On constructs and the construction of teachers’ professional knowledge in a post-Soviet context

Abstract

This paper examines the understandings (‘constructs’) of teachers’ professional knowledge and its sources that underpin current practice in initial teacher education in Kazakhstan and in particular the way in which pedagogika contributes to these. Drawing on empirical data collected over four years, the paper illustrates the ways in which professional knowledge and professional preparation of teachers in pre-service institutions are constructed within the Kazakh and Soviet pedagogical traditions, albeit with some reference to international scholars. Teachers’ professional knowledge is formed from pedagogic theory mediated by academic staff in what is seen by many from outside and inside the country who are engaged in educational ‘reform’ in Kazakhstan as a largely didactic style with little or no critical engagement or exploration of the implications for practice. This stands in contrast with two recent professional development programmes: the Collaborative Action Research and Center of Excellence, which are focused on interactive learning and teaching, reflective practice, classroom action research, and teachers’ collaboration as sources for teachers’ professional knowledge. This paper highlights this contrast and begins to explore what happens when these two different approaches to the construction of teachers’ professional knowledge encounter each other.

Keywords:

• Teacher professional knowledge
• pedagogika, practicum, theory–practice gap
• Kazakhstan

Acknowledgments

This article arises out of a partnership between the University of Cambridge in Faculty of Education and the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education (NUGSE). The research was supported by the NUGSE with funds from the Ministry of Education and Science the Republic of Kazakhstan. We are extremely grateful to fellow members of the research teams based both at the University of Cambridge and Nazarbayev University. We also thank all those who participated in this research. Finally, we are grateful for very helpful comments to Dr Simon Brownhill on the final version of this article.