NU Launched Leadership Training for Rural School Principals and University Administrators.
Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education, in partnership with universities HAMK and JAMK, has launched the third professional development program, "Leadership in Education." This initiative is part of a broader project aimed at implementing and enhancing an improved model of teacher education. The project receives support from the World Bank, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Gulzat Kobenova, Head of the Higher and Postgraduate Education Committee, emphasized Nazarbayev University's contribution to training leaders for the education system. "I am sure here are future new leaders who are now heads of departments, deans of faculties, heads of departments for academic activities and school principals," she said at the openning ceremony.
The program is designed to foster the development of competencies in 200 higher education representatives and 50 rural school principals in crucial areas of educational leadership. Participants will acquire knowledge of the latest trends in education, learn to generate innovative ideas and approaches, utilize new technologies, develop future visions, and solve problems with a results-oriented focus.
Comprising 72 academic hours, the training adopts a hybrid format that includes online sessions, a week-long intensive offline training at the Nazarbayev University Graduate School of Education with international and local experts, and mentoring sessions. The teaching methods are centered on actively engaging students in collaborative learning and fostering a shared understanding of new pedagogical principles.
Active and interactive teaching methods will be employed during group sessions to involve students in the learning process, supplemented by various digital tools. The educational platform Moodle is utilized to effectively organize the educational process and maintain communication with the participants. It serves as a centralized repository for all learning materials, including resources, articles, videos, and illustrations needed for assignments. Additionally, the platform offers extensive communication features, such as forums, messaging, chats, comments, and blogs, enabling students and experts to engage in active dialogue and discussions outside of training sessions.
The program is delivered in a multilingual format, ensuring accessibility for all the participants. All sessions are translated into Kazakh, English, and Russian, with both consecutive and simultaneous translation available. Program materials are also translated into all three languages, allowing the participants to study in their preferred language.
Upon completion, participants will receive certificates.
Assignments are tailored to each student's educational role, with the main learning outcome being the development of a final project. Students will commence work on this project during the offline week at Nazarbayev University under the guidance of key experts, with workshops designed to support their progress.
The final project involves creating a roadmap for the implementation of new educational programs, tailored to the specific needs of the three groups of participants:
University Leaders: The focus is on managing personnel and resources in line with a future vision. The main goal is to create a conducive educational and working environment, provide necessary resources, and initiate a proactive process for the implementation of the Education Modernization project and stakeholder collaboration.
Representatives of University Quality Assurance Departments: Emphasis is placed on establishing a continuous internal quality assessment process aligned with the principles of the new educational programs. A crucial aspect is developing a collaboration plan with teacher education departments to foster a common understanding of changes.
Rural School Principals: The training emphasizes collaboration and networking between universities and schools concerning the new educational programs. Rural school principals are responsible for guiding the daily practices of educational organizations to ensure the successful implementation of project.
Topics of Offline Seminars at Nazarbayev University:
Generating leadership ideas and approaches/Piia Kolho
Using new technologies in educational leadership/Kairat Kurakbayev
Developing visions of the future/Essi Ryymin
Solving problems by being result-oriented/Johanna Ärling