HISTORY AND STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

The history of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology reflects the emergence and development of teacher education in Kazakhstan, advances in scholarly thought, and continuity in teacher training. Its development is closely intertwined with the history of the Kazakh State Women’s Pedagogical Institute and spans several historical periods. Over the years, the Faculty has become an important educational centre bringing together teaching and character development, research and pedagogical practice, and providing a foundation for the professional growth of many generations of specialists.

On 15 August 1944, the Kazakh State Women’s Institute was established by a resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the Kazakh SSR. From the earliest stages of its development, particular attention was paid to teacher education and academic and methodological work. The Department of Pedagogy, established within the Faculty of History, laid the foundation for the professional training of future specialists and supported the development of teacher education. Sh. Kokimbayev was appointed its first head.

The establishment of the Department of Physical Education in 1949 reflected the expansion of the Institute’s fields of professional training. Its first head was M.R. Rakhimkulov. During this period, the teacher education system gradually took shape, while the content and organisation of professional training continued to improve.

In 1973, the Department of Psychology began operating as an independent unit. Its first head was E.S. Sufiyev, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Associate Professor. The establishment of psychology as a separate academic unit reflected the growing emphasis on studying individuals’ inner lives, developmental characteristics, and psychological patterns within the educational process.

In 1974, the Faculty of History and Pedagogy was established, with B.I. Iskakova, Candidate of Historical Sciences and Associate Professor, as its first head. That same year, the Department of Preschool Pedagogy opened under the leadership of B.I. Zharisheva. Training specialists in preschool education thus became one of the Faculty’s key areas of development.

In 1984, the Department of Preschool Pedagogy and the Department of Preschool Teaching Methods were established to improve the training of preschool education specialists. The former was headed by Professor A.K. Menzhanova and the latter by Zh.I. Idrisova, Candidate of Biological Sciences.

From 1984 to 1990, the Faculty was known as the Faculty of Preschool Education. During this period, it was headed by K.A. Aimagambetova, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Professor. Under her leadership, the range of training programmes in preschool education expanded and the Faculty’s research and methodological capacity grew stronger.

From 1990 to 2000, it operated as the Faculty of Preschool and Primary Education. In 1994, the degree programme in Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education was introduced, marking the development of primary school teacher training. In 2000, the departments responsible for preschool and primary education were merged to form the Department of Preschool and Primary Education.

During the 2000–2001 academic year, it operated as the Faculty of Primary and Music Education. In 2001, it was reorganised as the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Primary Education, and in 2002, the name Faculty of Primary and Music Education was reinstated. During this period, the units specialising in pedagogy were also reorganised, and the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology was formed by a decision of the University’s Academic Council.

In the 2003–2004 academic year, the programmes in Preschool Teaching and Education, Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education, Psychology, Pedagogy and Psychology, Defectology, and Social Pedagogy and Self-Knowledge were brought together within a single faculty. This consolidation aimed to improve the training of future preschool educators and teachers, advance research in psychology and pedagogy, and ensure continuity across educational fields. The Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology thereby developed a comprehensive scope of activity and expanded its training of future teachers, psychologists, and special education specialists.

In 2005, the Department of Physical Culture and Valeology joined the Faculty. In 2008, the Social Pedagogy and Self-Knowledge programme was introduced, and the Faculty’s academic staff contributed to developing the Self-Knowledge curriculum and preparing teaching and learning resource packages for higher education institutions.

From 2021, the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology was headed by Gulzhan Serikovna Orazayeva, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Associate Professor. During this period, priority was given to developing research, updating educational programmes, expanding international cooperation, and introducing modern pedagogical and psychological technologies. Work to promote inclusive education principles and provide psychological support to students was also strengthened.

An important step in the Institute’s development was the improvement of its departmental structure. In accordance with Minutes No. 4 of the Board of Directors meeting held on 10 August 2023, the Department of Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education was divided into two independent departments from the 2023–2024 academic year. As a result, the Department of Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education and the Department of Preschool Education began operating as separate units.

The Department of Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education was headed by S.M. Nurbekova, PhD and Senior Lecturer, while the Department of Preschool Education was headed by A.M. Zhubandykova, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Associate Professor. This change aimed to deepen research and methodological work in preschool and primary education, further specialise educational programmes, and improve the quality of professional training.

From the 2026–2027 academic year, the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology was reorganised as a faculty. A.M. Zhubandykova, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences and Acting Professor, was appointed to lead the Faculty. This structural change opens up new opportunities to organise the Faculty’s activities in line with new requirements, develop priority areas of teacher education, and strengthen its research and educational capacity.

ACADEMIC STAFF EXPERTISE AND AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

Over the years, the Faculty has been home to distinguished scholars and educators who have made significant contributions to pedagogy, psychology, and educational sciences in Kazakhstan. They include T. Tazhibayev, A. Asylbekov, E. Dairabayev, B. Iskakova, A. Zhumakhanov, B. Zharisheva, E. Sufiyev, I. Madin, D. Seidualiyev, K. Rakhimbekov, A. Temirbekov, S. Musin, A. Menzhanova, K. Kunantayeva, K. Aimagambetova, I. Patapov, A. Aldamuratov, L. Kerimov, S. Uzakbayeva, A. Kusaiynov, K. Kozhakhmetova, S. Kaliyev, K. Mendayakova, I. Islamkulova, Kh. Sheryazdanova, Sh. Taubayeva, T. Levchenko, S. Zhiyenbayeva, D. Abdikadyrova, and other scholars.

At various times, the Faculty was headed by B.I. Iskakova, K.A. Aimagambetova, A.S. Amirova, L.K. Kerimov, A.B. Nurlybekova, Sh.T. Taubayeva, S.T. Imanbayeva, S.S. Konyrbayeva, S.N. Zhiyenbayeva, and G.S. Orazayeva.

Key areas of the Faculty’s work included developing the research and methodological foundations of teacher education, improving educational programmes, and training qualified specialists to meet the changing needs of the education system. Credit-based learning technologies were used in teaching, and training was provided at bachelor’s and master’s levels. Instruction was delivered in Kazakh, Russian, and English.

STRUCTURE OF THE FACULTY OF PEDAGOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY

Department of Special Pedagogy;

Department of Physical Education and Sport;

Department of Theory and Practice of Education;

Department of Psychology;

Department of Pedagogy and Methods of Primary Education;

Department of Preschool Education.