Higher education aspirations of youth in Kazakhstan based on the intersection of gender and disability. This is undoubtedly one of the reasons for the low number of students with disabilities enrolled in higher education. The results of higher education were also analyzed in this study to identify the areas that require special attention at the current stage of higher education development in order to increase the number of students with disabilities in higher education institutions in Kazakhstan.
Introduction
According to researchers (Bellew & King, 1993; King & Hill, 1997), higher education plays a major role in personal and professional as well as social development. The basic purpose of this research is to promote transformative actions in the field of inclusive higher education to increase the participation of young people with disabilities in higher education based on the lived experience of the participants in the study. Previous studies that aimed to explore the participation of students with disabilities in higher education highlight the need for more in-depth research on student aspirations (Bowl, 2001; Leach, 2013; Madriaga, 2007; Wilks & Wilson, 2012).
Literature Review
This, and the fact that inclusive higher education is overlooked in the current educational development process in Kazakhstan, presents an interesting case for further research into the experiences of students with special needs in entering and obtaining higher education. This social perception of disability can affect students with disabilities in higher education. As a result, the majority of disabled people lag behind in social participation due to the lower quality of education.
Another important factor closely related to the attitude and financial implications of research on students with disabilities in higher education is the physical accessibility of educational institutions and work environments. Due to the lack of specialized educational resources and support technologies, students with disabilities remain limited in their participation in higher education, which further affects their motivation to continue their education after high school. Given the general tendency to view disabled people as a collective heterogeneous unit, it is expected that most sources of literature on disabled students in higher education are gender neutral (Hästbacka, Nygård & . Nyqvist, 2016).
Such psychosocial challenges can limit participation of women with disabilities in education and work spheres. A study of 44 cases of female students with disabilities in higher education institutions in England revealed that discriminatory expectations are a fairly frequent pattern (Preece, 1995). Among other concerns about the participation of women with disabilities in higher education, five different categories of factors can be identified that have a materially detrimental effect on the motivation and overall performance of female students with disabilities.
Thus, the literature review revealed that the range of barriers and challenges for students with disabilities in higher education is wide.
Research Methodology
Analysis of student aspirations through an intersectional perspective addressed the low enrollment in higher education among young men and women with disabilities to drive change towards inclusion in the current education system. After obtaining the contact information, the researcher formed the sample from this list without informing the recruiters which of their contacts participated in the interview. Overall, direct engagement through snowball sampling was the most appropriate and confidential technique for the purpose of this study as only the researcher and participant were involved in data collection.
In this research, semi-structured interviews were chosen to gain a more detailed insight into the aspirations of young adults with disabilities for higher education in the context of Kazakhstan. The use of semi-structured interviews in the qualitative research as an effective instrument for data collection and sound ethical considerations ensured that the rights and confidentiality of participants representing the vulnerable population were guaranteed. Participants were also asked for permission to cite their direct quotes for inclusion in the research publication.
No information considered personal, such as names, contacts and occupations was used in the presentation of this research as the author used codes instead. The vulnerability characteristics of this population may result in a sensitive context for data collection as participants may feel sad, angry or embarrassed when asked about their impairments or when reflecting on their experience. Direct benefits for the participants of this research included the opportunity to reflect on their educational experiences, share their stories, and express their opinion about the university experience in an atmosphere where their voices are respected and valued.
All the information presented in this chapter ensures that the findings discussed in the next chapter answer the main research question.
Findings
Some of them said that they see the need for higher education because the college degree is usually required for better employment opportunities, but that they themselves do not attach much value to it. I think women generally need more education than men because men can just finish school or maybe university and then find a decent job, but that doesn't apply to women. This is why we have so many women in higher education and they are very motivated to obtain a degree, unlike most men in my experience.
Well, higher education is important and I would like to have it one day, but I just don't have the time. The female participants, on the other hand, mainly reflected on the importance of higher education for their personal development and the ability to be responsible for their lives by being more independent in the future. Some participants, especially those with completed higher education, were also quite skeptical about their employment prospects due to their health.
Nevertheless, they also cited the lack of teacher support as a significant obstacle in their decision to pursue higher education. Intersection of gender, disability, aspirations and outcomes of higher education In general, there were no differences in the way in which these study participants reflected on the outcomes of receiving vocational or higher education depending on their gender. Some male participants and most females, on the contrary, emphasize the professional development within higher education as the most important part of their experience.
The impact of attitudinal and environmental barriers on higher education aspirations is also presented.
Discussion of Findings
In this context, education is not considered a priority, especially for men from disadvantaged backgrounds due to the opportunity for them to enter the workforce in manual or service-type jobs without first receiving higher education (Weaver-Hightower , 2010). Current demographics of university enrollment among students with and without disabilities indicate the prevalence of women related to the discussions about the overall feminization of higher education (Dillabough, 2006; Francis & Skelton, 2001; . Leathwood & Read, 2008). To illustrate, research shows that numbers of men with disabilities in higher education are increasing at a good rate (Weaver-Hightower, 2010).
However, specific issues of gender as part of the overall process of the formation of one's self-identity should also receive significant attention in order to increase the participation of this social group in higher education and reduce the marginalization of people with disabilities (Herath, 2015). Discussion of Findings for Theme 2: The Intersection of Gender, Disability and Aspirations When talking about higher education, all participants highlighted that having a university degree is a widely accepted norm in Kazakh society. Nevertheless, given that higher education institutions today are not equipped to meet the needs of diverse students (Florian, Rouse & Black-Hawkins, 2016), higher education for most youth with disabilities is important mainly because
As for the men, they noted that higher education is less important because they can start working and earn some money for themselves and the family right after finishing school or vocational training. Discussion of findings for theme 3: The intersection between gender, disability, aspirations and outcomes of higher education. This further led to differences in higher education outcomes for male and female participants.
Men, however, were often disappointed with the quality of higher education as they did not receive the expected level of expertise due to the inability of educational institutions to meet their needs.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The study begins with the outline of inclusive higher education development in the Kazakh context, relating this process to the international experience. This includes the lack of informed actions and inconsistencies between policies and practices during the implementation of the education reforms and low engagement of students with disabilities in higher education. The second chapter established a comprehensive literature review dedicated to the various factors that influence students' aspirations for higher education in general, and those from vulnerable social backgrounds in particular.
This included the lack of focus on inclusion at the higher education level due to the focus on the medical model of disability and its correction for students. Furthermore, it was emphasized that access to higher education has great potential for achieving social justice. Following the principles of hermeneutic phenomenology, this study initially examined the specific phenomena of interest: the enrollment of students with disabilities in higher education.
A recommendation on how to address the areas of concern for youth with disabilities entering higher education in the Kazakhstan context was developed based on the findings from the study participants' narratives. This study used the students' narratives to develop a comprehensive description and interpretation of their interaction with the same phenomena - the process of entering higher education. I've never known anyone like me, goes to university: Class, ethnicity and access to higher education.
When higher education is possible but not desirable: Widening participation and the aspirations of Australian Indigenous school students. Negotiating Self-Identity and the Contingency of Self-Actualization among the Students with Disabilities Aspiring to Higher Education in Sri Lanka. Access to higher education in the post-Soviet states: Between Soviet legacy and global challenges.
Informed Consent Form
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With full knowledge of all of the foregoing, I agree of my own free will to participate in this study.
Interview Protocol
Sample Interview Transcripts
