Redefining Educational Leadership in Central Asia by Tajik, Mir Afzal; Makoelle, Tsediso Michael;

Short description:

Redefining Educational Leadership in Central Asia brings together the voices, views, experiences, and reflections of educational leaders from both secondary schools and higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Long description:

Educational institutions within the post-soviet independent states of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have seen dramatic changes and educational reforms since their independence. Rapid technological changes, economic globalization, and increased migration and mobility of students have led Central Asian states to reform their education systems, within both secondary schools and higher education institutions such as universities. As a result, there is an increasing emphasis on redefining and reconceptualizing the role of leadership to better facilitate and lead the reform process.

Providing a research-based account on the educational reforms taking place in these countries, Redefining Educational Leadership in Central Asia brings together the voices, views, experiences, and reflections of educational leaders from both secondary schools and higher education institutions in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The chapters provide useful insights into the fundamental educational reforms shaping school leadership in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, educational leadership policies and practices, the myths and realities of school development planning and university leaders? performance in the higher education system of Kyrgyzstan.

This is a new and unique perspective on educational leadership and the first of its kind to focus on Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan from a non-western perspective. Policymakers, researchers, graduate students, and practitioners will be able to draw from the strategic visions offered while reviewing and revisiting leadership policies and practices in the climate of rapid changes and heightened expectations from these leaders.

This book makes an important contribution to developing and diversifying the study and practice of educational leadership beyond its Anglo-Saxon roots, to emergent contexts in central Asia. It provides a significant step towards making school and higher education leadership more global, through the research and scholarship presented in this volume.

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Secondary School Leadership Perspectives

Chapter 1. Leadership Context; Mir Afzal Tajik

Chapter 2. Educational leadership in post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Historical evolution and reconceptualization of leadership; Mir Afzal Tajik and Rauan Yesselbayev

Chapter 3. Educational leadership: Secondary education perspectives from Kazakhstan; Tsediso Michael Makoelle

Chapter 4. Fundamental educational reforms shaping school leadership in Kazakhstan; Lyazat Turmukhambetova and Tsediso Michael Makoelle

Chapter 5. Exploring the development of teacher leadership in Kazakhstan: Results from two successive studies; Gulmira Qanay and Matthew Courtney

Chapter 6. Kazakhstani perceptions of educational leadership and culture; Maganat Shegebayev, Aisham Seitova, and Sazali Yusoff

Chapter 7. Kazakhstani principals? views on equity in gifted education programs; Galiya Daulet and Janet Helmer

Chapter 8. Myths and realities of school development planning: Kazakhstani principals? and teachers? perspectives; Assemgul Bukutova and Mir Afzal Tajik

Part 2: Higher Education Leadership Perspectives

Chapter 9. Higher education leadership in contemporary Central Asian contexts; Martha Merrill

Chapter 10. Academic leadership and navigating changes: The case of Kazakhstan?s higher education leadership; Aida Sagintayeva

Chapter 11. Higher education reforms and policy context: Implications for leadership in Kazakhstan; Peter Shon

Chapter 12. University leaders? performance in the higher education system of Kyrgyzstan; Chynarkul Ryskulova

Chapter 13. Leadership Lessons from the Great Steppes of Central Asia: Opportunities, Obstacles, and the Way Forward; Mir Afzal Tajik and Tsediso Michael Makoelle