Abstract:

Education has always remained as one of the essential issues in developing countries. Therefore, The Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed to increase competitiveness of education and development of human capital through ensuring quality education in the State Program of Education Development for 2011-2020.
To achieve goals set in the State Program, the government started to implement E-learning program to increase education quality, information integration with external environment and efficiency of learning management at the secondary school. To achieve the greatest output of the current situation, Blended learning (BL) model is thought to be the best option, because it incorporates the best practice of e-learning: positive outcomes, low costs, time preservation and distance convenience for the learner together with traditional in-class study which increases motivation and raises one-on-one personal understanding.
Moreover, BL creates opportunities for independent learning, increases flexibility, improves student engagement and motivation, addresses students’ learning preferences and has full potential for integration of Kazakhstani modern educational environment in compliance with the international standards and global trends.
The selected school group under experiment has been the 9th grade students aged 15-16 years at Kokshetau lyceum (Kazakhstan) in the English language lesson. The research group accommodates 24 participants.
The availability of internet access and educational relevant resources to students are significantly important for experiment implementation. The research group carries out the traditional class activities through discussion, reading tasks in solution textbooks while online subject-related reading activities are relied on readtheory.org platform as supplementary materials to the traditional classroom settings. In addition, online discussions and forums as participative activities provide enhanced conditions for critical thinking.
The process of assessment of students’ language acquisition consists of three stage test evaluations: pre-test, mid-test and post-test results.
The online activities have been designed to provide students with customized coaching and instant individualized feedback. The online learning system enabled students to be aware of their progress and get specific explanation about incorrect answers.
Online survey was conducted in the research group. The purpose of the survey is to explore students’ achievements and their perceptions of their own learning outcomes with the use of BL tools. The test evaluation and the survey demonstrate that autonomous learning and students’ involvement in the learning process led to the academic advancement.

Keywords:

Blended learning, Kazakhstani secondary education, assessment.