PARENT–SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: EXPERIENCE OF A KAZAKHSTANI SCHOOL

Abstract

The article examines the specific features of parent–school partnership in the context of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the expansion of inclusive practice in general education schools requires not only organizational and regulatory changes but also the development of sustainable interaction between the family and the educational institution. The aim of the study is to analyze the characteristics of parent-school partnership and to identify dimensions and reported difficulties associated with parents’ evaluations of interaction in the practice of a general education school. The study was conducted in the autumn of 2025 on the basis of a general education school in the city of Semey. The participants were 82 parents and legal representatives of schoolchildren, including 25 parents or legal representatives of children with special educational needs. Methodologically, the study has a descriptive-analytical design and combines quantitative and qualitative procedures of analysis. The main research instrument was an author-designed questionnaire that included items on parents’ attitudes toward inclusive education, scaled assessments of interaction with the school, a block of typical difficulties, and open-ended questions. The results showed that although parents generally demonstrate a positive attitude toward the idea of inclusive education, their assessments of the actual quality of interaction with the school remain more restrained. The most vulnerable aspects were the regularity of feedback, the extent to which parents’ opinions were taken into account in discussions of educational issues, and the coordination of actions among teachers and support specialists. The scientific value of the study lies in documenting, within a Kazakhstani school context, the coexistence of broad parental support for inclusion with mixed assessments of school readiness and moderate ratings of several partnership dimensions. The findings have practical value for strengthening regular feedback, parental participation in educational decisions, and coordination between teachers and support specialists.