Mapping the Field: A Scoping Review of Initial Teacher Education Research in Central Asia

Abstract

This study maps the landscape of initial teacher education (ITE) research in Central Asia and its positioning within global academic discourse between 2004 and 2024. Drawing on a systematic scoping review of 144 publications conducted using the PRISMA-ScR protocol, it analyses publication trends, methodological approaches and thematic foci. The findings indicate that although Central Asia’s contributions to global ITE discourse remain limited, scholarly output is growing, particularly in Kazakhstan, while publications from Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are notably absent. Most studies are empirical and predominantly quantitative, with a strong thematic focus on curriculum-related areas, with limited attention to research and practicum in ITE programmes, teaching practices of teacher educators and educational reform and policies in the field, including issues of equity. By critically assessing these trends, the study identifies key gaps and proposes directions for future research, contributing to a more coherent and connected body of ITE scholarship in and on Central Asia. As the first synthesis of ITE research across the region, it offers a foundation for comparative analysis and cross-national dialogue on teacher education reform.

1. Introduction

Preparing teachers with the necessary knowledge, skills, and commitments plays a crucial role in shaping educational outcomes and influencing long-term societal development (Darling-Hammond & Bransford, 2007). Research on teacher preparation and certification is a complex and evolving field, shaped by diverse perspectives on the aims of education and the role of research within it (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015). This is particularly relevant in newly independent states, including those in Central Asia. Since gaining independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Central Asian countries have undergone significant economic, social, and political changes that have profoundly shaped their education systems (Sharimova et al., 2023). In response, each nation has sought to reform its education system, updating curricula to better prepare graduates for both national and global labour markets (Chapman et al., 2005). Reflecting on the post-Soviet transformation of education, Silova and Niyozov (2020) observe that the countries in the region are undergoing a mixed transition. On the one hand, it preserves elements of the Soviet legacy, and in some cases even revives pre-Soviet traditions. On the other hand, implementing a series of policy reforms that signal the adoption of Western educational approaches, including internationalisation of higher education through measures like aligning curricula with the Bologna Process, creating international or joint universities, and sending students abroad for study.

Given the pivotal role teachers play in the success of educational reforms (Fullan, 2016), a scoping review of teacher education research is warranted to map the existing literature, identify key trends and gaps, and inform future research and policy development. Recognising teacher education as a continuum, from initial preparation to ongoing professional development (Menter, 2023), this review concentrates specifically on initial teacher education (ITE). ITE is particularly significant, as it shapes the foundational skills and professional identities of future teachers and reaches a large cohort annually, offering meaningful leverage for system-wide, sustainable improvements in teaching quality across the region.

Although reviews of educational research in the post-Soviet space, which contribute to the global discourse, are emerging (e.g., Hernández-Torrano et al., 2021; Lovakov & Yudkevich, 2021), no comprehensive review to date has focused specifically on the status, thematic focus, and methodological orientations of research on ITE in Central Asia. This gap is significant because ITE plays a pivotal role in shaping teacher quality and, by extension, educational reform, yet little is known about how research in this region addresses these issues or how it aligns with international scholarship. Without such synthesis, the contributions and limitations of Central Asian ITE research remain invisible in the global knowledge base, leaving policy and practice underinformed. To address this gap, the present scoping review maps the ITE research landscape across the region and highlights underexplored areas for future investigation. It addresses the following research questions:

• What are the publication trends and characteristics of research on initial teacher education in Central Asia?
• What are the main research themes emerging from the literature in the field?

To answer these questions, the study utilises a systematic scoping review methodology, synthesising existing empirical and conceptual literature through clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, structured search strategies, and thematic analysis techniques.

To provide an analytical context for interpreting the findings, a short Background Review Section situates the study within relevant historical and contemporary literature on teachers and ITE in Central Asia. The Methodology Section then outlines the procedures used to identify and analyse selected studies. The Findings Section presents key patterns, themes, and gaps in the literature, while Discussion interprets these findings within broader contexts, highlighting implications for policy and practice and proposing directions for future research on ITE in the region.

2. Background Review: Teachers and Initial Teacher Education in Central Asia

This section offers background information on teachers and ITE across Central Asia, a region shaped by shared post-Soviet educational legacies and policy challenges (Ozawa et al., 2024; Sharimova et al., 2023). For this review, Central Asia is defined as comprising five post-Soviet republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, which is an internationally recognised regional grouping (World Bank Group, 2025).

The vital role of the teaching profession in shaping the future of society has consistently been emphasised both nationally and internationally, particularly in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education (UNESCO & International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, 2024). Reflecting this commitment, Central Asian education systems demonstrate near-universal enrollment in primary and secondary education and high literacy rates (UNESCO, 2020; United Nations Turkmenistan, 2023). As summarised in

Table 1. Teachers in Central Asia.

Country	Population	Number of Teachers	Percentage of Women	Percentage with Higher Education
Kazakhstan	20,330,104	399,595	81%	93%
Kyrgyzstan	7,099,750	90,414	85%	87%
Tajikistan	10,389,799	127,197	64%	76%
Turkmenistan	7,364,438	110,000 *	66% *	-
Uzbekistan	35,652,307	521,600	68.7%	90.1%

Source: (National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, 2023; National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan & UNICEF, 2023; Statistical Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, 2024; Statistics Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2023); (Taldau, 2024a, 2024b); (United Nations Turkmenistan, 2023); Population data: World Bank (2023). * Note: Estimates for Turkmenistan are approximate.

, female teachers are markedly overrepresented in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, the majority of teachers hold higher or postgraduate degrees, with the remaining holding vocational training. In Turkmenistan, over 99% teachers meet the minimum teaching qualification (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, n.d.).

The historical development of pedagogical education in Central Asian countries—before, during and after the Soviet time—has been examined in recent international scholarship (Babaniyazova et al., 2024; Berikkhanova et al., 2024; Kalimullin & Valeeva, 2023; Menter & Valeeva, 2024; McLaughlin et al., 2017; Mynbayeva & Anarbek, 2025; Orazova & Clement, 2024). Tracing developments during the Soviet era (1917–1990), Menter and Valeeva (2024) identify key features of teacher education, including mass teacher training, a strong ideological orientation, efforts to balance theoretical and practical components, unified pre-service teacher training and a focus on training quality by increasing requirements for admission and graduate standards and advancing educational programmes. In the post-Soviet period, teacher education has remained one of the most conservative policy areas, undergoing gradual reforms in response to broader changes in education systems. Kalimullin and Valeeva (2023) identify four key post-independence trends: the diversification of provision through state and private actors; a shift away from a communist ideology; decentralisation, often coinciding with reduced government support, and declining interest in the teaching profession; and the role of Russian language in teacher education. Decentralisation and the transition from specialised pedagogical institutes to large, multidisciplinary universities (Menter & Kalimullin, 2024) have led to a diverse institutional landscape in ITE across Central Asia, including general universities, dedicated pedagogical universities, and vocational or technical colleges.

European integration has provided significant impetus for the reform and modernisation of ITE in Central Asia. While Kazakhstan formally joined the Bologna process in 2010, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have also begun aligning with the requirements of the European Higher Education Area, despite not being formal members. In this context, the region has adopted a two-cycle degree structure, introducing bachelor’s (3–4 years) and master’s (1–2 years) programmes that replaced the traditional Soviet five-year specialist degree (Smolentseva et al., 2018). In line with international education values, all four countries have embraced inclusive education agendas (Dunajeva, 2025; Makoelle & Burmistrova, 2025; UNICEF Turkmenistan, n.d.). Having inherited monolingual education systems in Russian and the low status of their state languages (Stoianova & Angermann, 2018), Central Asian countries are actively working to strengthen their state languages while gradually redefining the role of Russian. Simultaneously, English has increasingly come to symbolise modernisation and global engagement (Bezborodova & Radjabzade, 2022; Goodman & Kambatyrova, 2022; Orazova & Cohen, 2021). Viewing education reform as part of integration into the global community and nation-building, countries across the region are increasingly considering alternative pedagogical approaches rooted in their cultural traditions (Niyozov, 2008).

Central Asian states, excluding Turkmenistan, have progressively reformed their university admission systems by replacing institution-based entrance exams with standardised national testing systems (Smolentseva et al., 2018). Uzbekistan established a centralised system in 1994, followed by Kyrgyzstan’s introduction of the National Scholarship Test in 2002, Kazakhstan’s implementation of the Unified National Test in 2004, and Tajikistan’s launch of its National Scholarship Test in 2014 (Ruziev & Burkhanov, 2018; Shamatov, 2012; Winter et al., 2014; DeYoung et al., 2018). Amid the political, economic, and social shifts since 1991, the persistent teacher shortage, particularly in rural areas and specific subject areas, has been linked to four indicators (Steiner-Khamsi et al., 2008), reflecting the profession’s low status (Silova, 2009): feminisation, an ageing teaching workforce, low transition rates from ITE to the profession, and declining enrolment in teacher education programmes (Steiner-Khamsi et al., 2008). Consequently, admission thresholds for teacher education programs remained low for many years. More recently, however, governments have raised minimum entry requirements: Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have introduced higher minimum test scores for pedagogical applicants (Taldau, 2023; News.kg, 2025), and Uzbekistan has increased the overall admission score required for entry into universities (Kun.uz, 2024). As part of these measures, in Kazakhstan, admission to teacher education programs also includes a special examination conducted by university admission committees (MES RK, 2018).

Although overall teacher demand is among the lowest globally (UNESCO & International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, 2024), Central Asian countries are grappling with teacher shortages. In response, it could be seen that governments in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan actively support teacher education by allocating a significant share of higher education scholarships to teaching specialisations (Asia-Plus, 2024; Gazeta.uz, 2024; Isaeva et al., 2023; Taldau, 2023). Moreover, Kazakhstan provides higher stipends to students in pedagogy compared to most other undergraduates, Kyrgyzstan has introduced a tiered financial reward to students who do well in their studies to attract high-achieving applicants into teacher training, and Uzbekistan offers dedicated stipends for senior pedagogy students (PrimeMinister.kz, 2023; Osh State University, 2022; President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, 2025). Alongside conventional pathways, alternative routes into the profession, can be observed in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, allowing individuals without formal pedagogical qualifications to enter teaching by completing pedagogical training at higher or postgraduate education institutions (Law on Education, 2021; Law on Education, 2023; Law on the Status of the Teacher, 2019; Law on the Status of the Teacher, 2024). Additionally, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have recently joined the global Teach for All network, recruiting talented professionals from non-pedagogical backgrounds to work in schools (Teach For All, 2024; Teach For Tajikistan, n.d.).

3. Methods

To examine the literature on ITE in Central Asia, a scoping review methodology, based on Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) five-stage framework, was utilised.

Step 1: Identifying Research Questions. In line with the purpose of a scoping review (Arksey & O’Malley, 2005; Levac et al., 2010; Munn et al., 2018), to map existing research, identify knowledge gaps, and examine the breadth and characteristics of studies within ITE, the review was guided by clearly identified research questions presented in the Introduction.

Step 2: Identifying Relevant Studies. To locate internationally published literature addressing the research question, a systematic search was conducted in the Scopus database. While both Scopus and Web of Science are widely used for tracking research outputs, Scopus provides more extensive coverage of documents across languages and publication types (Vera-Baceta et al., 2019). The international visibility of education research from post-Soviet countries remained limited during the first two decades after independence, with a notable increase in publications and citations observed only after 2014 (Hernández-Torrano et al., 2021). In line with this trend, our preliminary searches did not identify relevant literature before 2004. Therefore, Scopus was searched using filters to restrict results to original research articles, books, and book chapters published between January 2004 and September 2024, capturing 20 years of developments in ITE in Central Asia. The initial search strategy was informed by the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) thesaurus and 188 documents. Following a keyword review of the identified records, the search strategy was refined to enhance the comprehensiveness of the literature capture. Specifically, the terms “pedagogical education,” “pedagogical training,” and “teacher candidate” were added to account for variations in terminology commonly used in the region. As a result of this refinement, the number of retrieved documents increased to 229.

The final search query was conducted in the Scopus database in November 2024 using the following combination of terms (TITLE-ABS-KEY (“initial teacher education” OR “preservice teacher education” OR “pre-service teacher education” OR “initial teacher training” OR “pre-service teacher training” OR “preservice teacher training” OR “pedagogical education” OR “pedagogical training” OR “pre-service teacher*” OR “preservice teacher*” OR “prospective teacher*” OR “student teacher*” OR “future teacher*” OR “trainee teacher*” OR “teacher educator*” OR “teacher trainer*” OR “teacher candidate*”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (Kazakhstan OR Kyrgyzstan OR Tajikistan OR Uzbekistan OR Turkmenistan OR “Central Asia*”)) AND PUBYEAR > 2003.

Step 3: Study Selection. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of all 229 identified publications using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria (

Table 2. Eligibility Criteria for Inclusion in the Scoping Review.

Criteria	Description
Geographic Focus	Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan
Program Focus	Initial Teacher Education
Language of publication	English and Russian
Type of publication	Article, book chapter
Publication Date	Published between 2004 and 2024

Note: The database search did not identify literature in Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen or Uzbek languages.

). Inter-rater reliability was calculated in Jamovi (version 2.6.44). Cohen’s Kappa was 0.58, indicating moderate agreement beyond chance (Landis & Koch, 1977). Discrepancies were resolved through discussion and consensus. After the initial screening, 70 publications were excluded for not meeting the eligibility criteria, including focus on programs outside initial teacher education (such as in-service training, preschool, or general higher education) or type of publication, such as conference papers. The remaining 159 full-text articles were assessed. Of these, 21 were excluded for not meeting the eligibility criteria, such as education programme, language and research context, and in three cases where overlapping publications presented the same results, were reduced to one version, leaving 138 studies retained from Scopus. Reference list searching was employed as a supplementary strategy to capture additional relevant publications (Horsley et al., 2011). The reference lists of the key articles (Kalantar & Hollier, 2023), defined in our dataset as the top 10 most cited (with 10 or more citations) at the time of screening, were searched to identify additional studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in the identification of six additional studies, which were included in the final review. Thus, in total, 144 studies were included in the review (Figure 1). Although individual study bias was not assessed, the review followed a systematic process in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews to minimise selection bias (PRISMA-ScR) (Tricco et al., 2018).

Step 4: Coding the Data. The NVivo software (Version 14) was used to code and classify the retained studies systematically. Case classifications were created to organise and analyse metadata by publication, country of study, publication type, language, and research methodology, facilitating structured comparison and synthesis. Journal impact was also assessed using Scopus CiteScore metrics (2015 to 2023). Thematic coding was applied to capture the focus areas of each study (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Two researchers independently coded the data and then compared their coding decisions. Any discrepancies were discussed thoroughly until consensus was reached, resulting in the iterative refinement of the codebook (Saldaña, 2013).

Step 5: Collating, Summarising, and Reporting Results. Following coding and classification, the results were iteratively reviewed and discussed by the research team before synthesising the results in a narrative form.

4. Findings

4.1. Trends in Study Publications

Analysis of the selected publications shows that output remained minimal between 2004 and 2012, with at most one publication per year. A gradual increase is evident from 2013 onwards, with a more pronounced rise beginning in 2020, peaking in 2022 (Figure 2). Kazakhstan accounted for the vast majority of the studies, with 132 publications, compared to 7 from Uzbekistan and 5 from Kyrgyzstan. Notably, the search did not identify any studies focusing on Tajikistan or Turkmenistan. Most studies were published in English, with only 7 in Russian. Journal articles dominated, with only 1 book chapter identified.

Most publications appeared in Q2 (47 articles) and Q3 (38 articles) journals, followed by Q1 (28), Q4 (9), and 22 in journals without a listed Scopus quartile (N/A) (Figure 3; Appendix A). Of these 22 publications, 1 is a book chapter, 17 were from journals later discontinued in Scopus, and 4 were identified through reference list searches. Out of the 122 journal publications included, CiteScore data were available for 66 in 2023, while the remaining 56 were associated with earlier years, ranging from 2015 to 2022. Where applicable, the Education category was selected for retrieving Cite Score metrics; alternative subject categories were used when journals were classified outside Education.

Most journals (n = 88) were classified under Education, with fewer in General Physics and Astronomy (n = 10), General Arts and Humanities (n = 7), and Development (n = 3). Minimal representation (n = 2 each) was found in Health (social science), Language and Linguistics, and Multidisciplinary. Other fields, including Cultural Studies, General Computer Science, General Engineering, History, Mathematics, Philosophy, Physical Therapy, and Psychology, were represented by a single journal.

While publication numbers were low in the earlier years, journal output indexed in Scopus began to rise from 2015, with a notable increase in Q1 and Q2 publications from 2021 onwards, reflecting growth in both research quantity and quality (Figure 4). The majority of studies were empirical (n = 112), followed by conceptual papers (n = 29), with only three studies adopting a comparative design.

Across the 112 empirical studies in our review, survey/questionnaires are by far the most common data collection method (69 studies), followed by interviews (36 studies) (Figure 5). Test-based data collection appears in 30 studies, and of these, the vast majority (22 studies) employ a pre-/post-tests methodology. Observations were employed in 15 studies, and document analysis in eight, while narratives, reflections, and focus groups were each used in two studies; one study used secondary data.

Table 3. Number of participants.

Number of Participants	Number of Studies (N = 112)	Proportion (%)
0–25	6	5.4
26–50	16	14.3
51–100	29	25.8
101–200	22	19.6
201–300	16	14.3
300–400	9	8.0
400–500	5	4.5
500+	3	2.7
Not provided	6	5.4

provides a detailed breakdown of participant numbers across the 112 empirical studies analysed. The largest proportion of studies (25.8%) involved between 51 and 100 participants (25.9%), while 19.6% reported a sample of 101–200 participants. A further 14.3% of studies fell within both the 26–50 and 201–300 bands. Few studies used large samples: 9 involved 300–400 participants, 5 included 400–500, and just 3 included more than 500 participants, while 6 studies did not specify participant numbers.

4.2. Emerging Research Themes

A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the 144 papers, each coded under a single dominant theme. As summarised in

Table 4. Thematic categorisation of studies (N = 144).

Themes		Number of Studies
Curriculum in ITE		98
	Professional knowledge and skills:	65
	Pedagogical knowledge	35
	Technological knowledge	15
	Civic and cultural education	8
	Subject knowledge	5
	Professional ethics	2
	Future skills	26
	Research	6
	Practicum	1
Teaching practices and learning environment in ITE		27
	Instructional strategies	7
	Social–Psychological dimensions of student learning	7
	Professional competence development	5
	Professional readiness of pre-service teachers	5
	Professional learning of educators	1
	Extracurricular strategies	1
	Teaching modes	1
Educational reform and policy in ITE		12
	Changes and challenges in teacher education	5
	ITE Pedagogical Reforms	4
	Comparative analyses of ITE	3
Becoming a teacher		7

(Appendix B), four thematic areas emerged, with Curriculum in ITE (n = 98) and Teaching practices and Learning environment in ITE (n = 27) being the most prominent.

4.2.1. Curriculum in ITE

Under this theme, the largest category was Professional knowledge and skills (n = 65), covering core domains of teacher professionalism. Among these, 35 studies explored pedagogical knowledge, addressing topics such as multilingual education (n = 8), ethnopedagogy (n = 7), instructional strategies (n = 5), inclusive education (n = 3) and assessment (n = 2). Ten studies focused on exploring subject-specific teaching strategies in areas such as English language education (n = 3), with the focus on CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), translanguaging and informal digital learning, mathematics (n = 2), geography, physics, computer science, STEAM and humanitarian education.

Technological knowledge appeared in 15 studies, with 10 focusing on ICT use in teaching and 5 exploring its integration of technology with both instructional strategies and subject-specific content (n = 5). Eight studies addressed a broader theme of Civic and cultural education in ITE, discussing national values, patriotic education, moral pedagogy, and cultural competence. Five studies addressed Subject knowledge, covering topics such as cloud technology in computer science, ecological knowledge in chemistry, the logical thinking of future mathematics teachers, and the preparation of social pedagogues, while two studies addressed Professional ethics in ITE.

The second-largest sub-theme within Curriculum in ITE was Future skills (n = 26), in particular, critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, digital literacy, self-directed learning, emotional intelligence, entrepreneurship, intercultural communication, tolerance, health-saving competence, and gnostic skills. Finally, studies focusing on the Practicum and Research within ITE were notably limited. Only one study addressed practice-oriented training, and six studies explored the research dimension, such as the development of research competence, the use of action research, the promotion of a reflexive culture, and the application of research-based learning and reflective tools.

4.2.2. Teaching Practices and Learning Environment in ITE

A total of 29 studies were coded under the theme Teaching and Learning in ITE. The most frequently explored areas were Instructional strategies and the Social–psychological dimensions of student learning (n = 7 each). Papers on Instructional strategies examined methods for enhancing pedagogical effectiveness, particularly case-method (n = 3) and the use of ICT in teaching (n = 4), while studies on Social–psychological dimensions of students’ learning focused on student motivation, beliefs about language learning and self-efficacy.

Five studies addressed Professional competence development, exploring how the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for teaching are formed during ITE, including perspectives and practices shaped by local and international traditions. Another five studies examined the Professional readiness of pre-service teachers, covering how to assess and improve pre-service teachers’ competencies and training. Three additional studies addressed more specialised areas. One study focused on the role of Extracurricular Activities in fostering future teachers’ professional and personal development. Another investigated perceptions of Distance Education. The third study, categorised under Professional Learning of Educators, called for enhanced professional development for university instructors, highlighting misalignment between formal standards and actual pedagogical skills and noting challenges in staff preparedness for Bologna Process reforms.

4.2.3. Educational Reform and Policy in ITE

Twelve studies, coded under Education reform and policy in ITE, discussed a range of policy shifts in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Five studies traced broader systemic Changes and challenges in teacher education in post-Soviet Central Asia, including shifts in the political landscape, initial austerity and declining status of the teaching profession, decentralisation of finance and governance, digitalisation, and internationalisation. Four studies explored specific pedagogical responses to these reforms. These included the introduction of practice-oriented and elective components; the implementation of research-project work; and the modernisation of teaching methods, particularly online instruction and the integration of contemporary educational technologies. The remaining three studies conducted Comparative analyses of ITE. These compared the training of French linguistics in Kazakhstan and France, English language teachers in Egypt and Uzbekistan, and primary school teachers in Kazakhstan and Germany, aiming to identify contextually relevant methodologies and best practices.

4.2.4. Becoming a Teacher

Seven papers covered Becoming a teacher, focusing on the development of professional identity, motivation, and competencies among pre-service teachers across different specialisations. Specifically, papers comparatively explored the process of becoming a mathematics teacher educator, structured pedagogical systems aimed at building the professional image of physical education teachers, practice-centred approaches for nurturing robust professional identities, factors leading to burnout and low career intentions and the psychological and pedagogical conditions essential for fostering professional motivation.

5. Discussion

Understanding research on teacher preparation as a historically situated social practice, embedded in broader socio-political and economic contexts and shaped by prevailing ideologies, as well as researchers’ positionalities, theoretical commitments, and lived experiences (Cochran-Smith & Villegas, 2015; Cochran-Smith et al., 2015), this scoping review mapped the landscape of ITE research in Central Asia and examined its visibility and contribution to the global academic discourse. It examined trends in publication volume, country representation, research quality, methodological approaches, and thematic focus.

5.1. Publication Trends

The review identified 144 studies on ITE published over 20 years, reflecting the broader underrepresentation of Central Asian scholarship in international academic publishing, particularly beyond the Natural Sciences (Chankseliani et al., 2021). Although constraints on social science and humanities research in the region have been discussed elsewhere (Chankseliani et al., 2022; Jonbekova, 2020), the current review also highlights significant disparities in publication output. Kazakhstan dominates the field, underscoring significant asymmetries in research capacity (Hernández-Torrano et al., 2021; Kuzhabekova et al., 2025; Lovakov & Yudkevich, 2021) and structural disparities in research environments across Central Asia (Jonbekova, 2020; Chankseliani et al., 2021). The absence of identified studies from Tajikistan and Turkmenistan further reveals a significant gap in the regional research landscape.

Research productivity in ITE remained marginal and fragmented between 2006 and 2012, but has shown a notable upward trend since 2013, with a marked surge after 2020. This growth likely reflects policies introduced around that time, including incentives for publishing in Scopus and Web of Science-indexed journals as part of evaluation frameworks (Ibrasheva et al., 2021), targeted funding to internationalise higher education and boost high-impact publications (Ibrasheva et al., 2021) and mandatory publication requirements for doctoral candidates (Kuzhabekova, 2025), and closely linked to a broader “publish or perish” culture tied to universities’ pursuit of global ranking positions (Bayanbayeva, 2025). The requirement for doctoral candidates has also been adopted in Uzbekistan (Tabaeva & Durrani, 2025), though without a corresponding rise in ITE publications. While these measures have stimulated output in Kazakhstan, they have also raised concerns about potential impact on research quality (Kuzhabekova, 2025) and the financial burden placed on PhD students, who often spend a large share of their stipends on publication fees (Tabaeva & Durrani, 2025).

5.2. Quality and Methodological Orientation

Although there has been a marked rise in Q1 and Q2 publications since 2021, suggesting growth in both research productivity and quality, most studies continue to appear in Q2 and Q3 journals. This mirrors previous findings that research from post-Soviet countries remains underrepresented in high-impact international outlets (Chankseliani et al., 2021). Most reviewed studies were empirical, marking a shift from the earlier trend of predominantly non-empirical research in post-Soviet higher education publications (Lovakov & Yudkevich, 2021). Nevertheless, methodological diversity remains limited. A strong preference for quantitative methods persists: 61.6% of empirical studies used surveys or questionnaires, followed by interviews (32.1%) and pre/post-test designs (26.8%). This pattern reflects the enduring influence of positivist paradigms in post-Soviet research training (Lovakov & Yudkevich, 2021). In contrast, the global landscape of teacher education research is characterised by the prevalent use of qualitative methodological approaches (Forsström & Munthe, 2023; Koski et al., 2024; Livingston & Flores, 2017). The limited use of large samples, with just 2.7% of studies exceeding 500 participants, and inconsistent reporting of sample sizes in 5.4% of studies, point to challenges in research scale, transparency and adherence to reporting standards. These trends highlight the need for capacity-building in research design, ethics, and dissemination.

5.3. Dominant Research Themes

The thematic analysis indicates a strong concentration of ITE research around curriculum-related topics (n = 98), including professional knowledge and skills, future skills, and pedagogical content. This focus aligns with wider regional policy priorities post-independence, as discussed in the introduction, where reforms sought to rebuild professional standards, modernise curricula, and revive culturally rooted pedagogical traditions. Research on professional knowledge and skills (n = 65) highlights a strong interest in ICT integration, multilingual education, and ethnopedagogy, reflecting both international trends and the region’s efforts to reconcile global digital demands with culturally responsive teaching methods grounded in local traditions. The COVID-19 school closures exposed gaps in teachers’ digital preparedness in Central Asia, particularly in Kazakhstan, prompting widespread in-service training in online pedagogy (Durrani et al., 2023). Consequently, research interest in integrating ICT within ITE is likely to grow. The emerging focus on assessment practices and inclusive education (considering students with special educational needs) indicates that growing scholarly attention is being given to how school reforms are shaping ITE curricula.

The growing focus on Future skills (n = 26), including critical thinking, collaboration, digital literacy, and emotional intelligence, reflects increasing regional recognition of the need to align pre-service teacher competencies with contemporary educational demands. This emphasis mirrors broader international trends in teacher education research (Forsström & Munthe, 2023). However, only six studies addressed research-based teacher education, an internationally valued approach for bridging theory and practice (Flores, 2017), indicating that research and reflective practice remain underdeveloped themes in ITE research in the region. Expanding research in this domain could help align teacher preparation more closely with evolving demands and practices (Goodman et al., 2025; Mukhamejanova et al., 2025; Niyozov et al., 2020; Wilson & Sharimova, 2019).

Finally, only one study covered practice-oriented training in ITE, highlighting a notable gap in Central Asian teacher education research, particularly concerning alternatively certified teachers, an emerging trend in the region. In Kazakhstan, this gap has recently been highlighted by Turmukhambetova (2025), who points to the absence of a pre-service teacher mentoring program in both public and academic discourse, underscoring the urgent need for further research in this area. This underrepresentation is concerning, given international consensus on the importance of the practicum in ITE (Mankki et al., 2025; Wiese et al., 2024). The lack of empirical research on how practicum is organised, supported, and experienced within Central Asian ITE systems, despite broad international consensus on its importance, highlights the need for further inquiry. Such research would provide critical evidence for practitioners and policymakers seeking to strengthen teacher preparation locally, while also contributing to the global ITE research literature.

5.4. Emerging but Limited Areas

The second most prevalent theme, Teaching Practices and Learning Environment in ITE (n = 29), remains significantly less developed, suggesting limited scholarly focus on teaching processes and student learning experiences. While some studies examined instructional strategies, professional competence development and professional readiness, no studies researched assessment practices within ITE, highlighting a notable gap. This is particularly striking given recent calls in Kazakhstan for greater alignment between assessment practices and expected teacher competencies (Makhmetova, 2025).

Twelve studies explored Educational reform and policy in ITE, reflecting a growing scholarly interest in examining the structural and pedagogical transformations shaping ITE across post-Soviet Central Asia. Although these offer valuable insights, few studies have examined how such reforms are experienced by practitioners or translated into institutional change. More policy-practice-focused research is needed to understand how global trends and national goals interact within Central Asian education systems.

The least represented theme, Becoming a teacher (n = 7), addressed professional identity, motivation, and career intentions. This limited attention is surprising, given ITE’s central role in teachers’ professional identity construction (Beauchamp & Thomas, 2009; Flores, 2020). Understanding how teachers form identities in rapidly changing post-Soviet contexts remains a critical gap. Building a strong and positive teacher identity is increasingly recognised as vital for sustaining a committed and resilient teaching workforce, particularly amid persistent global challenges around recruitment and retention (Day et al., 2005; Rushton et al., 2023). Despite a growing body of international literature, teacher identity research remains limited in Global South contexts. Greater focus on how identity is shaped and enacted in these regions is needed to deepen understanding of teachers’ experiences and practices across varied sociocultural contexts (Rushton et al., 2023).

5.5. Gaps in Equity and Diversity

Despite the increasing emphasis on equity within global education agendas, this scoping review reveals a limited scholarship on teacher preparation for diversity and inclusion. Only three studies—focused on Kazakhstan—addressed preparation for teaching students with special educational needs, suggesting that this area of research and practice remains underexplored. Despite growing policy attention to inclusive education in the region, recent research indicates persistent gaps in preparing teachers to support inclusive education (Dunajeva, 2025; Makoelle & Burmistrova, 2025) and promote gender equality (Durrani & Kataeva, 2025). Given the reach and formative role of ITE programmes, sustained attention to equity and inclusion is essential (Durrani & Kataeva, 2025). Despite ongoing regional challenges related to social cohesion and inclusion (Sharimova et al., 2023; Ozawa et al., 2024), consistent with earlier reviews (Chankseliani & Silova, 2018; Hernández-Torrano et al., 2021), this study highlights a relatively limited emphasis on equity in education research within the region.

6. Contributions, Limitations and Future Directions

This scoping review is the first to systematically analyse ITE research across Central Asia over the past two decades, offering a comprehensive overview of publication trends, regional disparities, thematic foci, methodological patterns, and gaps in the field. As education systems in the region continue to evolve, expanding research on ITE appears crucial for developing evidence-based teacher education systems locally and contributing to global knowledge production.

Despite its value, the review has several limitations. First, although Russian-language publications were included, the Scopus database did not yield studies published in national languages. Given that much educational research in Central Asia—particularly in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan—is published in national core journals, the exclusive reliance on Scopus limits the representativeness of this review. Important scholarship published domestically may not be captured, especially work influenced by local policy priorities and political contexts that rarely reach international databases. Second, only studies with a clear focus on ITE were included, excluding broader teacher education or in-service teacher education literature that may indirectly inform ITE practices. Third, each study was coded under a single dominant theme for clarity, which may have oversimplified the multidimensional nature of some research. Fourth, only the Scopus international database was searched. Although Scopus provides extensive coverage of documents across languages and publication types, relevant research published both domestically and internationally may still have been omitted. The absence of these sources constrains opportunities for cross-comparison and may reinforce the marginalisation of locally published knowledge in global debates. Future reviews may benefit from incorporating multiple databases, broader definitions of teacher education, and multilingual sources to capture a more inclusive research landscape.

Nonetheless, the current review provides a valuable foundation for researchers and policymakers seeking to understand and strengthen ITE scholarship, policy, and practice across Central Asia. To advance the field, future research should study contexts like Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, where evidence is especially scarce. It should also diversify methodological approaches beyond surveys, address underexplored areas, including research and practicum components, teacher identity, policy enactment, equity, diversity and inclusive education, and foster cross-country comparative studies to examine shared challenges and innovations within the region.