Successful school principalship during the COVID-19 crisis: The case of Kazakhstan
Seidumanova Meruyert

The Education University of Hong Kong

Abstract

Abstract for the ICHEDS 2023
Successful school principalship during the COVID-19 crisis: The case of Kazakhstan
Scope: Educational Management
Meruyert Seidumanova, PhD Candidate, The Education University of Hong Kong

The COVID-19 pandemic, which rapidly spread globally in 2020, resulted in the closure of schools and disrupted the education of approximately 1.3 billion learners worldwide. During this crisis, the role of school principals became increasingly significant as they were entrusted with higher autonomy in decision-making and crisis management. School principals not only fulfilled their regular duties but also played vital roles in facilitating distance learning, serving as frontline workers by distributing food to families and delivering devices to students, and maintaining the morale of the school community. The pandemic has brought to light long-standing issues within education systems, presenting opportunities for positive change. The response of school principals during this crisis determined whether they seized the opportunity to reinvent their schools for positive outcomes or missed the chance to bring about improvements. As schools gradually reopened worldwide, it is crucial to analyze the lessons learned and successful practices implemented by school principals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Kazakhstan, the COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on the education system, leading to the closure of approximately 7400 schools and the transition of around 3 million students to online learning (Press Centre of the Ministry of Education and Science, 2020). To understand how school principals in Kazakhstan navigated and responded to this crisis, a qualitative research methods were utilized, and in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 successful school principals in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The study aimed to explore the perspectives of successful principals and the practices they employed during the COVID-19 crisis. The research questions focused on understanding their experiences and examining their approaches to leadership during this challenging period.
The findings of the study revealed three overarching themes that captured the principals^ understanding of the crisis: Stress and Challenges, Innovation and Transformation, and Holistic Education: Promoting Wellbeing. Additionally, six themes emerged to describe the successful practices adopted by these principals: Emergency Leading and Teaching, Proactive Resolution of Challenges in Remote Education, Enhancement of Online Learning, Management of the New Normal for Students and Teachers, Adaptation to Uncertainty, and Balancing between Pre and Post-Pandemic Education. Furthermore, in response to the third research question, four themes were identified as lessons that can be learned from the experiences of school principals in Kazakhstan: Avoiding Excessive Reliance on Government Support, Fostering Collaboration and Teamwork between Schools and Communities, Extending Support Beyond the School, and Actively Engaging in a Growth Mindset and Continuous Learning.
This study holds important implications for school leaders, policymakers, and school leadership programs. Future principals can benefit from the strategies employed by successful school leaders during times of crisis, encompassing both the disruptive and recovery phases. School leadership and professional development programs can incorporate the insights gained from this study into their training by focusing on change and crisis leadership, the development of online learning strategies, prioritizing mental health, and fostering networking and collaboration among principals. Policymakers can utilize the study^s findings to reassess the autonomy of school principals, integrate digital learning techniques into schools, formulate a national crisis mitigation strategy, and allocate increased funding for the renovation of older school buildings in Kazakhstan.
Furthermore, this study contributes to the existing literature on school leadership during crises and school principalship in the post-Soviet Union Central Asian region. It expands upon and enhances current frameworks for navigating disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby bridging gaps in school principalship literature in Kazakhstan.

Keywords: school principals, Kazakhstan, COVID-19, crisis, school leadership

Topic: Educational Management