The current world is shaped by conflicting ideologies, climate change, and rapid technological advancements, yet the fundamental goal of education remains unchanged: fostering the continuous development of the younger generation. Modern schools strive for high education standards, and to enhance and uphold this quality, schools often use external independent assessment tools, one prominent example being international accreditation. In general, international accreditation of schools is a process of evaluating an educational institution or program of study, formally acknowledging it as having fulfilled or surpassed specific predetermined requirements, criteria, or standards of academic excellence (Ibrahim, 2014). 

It is noteworthy that international accreditation is increasing in popularity globally. This is evidenced by the number of internationally accredited schools worldwide over the past few decades. According to ISC Research (2024), such schools increased from 2,584 in 2000 to 14,010 in 2024. These statistics demonstrate a persistent commitment of schools worldwide towards achieving what is recognized as “a symbol of quality in education” (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, 2004: 1). Kazakhstan follows this trend, reflecting similar aspirations toward international accreditation to meet global educational standards and enhance student learning opportunities. 

Various accrediting agencies such as Cognia, Council of International Schools, and New England Association of Schools and Colleges include similar components in their accreditation processes. The status of an internationally accredited school implies that it meets international standards, signifying the high quality of its educational programs, access to extensive learning resources and best teaching practices, developed infrastructure, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Researchers highlight such positive effects of international accreditation as the quality of educational programs, the development of the school’s infrastructure, and its impact on the parents’ choice of schools for their children (Shal et al., 2024). However, Shal et al. (2024) emphasize several negative factors of this process. For example, McDonaldization is when schools worldwide replicate the American school’s model. Moreover, researchers point out the expense of international accreditation. For example, the CIS accreditation process requires schools to allocate substantial financial resources for the CIS membership, evaluation visits, and other fees. 

Moreover, the stakeholders perceive the accreditation process as excessively formal, where each stage is seen as an inspection rather than a systematic roadmap for incremental improvements in the school (Coutet, 2022). With this approach, it is difficult to ensure the quality of the improvements being carried out since there is a risk that schools would act as ‘good schools’ to meet accreditors’ expectations (Haryati, 2014; Perryman et al., 2018) and thus it can be considered as an obstacle in the school's improvement process  (Romanowski & Karkouti, 2024). 

According to Shal et al. (2024), ‘there is a scarcity in the literature of accreditation in K-12 settings’ in an international context, which makes this research important. Moreover, there are no studies that are related to the connection of international accreditation with continuous and systemic school improvement in the Kazakhstani context. 

In general, educational research is one of the key factors in the ‘promotion of a better understanding of the contemporary and future world of education’ (EERA, 2024), and its significance in determining the role of international accreditation in the process of school’s improvement cannot be underestimated. 

This research explores school stakeholders’, namely school leaders’, subject coordinators’, and teachers’ perceptions of international accreditation related to the following issues: drivers for pursuing international accreditation and considering the accreditation process as continuous school improvement in private schools in Kazakhstan. 

The qualitative research design facilitates a comprehensive exploration of the perceptions surrounding international accreditation, ensuring alignment with the study’s objective of capturing the nuanced and context-dependent perspectives of school stakeholders (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The qualitative methods of data collection, such as interviews and focus groups were chosen because, according to Creswell (2014), qualitative research is utilized when the emphasis is on the analysis and interpretation of a particular phenomenon. Semi-structured interview formats allow the researcher to use probing questions to better understand the respondents' motives, beliefs, and experiences. In turn, conducting focus groups with teachers will stimulate more in-depth discussions of their perceptions and opinions and will encompass more research participants. Thus, this approach facilitates a deep understanding of the perceptions of school stakeholders towards international accreditation. The research questions guiding this study are: What are their perceptions of the main drivers for pursuing international accreditation? What are teachers’, subject coordinators’, and school leaders’ perceptions of the role of the international accreditation process in schools’ continuous improvements? The study was conducted in a school that is a member of the CIS and has already initiated the international accreditation process. This site was selected as it offers a relevant and practical context for examining school stakeholders’ perceptions of international accreditation, allowing for insights grounded in an ongoing accreditation experience. A purposive sampling strategy was used to select participants with direct experience in the international accreditation process. This method ensures that the study includes individuals (teachers’ subject coordinators and school leaders) who can provide rich, relevant, and diverse perspectives on the research questions. However, the school leaders were not purposefully included in the focus group due to the potentially limited quality and honesty of the responses.

This study highlights the complex nature of international accreditation at the school level, as well as differences in stakeholder perceptions—school principals, subject coordinators, and teachers—regarding the process itself and its positive outcomes. The preliminary findings reveal that there is a lack of school stakeholders’ perceptions of the international accreditation process as a possibility for continuous and systemic improvements in a school’s operations. Although some experienced teachers who have participated in the accreditation process note that it is a steady process that improves various aspects of school life, from infrastructure to the quality of the educational program, most interviewees perceive it as an 'examination' that assesses school effectiveness rather than fostering school improvement. Thus, these findings highlight the importance of the following steps in preparation for school to international accreditation: Development of a school’s strategic plan for the whole period of preparation for the accreditation process; Strict adherence to all activities highlighted in the strategic plan (critical not only for the leadership team but for the whole school community); Conducting extensive outreach to the school community on the importance of considering the international accreditation process as a way for the school’s improvements.

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