Pak, V. (2020). Teacher Appraisal System in one Nazarbayev Intellectual School in Kazakhstan: Teachers’ Perceptions and Experiences. Retrieved [22.11.2023] from [https://nur.nu.edu.kz/handle/123456789/4914] Tokayev, K. (2023) Speech at the Republican Congress of Teachers. Astana. Zhumykbayeva, А., Ablayeva, М. (2023). “Teacher Attestation: Identifying the Factors Influencing Teacher Reflective Skills.” BULLETIN Series of Pedagogical Sciences, 79(3), 256–264.