Students' and teachers' experiences and perceptions of studying in ‘Bilim-Innovation’ lyceum - boarding schools in Kazakhstan

Since regaining its independence in 1991, the government of Kazakhstan has adopted a number of reforms to the education sector aimed at improving the academic performance of secondary school students. In 1992, Bilim-Innovation Lyceum-boarding schools (BIL) (formerly Kazakh-Turkish Lyceums) were established in a number of cities of the country. Since then, BIL schools have demonstrated remarkable performances. Students have received thousands of prizes in various competitions. There is a prevalent opinion that the primary factor that leads these schools to success is a single-sex environment. However, things are complicated by the fact that school features such as student selectiveness, boarding hall, school climate and scope of teachers’ roles may also play a significant role.
This research used a qualitative case study strategy to explore students’ and teachers’ perceptions of studying in BIL schools. The qualitative data were analysed using the method of thematic analysis.
The findings of this study indicate that the primary reason why students like studying in BILs and what encourages their academic achievements is the school climate, specifically the relationship among students and strong friendships. The study also demonstrated that teachers’ and tutors’ roles are considered main factors in students’ achievements. The study revealed that a single-sex environment is seen as one of the many school features, rather than the primary one, that contributed to learners’ success. My findings also suggested that the student selection process may have a detrimental influence on students. In addition, this study suggests that selective schools may exacerbate social inequality by ‘creaming off’ the most able students and preventing them from mixing with the wider population. This situation is then likely to cause divisions between those in society educated at selective schools and those not. In other words, a form of class division, which may promote an issue of ‘us’ and ‘them’ relationships.