Kostanai State Pedagogical University

The transmission of Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) experience

U.Sultangazin KSPU carries out systematic activities on the transmission of Nazarbayev Intellectual School (NIS) experience within the framework of the Cooperation Agreement between U.Sultangazin KSPU and the Branch of “Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay” JSC (joint stock company) “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools”, in several areas:

1. advanced training and faculty training;
2. the exchange of advanced educational experience with schools;
3. development of a new design of educational programs in view of updating the content of secondary education;
4. mutual scientific and methodological advice and support;
5. the organization of practices of students of KSPU in the pilot school and NIS.

The types of joint activities for the scientific and pedagogical support of NIS teachers, the study of advanced experience and the transmission of NIS experience, the use of the pedagogical possibilities of innovative approaches in teaching for training future teachers are identified.

The interaction of the university to improve the qualifications and training of teaching staff of NIS experience is carried out by conducting online lessons and online seminars, master classes, training seminars, subject weeks, open days, scientific conferences, organizing meetings with the pedagogical community, social projects, and others.

In this direction, in 2018, 25 joint events were held. At meetings with teachers of “Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay” within the framework of thematic weeks of the departments of the university, students work out the skills of making short-term plans, developing of criteria and descriptors; learn the basic approaches to the development of (TES) total evaluation per section and (QS) quarterly summation in practice.

Together with the Center of Pedagogical Skills and the Department of Pedagogy of the University, the “Basics of the teacher’s reflective culture” program for the Young Teacher’s School in 34 hours and project protection was developed and implemented in the Branch of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay.

The online seminar “Problems and Prospects of Teacher's Professional Development in Innovative Processes in Schools”, initiated by the university, became an interactive platform for enhancing the process of translating the NIS experience, and was attended by academic teachers, heads of education departments in the region, director of the branch of “Center for Teaching Excellence”, school principals and certified teachers of Level 1, teachers and leaders of NIS. 80 schools of Kostanay and Kostanay region joined the on-line seminar. In the framework of the online seminar, issues of methodological support, opportunities and resources for the teacher’s professional development; research educational practice (Lesson Study approach) in the professional development of the teacher; post-course support for future teachers to implement the approaches of the course “Professional Guidance of a Teacher” were discussed. As a result of the discussion, relevant recommendations were adopted aimed at strengthening the interaction and cooperation of educational organizations of the Kostanay region and NIS with the departments of the KSPU and methodological services, and Centers for the advanced training of educational workers in the region.

The “Lesson Study” online conference, jointly with the Center of Pedagogical Skills and Nazarbayev Intellectual School, conducted on April 7, 2018, updated the approaches to the organization of training sessions and the teaching staff of the university. Now, university lecturers actively apply the LESSON STUDY method in the educational process (“Research in the practice of a teacher”, “Research in action”).

Joint scientific projects are being realized. Specifically, as a result of the project “Basics of the teacher's reflective culture” the following study guides were published: “Reflection as a Tool to Improve Teacher Education and Teaching” (Reflection as Instrumentation in Teaching and Learning Practices: Methodological Recommendations), “Formation of Teacher Reflexive Culture “(tutorial for school, college teachers and university lecturers.)

University lecturers have developed several study guides for the NIS special order: “Formative evaluation: self-assessment: methodological recommendations to help teachers; learning objectives according to Bloom's taxonomy; organizer of innovations in the educational and methodical work of the lyceum school” (the collection of coaching trainings), “Innovative processes at school” (the manual for students of pedagogical specialties).

A 4th year student of the specialty “Biology” (polylingual group) Abisheva Anar completed her diploma paper on summarizing the NIS experience in organizing group work in biology lessons at Nazarbayev Intellectual School. Currently, the graduate works as a teacher in Nazarbayev Intellectual School.

University teachers are invited to the NIS Pedagogical Councils on various scientific and methodological problems (“On the quality of the preparation of the methodological publications of NIS teachers”, November, 2018).

Teachers of Nazarbayev Intellectual School refer to the departments of the university for reviewing and scientific expertise of their teaching materials. For example, in 2018, a group of NIS teachers underwent an expertise procedure for the Compilation Workshop to help certified teachers “Methodological support for organizing research practice for teachers”, Didactic materials on research practice in the framework of the “Action Research” project (a collection of research in class to help teachers).

The branch of “Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay” of JSC “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” is also a base of professional practices for students.

This semester 24 students of seven specialties have their practical training at the branch of “Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay”, NIS.

In addition, the resource center for translating the NIS experience in our region is the pilot school of the state institution “Secondary School No. 10 of the Education Department of the Akimat of Kostanay”, where our students are also purposefully sent for professional practice. So, at the moment, 64 students of eight specialties undergo their practical training in the state institution “Secondary School No. 10 of the Education Department of Kostanay Akimat”.

The cooperation of the university with schools on the transmission of NIS experience is also carried out through the development of educational programs. Teachers and employees of the Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Kostanay are co-developers or experts of educational programs of higher education for the bachelorship. So, in 2018 the content of the catalog was updated by 80%. For the 2018-2022 academic years, 414 new disciplines were developed and implemented. NIS teachers are involved in the process of forming the Catalog of Elective Disciplines (CED) in all specialties (Erisheva A.A., Saulebaeva A.E., Kozganbaeva M.T., Barmina A.Yu., Demesenov B.M, Asanova K.I., Nurusheva A. B. et al.). By developing a new design of modular educational programs for the years 2019-2022, the NIS leadership officially acts as co-developers and experts in the working group (January-February, 2019).

Another significant direction of the project is the transmission of experience by means of such courses as:

• courses of additional professional education for graduate students, developed on the basis of level programs for raising the qualifications of teaching staff (565 graduate students as the participants; the course content is included in the educational programs of the KSPU by the discipline “Teacher's Professional Guidelines”);
• courses on the program of training coaches from the faculty, prepared on the basis of level programs of advanced training of pedagogical workers of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and developed jointly by the Center for Pedagogical Skill of JSC “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” and the Faculty of Education of the University of Cambridge (45 teachers);
• The educational program of advanced training courses for faculty members of universities that provide training for teachers (as part of updating the content of secondary education in the Republic of Kazakhstan, 17 teachers).

In addition, the practice of interacting with Nazarbayev Intellectual School shows that such factor as the preparation for curatorial activities of both graduates of the teacher training institute and the advanced training of existing NIS supervisors remains outside our focus. Given this fact, the following alternatives in the development of new modular educational programs of the KSPU are introduced:

1. Development and implementation of an elective course program "Psychological and pedagogical foundations of curatorial activities at school" (2 credits) for students of the KSPU.
2. Introduction of the program of advanced training for teachers on social and educational work at school - 34 hours with the involvement of graduate students from the university and the pedagogical college.
3. Development and implementation of an elective course "Psychological and pedagogical diagnostics in the educational work of the class supervisor" (2 credits) for students of the KSPU.

The team of the U.Sultangazin KSPU as a classical pedagogical university realizes that today quality education in the country depends largely on how much our secondary school will catch up with the level of teaching in Nazarbayev intellectual schools, which are the best foreign experience, combining the achievements of classical pedagogy with the innovative processes of our time, and contributes to this process. It is no coincidence that on January 18, 2019, the university was visited by the chairman of the board of JSC “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” Shumshidinova Kulyash Nogatayevna on transmission of the NIS experience in secondary schools in the region. During her visit she held a business meeting with the university staff.