Developing Kazakhstani science capital through CLIL in the context of international olympiads

Abstract

Science capital development is becoming a priority in Kazakhstan. The country endeavors to incorporate international best practices into its education system, yet insufficient research and preparation hinder effective implementation. However, bottom-up practice blends post-Soviet educational methodologies with modern approaches, resulting in a hybrid approach. One such initiative is teaching science through Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) employing English. CLIL serves as a transformative strategy in multilingual educational contexts, bridging language and content for deeper comprehension. This study explores how students develop their science capital within CLIL settings through the lens of the Science Capital framework. We examined students' perspectives through interviews, observations, and analyzed official policy documents to support the findings. Our findings align with previous literature. However, this study introduces a novel perspective on languages used in science education. It was found that Russian remains one of the dominant languages in science education despite ongoing efforts to implement the Kazakhization policy. Moreover, field notes indicate that participants lack practical skills and experimental knowledge, hindering their ability to compete in high-stakes Olympiads and limiting the full development of their science capital. Correspondingly, to unlock Kazakhstan's holistic capital and foster an informed citizenry, it is crucial to integrate the local language(s) more effectively into science education policy and improve the curriculum to enhance theoretical and practical scientific competencies.