In the last few decades, the education system of Kazakhstan has been undergoing two significant reforms. The first one involves the implementation of inclusive education, which has been a core principle of the country's state policy in education since signing the "Dakar Framework of Actions" in 2000 (UNESCO, 2007).   The second reform relates to the updated curriculum, which was prompted by a research study on secondary education conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2014. As a result of these findings, the OECD team concluded that “It would be desirable for Kazakhstan to undertake a major review of the current curriculum” (OECD, 2014, p 95).  As a response to this recommendation, in 2016, an updated curriculum was implemented across all mainstream schools in Kazakhstan (Turganalina, 2020). This reform was significant as it covered modifications in curriculum, assessment, and instruction. The reform was introduced in five phases, gradually incorporating all grade levels, and by 2020-2021, this implementation process was finished. Thus, alongside with the updated curriculum, the traditional normative assessment, which was also found ineffective, was replaced with criteria-based assessment. Kenzhetaeva et al. (2020) highlight that changing the assessment system for students' achievements in Kazakhstan was important due to current educational goals and the need to improve education quality in line with global standards. So, both inclusive education and CBA are relatively new in the Kazakhstani education system, subsequently, there is a scarcity of research on their effectiveness. Only a few preliminary studies have examined the use of CBA in the context of inclusive education, and currently, there is no empirical research on the topic.

Given this, it becomes crucial to examine the effectiveness of CBA in meeting the needs of students with SEND. Assessing students with SEND can pose unique challenges, making it important to explore effective assessment strategies.  Hence, throughout the study, in addition to the main research question, "How effective is CBA in meeting the needs of students with special educational needs in mainstream schools in Kazakhstan?", the following research questions are investigated:

1.         Is CBA an appropriate approach for meeting the needs of students with SEND?

2.         To what extent are teachers prepared to implement criteria-based assessment for students with SEND?

3.         What are the benefits and challenges experienced by teachers who use CBA with students with SEND?

The literature review is structured into three main subsections. Firstly, it is delved into the concept of CBA, exploring its fundamental principles and its applications in educational settings. Secondly, the research focuses on the implementation of inclusive education in Kazakhstan, shedding light on the country's efforts, policies, and progress in promoting inclusive practices. Finally, the study examines the implementation of CBA within the framework of inclusive education in Kazakhstan.   

The methodology employed in this study is a qualitative research design, which involves conducting interviews with Kazakhstani mainstream schoolteachers who have experience in teaching students with SEN. The interviews primarily focus on understanding the teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to CBA in inclusive classroom settings. Additionally, the interviews aim to explore the perceived effectiveness and challenges associated with implementing CBA for students with SEND and support they get from schools on this way.

Thematic analysis is used to analyze the interview data, facilitating the identification of key themes and patterns. The findings from the interviews are then discussed in relation to the literature explored. This process enhances the comprehensiveness of the study and provides a deeper understanding of the effectiveness of CBA in meeting the needs of students with SEN in mainstream schools in Kazakhstan.

For the purpose of this study, a qualitative research approach was chosen, which involved investigating real settings that respect the people and places under study (Creswell, 2013). The interviews allow participants to share their understandings of the world they inhabit and to articulate how they perceive situations from their personal perspectives (Cohen et al., 2007). Interviewing teachers was crucial for our study because their direct involvement in implementing CBA in inclusive settings provides valuable insights into their experiences, enabling them to promptly observe outcomes and identify emerging challenges. Moreover, the study focuses on exploring the effective implementation of two significant reforms in Kazakhstan: inclusive education and an updated curriculum, with CBA being a foundational component. As highlighted by Fullan (2006), carrying out reforms consistently is a changing process impacted by factors such as implementors’ knowledge and skills, resources, and willingness. This is precisely why it was essential to conduct interviews with teachers, as they are the primary implementers of these changes. Through interviews, we explored how teachers perceive CBA, the principles guiding their inclusive teaching methods, and the approaches they used to assess the progress of students with SEND. Additionally, our goal was to uncover the challenges teachers encountered while working with these students and to understand the type of training and support schools provided. The participants in this study were 6 Kazakhstani mainstream schoolteachers who had experience teaching students with SEND. The participants group consisted of 1 mathematics teacher and 5 English teachers. Among the participants, 3 teachers were from a school located in the capital city, while the remaining 3 teachers were from provincial schools. The age range of the participants was from 22 years old to 40 years old, with a range of teaching experience from 2 years to 18 years, 1 male teacher and 5 female teachers. Table 1 below provides basic demographic information about the research participants. The data collected from the interviews was manually transcribed by the researcher and subjected to thematic analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to identify, analyze, and report themes within the data, following a six-step process outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). The identification of themes for the thematic analysis involved a combination of inductive and theoretical approaches. Some themes were derived inductively, strongly linked to the data itself, while others were driven by the researchers' theoretical interests.

The research highlighted that both the literature review and teachers' perspectives align on CBA's suitability for students with SEN. At the regulatory level, it is stated that students with SEN should be applied by a modified curriculum that suits their individual needs (Law, 2007). As for CBA, its adaptability and ability to relate to everyday childhood activities make it the preferred tool for determining the strengths and practical needs of a child (Cook, 2004). As it makes it possible to identify areas in which students need improvement (Davletkaliyeva, et al., 2016), students can subsequently concentrate their efforts on enhancing their performance in those areas. Teachers acknowledge its importance in assessing these students and emphasize the need to tailor criteria to their abilities. However, inadequate training hampers teachers from realizing and utilizing CBA's advantages when working with students with special needs. So, there is a pressing requirement for enhanced training and resources to provide teachers with the essential skills and knowledge needed to establish effective inclusive learning environments. The study also revealed that ongoing methodological support should be available from the school, including consultations when difficulties arise. Forming a dedicated SEN team, which includes teachers experienced in inclusive teaching along with psychologists and speech therapists, can further enhance support. Involving parents in the education of students with SEND can lead to positive results. Dealing with these students, who have diverse needs like differing memory processing speeds, can be complex. This highlights the importance of parents' role in creating a supportive learning environment. Teachers often see that when parents are actively engaged in their child's education, it significantly boosts their progress. Only by addressing these issues can schools effectively cater to the diverse needs of all students and ensure the success of inclusive education initiatives.

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