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Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Volume 17. Number 3, September 2026 Pp. 226-245
Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abai
Altynsarin National Academy of Education, Astana, Kazakhstan
King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov, Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
School-lyceum #123 named after T.Zhurgenov, Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan
National Research University, Universitetskaya, Karaganda, Kazakhstan.
Department of Foreign Languages and Translation, Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan.
The COVID-19 pandemic considerably reshaped higher education, prompting universities worldwide to expand their reliance on online and blended modes of teaching and learning. This study investigates students’ experiences, preferences, and perceived effectiveness of mixed learning environments in the post-pandemic context of Kazakhstan. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed, involving 515 undergraduate students from three universities in Astana. Data was collected through a structured online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi-square tests. The findings indicate that while 42.5% of students prefer traditional face-to-face instruction due to higher motivation and interaction, a majority (50.7%) favor blended learning as it combines flexibility with instructional effectiveness. Only six to seven% of respondents support online learning. Furthermore, 74.8% of students expressed a preference for retaining online elements particularly recorded lectures within future teaching models. A statistically significant relationship was observed between age and learning preferences (χ² = 106.9, p < .001), with younger students showing stronger inclination toward blended learning. The results suggest that blended learning represents a sustainable and pedagogically effective model for post-COVID higher education in Kazakhstan. The study highlights the need for institutional investment in digital infrastructure, faculty training, and inclusive policies to support hybrid learning environments.
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Kulzhanat Nurymzhanovna Bulatbayeva is a Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, and Chief Researcher at Ibrai Altynsarin National Academy of Education. She leads a scientific linguodidactic school focused on multilingualism and has authored more than 200 publications, including monographs, textbooks, and two pedagogical technologies. Her achievements include the awards Best Higher Education Teacher of 2019, Best Professor of Kazakhstan (2020), and the I. Altynsarin Award for Best Scientific Research in Pedagogy (2021).
ORCID: 0000-0002-7288-8120
Gabit Muckanaevich Kussainov is a leading expert in pedagogy and educational policy in Kazakhstan, serving on doctoral dissertation councils and national educational bodies. His research focuses on educational modernization, teacher professional development, psycholinguistics, rural education, and the digital transformation of vocational training. He has participated in seven funded research projects and serves on the editorial board of ZERTTE. He has authored more than 200 scientific publications, including works indexed in Web of Science and Scopus, as well as 19 author certificates and one patent. ORCID: 0000-0003-2438-9527
Intakhab Alam Khan is an educator, researcher, author, and Professor at King Abdulaziz University and Visiting Professor at Samarkand State University named after Sharof Rashidov. He has authored 19 books and approximately 95 research papers published in Scopus, Web of Science–indexed, and other academic journals. He serves as an honorary chief editor and associate editor for several international peer-reviewed educational journals. He has held leadership roles in international conferences, including publication chair positions for proceedings published by Atlantic Publisher, part of Springer Nature. His research focuses on higher education, curriculum development, innovative teaching methodologies, and educational research. ORCID: 0000-0001-7058-2200
Aikerim Zharkynbekovna Iskakova is a doctoral student in the Department of Foreign Philology at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University and an English teacher at School-Lyceum No. 123 named after T. Zhurgenov, Kyzylorda, Kazakhstan. Her research interests include pedagogy, language education, assessment, and functional literacy. She has contributed to national educational standards, curricula, and methodological materials and is a member of the project Conceptual Foundations of the National Integrated Assessment System (BR21882300, 2023–2025). She has authored more than 40 publications, including two Scopus-indexed articles. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5017-7128
Ainur G. Shaimerdenova, doctoral candidate at E.A. Buketov Karaganda National Research University, Kazakhstan. Her research interests are related to the issues of training future teachers, the characteristics of children of the Alpha generation and their education in the context of digitalization of education. As part of her doctoral dissertation, she studies the problems of teacher training for teaching younger schoolchildren foreign languages in modern conditions. Her ORCID ID is: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5103-9672
Temirbolat Kenshinbay Ybraiuly is a Candidate of Philological Sciences (Ph.D.), Acting Associate Professor, and Head of the Working Group for International Projects and Scholarship Programs at Korkyt Ata Kyzylorda University, Kazakhstan. He has 48 years of experience in English language teaching and extensive expertise in language education and higher education reform. He has received professional training in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States and has published more than 70 scientific works. From 2007 to 2014, he served as a Higher Education Reform Expert for Kazakhstan’s National Team, contributing to Erasmus+ and Bologna Process initiatives. His contributions have been recognized with the Republic of Kazakhstan Medal “For Labor Excellence.” ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4337-8794