A Step Towards Quality Education through Lesson Study and Action Research

On October 3, 2025, a large-scale methodological seminar-training was held at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University for 4th-year students. The event was organized by mentors of the Faculty of Pedagogy and Psychology – Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor R. Bazarbekova, and PhD, Senior Lecturer S. Erkebaeva – with the support of the UNESCO Chair and the Center for Pedagogical Innovations.

The aim of the seminar was to familiarize graduating students of pedagogical specialties and faculty members with research-based teaching methods, and to guide them in the high-quality preparation and defense of their diploma projects. In addition, the seminar focused on the practical implementation of innovative approaches – Lesson Study and Action Research – in the educational process, and analyzed their scientific and methodological foundations.

As part of the seminar, a special guest – Dr. Clea Fernandez, an international expert in educational psychology and representative of Columbia University (USA) – shared her experience with the participants. She emphasized that Lesson Study and Action Research are widely used in foreign education systems and play a crucial role in teachers’ professional development, as well as in identifying students’ needs.

The seminar also featured speeches by the Head of the UNESCO Chair, Professor A.E. Berikhanova, and scientific-methodological supervisor G.Kh. Sarsenbayeva. They encouraged graduating students to conduct effective research during their upcoming teaching practice and to apply in-depth research and effective methods when writing their diploma and project works.

At the end of the seminar, students asked questions, exchanged experiences, and highly praised the event as an effective platform for the development of scientific research activities.

Such events not only enhance the quality of pedagogical research within the university but also make a significant contribution to improving the professional training of future teachers.