A Critical Analysis of Contemporary Challenges and Pedagogical Barriers in Teacher Education in Kazakhstan: Future Directions for Improvement

Abstract

There are several issues in teacher education for instance, shortage of teachers, the current course curriculum is outmoded, and teachers have low preparedness for inclusion of children with disability and lack of integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in teacher education programmes in Kazakhstan. This paper uses a qualitative method of research to conduct a systematic literature review of 35 peer-reviewed studies to identify these barriers to pedagogy. Thus, the conclusions are made stating that low wages, high levels of workload, and staff development explain teacher shortage, in particular in rural settings. Also, the conventional teaching and learning practices coupled with inadequate curricula, limit the abilities of the students to solve problems. The study also reveals important areas of training needs in relation to inclusive education, where it was noted that the pre-service teachers entering the classrooms are not fully prepared for such classes. However, the integration of sustainability in teacher education faces a few barriers mainly in terms of policies and institutions. In line with global benchmarks, this research recommends general policy changes, better financial incentives, course and content updates, and specific teacher training, and embracing of technology in learning. The given challenges can be solved only through the comprehensive approaches to enhance the quality and availability of the teacher education in Kazakhstan and its compliance with the requirements of the worldwide educational systems.