Quality of School Education in Kyrgyzstan

• In Event: Quality education for all: Critical issues in higher education, pre-service teachers, and student learning outcomes in Brazil, China, and Finland

Proposal

The United Nations has highlighted the importance of quality education within its Sustainable Development Goals. Quality education, as defined by the UN, means that all individuals should have access to inclusive and fair learning opportunities throughout their lives. In Central Asia, educational disparities are widening across regions, genders, urban and rural areas, languages, and other dimensions. These inequalities have significant consequences, affecting personal aspirations, social unity, and overall national and regional progress. In Kyrgyzstan, the concept of quality education has been rooted in a combination of academic learning and social development since before the Soviet era. However, the post-Soviet era, with its globalization, diversity, and uncertainty, has raised questions about how these ideas are impacted, particularly at the level of schools and communities.

This study's goal is to understand the perspectives of key stakeholders (school leaders, teachers, students, and parents) on quality education, the challenges it faces, and potential solutions. The focus will be on teachers, students, and parents. The study aims to uncover the meaning and significance local stakeholders attach to quality education and identify effective, sustainable solutions within classrooms that could be applied in Kyrgyzstan. The intention is to explore teachers', students', and parents' views, practices, challenges, and suggestions for enhancing education quality in their schools. The study is important because it aims to identify practical and culturally relevant practices to inform education policies, transforming teaching methods and leadership approaches to improve learning outcomes in Kyrgyzstan.

Data were collected from secondary schools in the Chui, Naryn, and Osh regions of Kyrgyzstan. Cluster sampling was used, selecting three regions and 15 secondary schools randomly (five from each region). Seven schools were in urban areas, and eight were in rural areas. Ten schools taught in Kyrgyz, while five used English/Russian. Data collection involved 25 teachers, students, and parents from each of the 15 schools, totalling 375 participants in each group. Response rates were 85.6% for students, 65.8% for parents, and 74.9% for teachers. Questionnaires were administered on paper based on established frameworks. Data were analyzed using SPSS for descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple linear regression.

To understand perceptions of education quality and its challenges in Kyrgyzstan, UNESCO's "Education Quality Framework" (2005) was used. Factor analyses confirmed the four dimensions (environment, inputs, processes, and outcomes) across the surveys. Background variables included age, gender, grade, marital status, school location, medium of instruction, qualifications, teaching credentials, family income, and participation in the Schools2030 program.

Distinct sets of variables were systematically incorporated into the analytical framework at each stage to assess the distinct contributions of individual components to the holistic model aimed at predicting participants' perceptions of quality across four dimensions. The preliminary stages of all analyses solely investigated the influence of background variables. Subsequently, in Step 2 of the models concerning students and parents, and in Step 3 of the teachers' model, the variables denoting school-promoted skills were introduced. Furthermore, in Step 2 of the teachers' model, the variables encompassing opportunities, resources, and support were introduced.

The findings indicate that parents with children enrolled in Kyrgyz medium schools exhibit more favourable perceptions across all dimensions of quality. For parents of students enrolled in institutions participating in the Schools2030 program, more positive quality perceptions were evident within the "inputs" dimension. Enhanced perceptions of quality were observed within the "inputs" and "outcomes" dimensions when schools prioritized the cultivation of "critical thinking" skills. Likewise, the fostering of "teamwork and collaboration" and "awareness and acceptance of issues of diversity" corresponded to improved perceptions within the "inputs" dimension, while the advancement of "problem-solving" skills correlated with enhanced quality perceptions within the "processes" dimension.

The outcomes further reveal that students attending Schools2030 program schools and Kyrgyz medium schools share improved quality perceptions spanning all dimensions. Notably, female students exhibit heightened perceptions of "processes" quality, whereas lower-grade students manifest augmented perceptions of "outcomes" quality. Students with fathers possessing higher educational qualifications also showcase heightened quality perceptions within the "processes" and "outcomes" dimensions, although this effect diminishes in Step 2 of both dimensions. Similarly, students with working fathers exhibit heightened perceptions in the "processes" dimension, while those with working mothers display improved perceptions in the "outcomes" dimension. Among the skills endorsed within the school curriculum, "critical thinking" and "teamwork and collaboration" yield positive effects across all dimensions except for "outcomes." Additionally, "awareness and acceptance of issues of diversity" positively influence students' perceptions of "inputs," and "ecological literacy" positively impacts perceptions of both "processes" and "outcomes."

The hierarchical regression analyses about teachers' quality perceptions indicate that female teachers possess more favourable perceptions within the "environment" dimension. Teachers with elevated teaching qualifications exhibit enhanced perceptions in both the "environment" and "inputs" dimensions, although the effect on "inputs" becomes nonsignificant in later stages. Furthermore, teachers with higher educational qualifications express heightened quality perceptions in the "outcomes" dimension, although this effect diminishes in subsequent steps. Teachers who underwent their education during the Soviet era manifest more positive evaluations of quality within the "processes" and "outcomes" dimensions, though the impact on "outcomes" becomes nonsignificant in later stages. Additionally, educators at Kyrgyz medium schools demonstrate improved perceptions of "outcomes" quality, although this effect wanes in later stages.

Among the added variables in Step 2, "policy support" consistently positively influences on teachers' quality perceptions across all four dimensions. "Ministry support" positively affects teachers' perceptions of "inputs." Furthermore, teachers' perspectives on acquiring sufficient financial, material, and human "resources" bolster their perceptions of both "inputs" and "processes," although these effects dwindle in Step 3.

Regarding the skills endorsed within the school context, introduced in Step 3, "ecological literacy" positively influences teachers' perceptions of the "environment." Schools promoting "problem-solving" skills yield heightened quality perceptions within "inputs," "processes," and "outcomes." Lastly, teachers' perceptions of "outcomes" quality are augmented by the promotion of "analytical thinking" skills within the school environment.

Authors

• Mehmet Karakus, Coventry University

• Nargiz Abdyrakhman kyzy, Nazarbaev University

• Duishon Ali Shamatov, Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education

• Mir Afzal, Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education