English Language Teachers’ Perceptions of Implementing Project-Based Learning in Kazakhstani Secondary Schools
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Abstract
In recent years, the significance of learner-centered approaches has been widely recognized in foreign language education, emphasizing teacher roles in promoting meaningful learning and 21st-century skills. Project-based learning (PjBL) has long been a constructivist approach involving learners’ participation in authentic, real-world issues and meaningful content. This study investigates whether Gold-Standard PjBL is relevant and applicable in Kazakhstani English-medium schools and explores the attitudes of school administration toward EFL teachers implementing PjBL and their support for it. Qualitative and quantitative data involving 103 EFL teachers reveal that teachers are aware of the PjBL essentials and acknowledge the support of their school administration. However, their teaching practices fail to comply with the essential principles of a Gold-Standard, requiring further encouragement and promotion.
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Kymbat Smakova, SDU University
Kymbat Smakova, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at SDU University, Kazakhstan, where she also serves as Director of the Character and Values Education Research Centre. Her research interests focus on intercultural communicative competence, project-based learning in foreign language education, and character education, particularly within values-oriented higher education contexts.

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