Preschool Teachers’ Beliefs and Practice Regarding Emergent Literacy in a Post-Stagnation Period: The Case of Uzbekistan

Dinara Muminova

Summary:  After 25 years of stagnation, Uzbekistan’s educational system is currently undergoing significant reforms. This study is probably the first research on preschool teachers’ beliefs and practice regarding emergent literacy in Uzbekistan. We adapted the Preschool Literacy Survey (Norway) model and surveyed preschool teachers in the Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan before and after our short- -term training programme. Findings demonstrated much uncertainty in teachers’ beliefs and a mismatch between their practice and best research-based standards, as measured by descriptive statistics. Although the training improved some indices in their beliefs and practice, the overall assessment result of most teachers was still unsatisfactory. Our analysis attributes this to the lack of high-quality research-based training programmes on emergent literacy, teachers’ misconception of their role in developing emergent literacy, the absence of emergent literacy-oriented environments and curricula and an immature publishing industry for children in Uzbekistan. This case shows that rapid educational reforms after a long stagnation may fail if teachers’ beliefs and practice are not considered and improved accordingly.