Scholarly Prowess or Learned Helplessness? The Case of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools in Kazakhstan

Abstract

As a part of ongoing research into graduate outcomes, the present paper focuses on the impact of teacher support in the Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS) on the class of 2010. Data on the 2010 cohort were collected in early 2015 from alumni and NIS teachers. A qualitative method was implemented for data collection. According to the results, in general, the respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with student support. Unexpectedly, the research uncovered putative negative effects from the “overly supportive” student support culture, including a lack of motivation during university studies, poor time-management, poor task completion abilities, and poor organizational skills. The paper concludes that in providing support there must be a balance kept between teacher support and developing students’ ability to cope by themselves. - See more at: http://nonpartisaneducation.org/Review/Testimonials/v13n2.htm#sthash.7wqSJgob.dpuf

Keywords

• student support
• educational improvement
• alumni studies
• Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools
• Kazakhstan