National Model of Pedagogical Education Development Presented at August Conference

In Astana, as part of the annual August conference of education workers, a section titled "Pedagogical Education of the Future: Development and Implementation of the National Model" took place, organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The conference was held with the participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and was dedicated to the theme "Human Capital, Knowledge, and Progress – Key Values of the People's Constitution," according to the "Modern Education" magazine, citing the press service of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The discussion was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, heads of higher education institutions, experts in the field of higher education, representatives of Nazarbayev University, the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation, the National Testing Center, the Erasmus+ expert community, accreditation agencies, and employer associations.

"Today, it is important for us to transition from a fragmented approach to training teachers to a holistic system of their professional development. A future teacher must go through a consistent path from an informed choice of profession and quality training to successful entry into the school environment, mentoring, and further professional growth. Therefore, the new model entails close partnership between the university and the school and shared responsibility for the result," noted Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education Gulzat Kobenova.

The main issue of the section was the Concept for the Development of Pedagogical Education, aimed at forming a modern ecosystem for training, professional entry, and the further development of teachers. The main approaches of the Concept were presented by Banu Narbekova, Vice-Rector of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.

At the core of the proposed model is a transition from the traditional approach of training a teacher to a single life cycle of a pedagogue. This includes professional orientation and selection of future pedagogues, studies at a university, early immersion in the school environment, professional entry into school, mentoring, and continuous development of the specialist.

By 2029, within the framework of the Concept, guidelines have been defined for transitioning to the "University 5.0" model. The key task of the model is to form a holistic system in which a motivated and competent pedagogue receives quality training, support upon entering the profession, and opportunities for continuous professional development.

It is expected that the pedagogical university will play a broader role, systematically supporting the professional development of the future teacher, as well as evaluating the results of their further professional growth.

One of the key directions of the Concept is strengthening the practice-oriented nature of pedagogical education. In this regard, the school is considered a full-fledged partner of the pedagogical university in training the future specialist. Among the proposed solutions are the development of partner and clinical schools, earlier immersion of students in the professional environment, and the formation of a system for training school mentors.

Special attention is paid to the responsibility of pedagogical universities for the professional results of their graduates. In this regard, it is proposed to improve approaches to assessing the quality of training, taking into account not only students' academic results at the university, but also their subsequent employment, the success of their professional entry into school, and the further dynamics of professional development.

A separate direction of the Concept is the development of AI-Driven Pedagogy – the application of artificial intelligence in pedagogical activity. Technological solutions are planned to be used for designing and personalizing learning, analyzing educational data, and increasing the efficiency of the teacher's work. At the same time, artificial intelligence is viewed as a tool that expands the teacher's capabilities, rather than a replacement for human interaction, mentoring, and educational work.

Following the section, participants developed recommendations for the further development of pedagogical education, strengthening interaction between universities and schools, improving the training and professional support of teachers, developing practice-oriented research, and introducing modern educational approaches.

The implementation of the outlined approaches is aimed at forming a modern system of pedagogical education that meets the changing requirements for the teaching profession. The national model is designed to provide quality training and professional support for the pedagogue at all stages of their career, raise the quality of the pedagogical corps, and strengthen human capital. Ultimately, this should contribute to the development of a strong school and the improvement of students' educational results.