“The Curriculum Does Not Know the Conditions Under which I Teach”: Kazakhstani EFL Teachers’ Embodied Nomadic Culture as Agency
Marshal N. Bedeker M.
2026Routledge
Journal of Language, Identity and Education
2026
This paper examines how Kazakhstani EFL teachers’ professional agency is shaped by nomadic cultural capital amidst ongoing educational reforms. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework—integrating ecological, socio-cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives—the study explores how cultural heritage fosters resilience and adaptability. By analysing teacher engagement across two contrasting school settings, the research highlights differing modalities of agency and contextual influences on reform implementation. Findings reveal that teachers do not merely execute policy; they reinterpret it through inherited dispositions valuing perseverance, collaboration, and ethical practice, transforming top-down mandates into meaningful professional action. The study argues that teachers’ responses are rooted in historical and cultural norms rather than simple compliance. Ultimately, the research emphasises the necessity of an epistemological shift that integrates Central Asian cultural perspectives. This approach frames educational change as a dialogue between tradition and reform, challenging the linear trajectory towards Western modernity in favour of localised professional identities.
Cultural capital , EFL teachers , lived experiences , teacher agency
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Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan
New Uzbekistan University, Uzbekistan
Nazarbayev University
New Uzbekistan University
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026