Professional Development Needs of English Teachers in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The systematic work in the field of education in the Republic of Kazakhstan to increase the requirements for the quality of teacher training is directly related to advance training courses for teachers. Conducting research before the formation of courses for each group and taking into account individual requests allows us to build the learning process more effectively. The relevance of this study lies in the fact that special attention is paid to the potential benefits of professional needs analysis to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the situation with the study and teaching of English in Kazakhstani schools. This study presents the results of the needs analysis of Kazakhstani English teachers before the beginning of advanced training courses for teachers of English within the framework of the pedagogical development program developed by the Akmola Region English Language Teachers Association (ARELTA) and the Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in Astana. The purpose of the study is to collect data for the development of a curriculum for an advanced training course for English teachers within the framework of the project. The survey involved 328 respondents, all of them teachers of English from different regions of Kazakhstan. The performed analysis represents the English language teacher's perception of professional development needs and is critical for analyzing the needs and professional development of other teachers.