Defining Spaces: Resource Centres, Collaboration, and Inclusion in Kazakhstan

Recognition and implementation of best practice collaborative partnerships are fundamental to developing inclusive schools and achieving positive outcomes. This is particularly important for those students requiring additional educational supports. In order to develop an individual approach to learning, and implement the necessary adjustments required to assist a student with specific needs, input from parents and other key stakeholders is considered important (Evans, 2015). Azzopardi (2011) argues that inclusion needs to be viewed as a process that encompasses the culture, policies and practices of a whole school and community. Despite positive intentions from a range of contributors, the purpose and practice of collaborative relationships can vary significantly (Cloninger, 2017). The present study examines the collaborative experiences of key stakeholders at schools that are supported by NGO funded resource centres in Astana, Kazakhstan. This research explores the lived experiences of teachers, and parents by highlighting the complex factors in schools that are enabling or disabling the success of children (Slee, 2011). The central focus of this research is to describe and understand the current collaborative processes within three mainstream schools in Kazakhstan. The results not only provide a snapshot of current collaborative practices within the Kazakhstani context of inclusive educational reforms, but identify partnerships and opportunities to enhance and contribute to the development of a successful model of support.