Abstract

Kazakhstan is a country undergoing massive educational reform including the introduction of a trilingual policy in all schools. Taking a cross-cultural perspective, this paper presents results of a qualitative study into classroom assessment practices of teachers in secondary schools in Kazakhstan. Particular attention is given to how teachers move from a post-Soviet construct of competence based on simple knowledge accrual and testing against state standards to a more Westernised student competence and formative assessment belief model. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to apply Western theories of the purposes of assessment to the context of teaching English, Kazakh and Russian in Kazakhstan by exploring local teachers’ beliefs and understanding about their practices.