Pedagogy and Psychology

Family Emotional Interaction and Children’s Behavioral Types

Huihui Shen, Aigul Bulatbayeva — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0600

This study examines family emotional interaction, which is a key environmental factor in children’s socio-emotional development and behavioral adjustment: methodology and Methods. Using stratified random sampling, we selected 600 valid samples of Chinese children aged 6-15 and their parents. We collected
data using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and behavioral indicators grounded in developmental
research on social withdrawal, attachment, and emotion socialization. We used correlation analysis and
multiple regression models to test the hypotheses. Results. Positive family emotional interaction predicts
children’s prosocial behavior and significantly and negatively predicts aggressive and withdrawn behavior; negative emotional interaction shows the opposite pattern and is significantly more strongly associated with aggressive than withdrawn behavior. Similarly, positive emotional engagement predicts prosocial behavior
significantly better than it predicts aggressive and withdrawn behavior. The interaction between gender and emotional engagement in the family is not significant, indicating that gender does not significantly moderate the relationship between emotional engagement in the family and children’s behavioral outcomes. Scientific novelty. Emotional engagement in the family shows differentiated, directional, and strong effects on children’s prosocial, aggressive, and withdrawn behavior, with no significant gender effect. These results emphasize that promoting adaptive social development should prioritize the quality of the family emotional environment and emotion socialization processes over gender differences in children - practical significance. These results can inform family counseling and parent education.

SENSEMAKING, SENSEGIVING, AND RECTORAL LEADERSHIP: EVIDENCE FROM KAZAKHSTAN

Aida Sagintayeva — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0600

University autonomy reforms in Kazakhstan have expanded the formal authority of higher education institutions, yet public universities remain shaped by state priorities, funding rules, accountability mechanisms, and performance indicators. This article examines what this tension means for organizational change in a state-steered system with historically centralized administrative traditions: Methodology and Methods. Drawing on Kezar’s change macro framework, it uses conceptual analysis informed by a multiplecase study of three regional public universities implementing international dual degree programs. Results. The article argues that external forces should be treated as a primary domain of change, not merely as contextual background. Scientific novelty. It develops a dual sensemaking and sensegiving model of rectoral leadership, showing how university rectors interpret ministerial priorities upward and translate them downward into institutional narratives. Finally, it introduces compliant transformationalism to describe leaders who use the language of transformation while operating within constrained autonomy - practical significance. The article contributes to scholarship on higher education change, leadership, and governance.

Effectiveness of an Integrative Model for Developing Soft Skills: an experimental study in general education institutions

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0600

In the contemporary education system, the acquisition of subject-specific knowledge alone is no longer sufficient; therefore, developing students’ soft skills, including communication, teamwork, critical thinking, self-management, and learning motivation, has become an important educational priority. In general education institutions in particular, there is an increasing need to provide a scientific basis for pedagogical models aimed at the systematic and purposeful development of these skills. In this regard, the relevance of the present study is determined by the need to experimentally evaluate the effectiveness of an integrative model for developing soft skills. Methodology and Methods.The aim of this study was to develop an integrative model for fostering soft skills in general education institutions, implement it in the teaching and educational process, and experimentally assess its impact on students’ personal, social, and cognitive development. Results. The study was conducted through a pedagogical experiment using a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. Questionnaires, tests, pedagogical observations, and interviews were employed for data collection. An analytical framework for assessing soft skills was developed, and the collected data were processed using the Jamovi statistical software. A total of 238 students participated in the study and were divided into experimental and control groups. The experiment was conducted in several general education institutions in the Turkistan region. Scientific novelty. The findings demonstrated that implementing the integrative model significantly improved the levels of communication, teamwork, self-management, learning motivation, and cognitive soft skills among students in the experimental group compared with those in the control group (p < 0.001). In addition, modular training programmes for teachers, professional experience-sharing activities, and webinars for parents contributed to improving the effectiveness of the educational process. Practical significance. The study findings support the integrative model for developing soft skills as an effective pedagogical solution that can be implemented in the practice of general education institutions.

Development of an Inclusive Education Ecosystem Based on the Adapted Future Classroom Lab Model

Laura Shalabayeva, Akerke Umirbekova , Damira Sovetkanova — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0600

The article discusses the problem of forming an effective ecosystem of inclusive education in the system of training future teachers. The purpose of the study is to scientifically substantiate the possibilities of developing inclusive competencies of future teachers by adapting the Future Classroom Lab (FCL) model to the conditions of higher pedagogical education. Results. It has been established that the implementation of the FCL model allows for the organization of inclusive education not as a set of individual methods, but as a holistic ecosystem whose pedagogical, spatial, and technological components are interconnected. Future teachers have systematically developed their skills in diagnostic and evaluative, didactic adaptation, and inclusive assessment. TEIP results in quantitative indicators have grown significantly: confidence in inclusive education increased from 2.8 to 3.9, task adaptation from 2.6 to 3.8, behavior management from 2.7 to 3.7. Class indicators also improved (there was an increase in the criteria of emotional support, process organization, cognitive stimulation). According to SACERS, the overall average assessment of the learning environment was recorded at a high level, which ensured the availability and safety of premises, flexibility of zones and inclusive adaptation. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the adaptation of the Future Classroom Lab model to the context of higher pedagogical education and the justification of inclusive training at the university-future teacher level using an ecosystem approach. Practical significance. The results of the study provide a clear methodological basis for training future teachers in universities to work in an inclusive environment based on experience. The FCL ecosystem allows for the reorganization of the learning space, the development of adapted educational materials, the creation of a safe psychosocial environment, and the implementation of inclusive approaches to assessment.

Psychological and Pedagogical Significance of Factors Influencing Self-Esteem of Students

Zakhida Makhametova , Nurgul Toxanbayeva , Yerzhan Myrzabekov — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0600

In contemporary education, self-esteem is widely recognized as an important psychological and pedagogical factor associated with students’ academic functioning, learning motivation, and social adaptation. As a multifaceted component of self-consciousness, self-esteem functions as an internal regulatory mechanism
shaping emotional stability, goal-setting processes, and self-regulated learning behaviors. From this perspective,
self-assessment contributes to learners’ ability to critically evaluate and manage their educational outcomes, thereby supporting the development of autonomous and reflective individuals within modern educational systems. Methodology and Methods. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design. The participants were 171 first- to fourth-year students aged 19–22 years who were enrolled in pedagogy and psychology programs at two universities in Kazakhstan. Self-esteem was assessed using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, while psychological well-being was measured using the shortened SPWB-18 scale. Social comparison and problematic digital use were examined through a separate set of questions. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. Results. Most participants demonstrated medium (43.9%) or high (42.1%) levels of self-esteem, while 14.0% were classified as having a low level. Selfesteem was positively associated with psychological well-being (r = .52) and negatively associated with social comparison (r = −.46) and problematic digital use (r = −.41). Social comparison was also negatively associated with psychological well-being (r = −.39), whereas problematic digital use showed a negative association with psychological well-being (r = −.44). Scientific novelty. The study provides empirical evidence on the relationships between self-esteem, psychological well-being, social comparison, and problematic digital use among university students in Kazakhstan. By examining these variables within the same student sample, the findings contribute to a more integrated understanding of the psychological and digital factors associated with students’ self-esteem. Practical significance. The findings may be useful in developing psychological and pedagogical support practices for university students, particularly those aimed at strengthening reflective skills, promoting responsible digital behavior, and supporting psychological well-being.