Introduction. This article explores students’ perceptions of textbooks translated under Kazakhstan’s state initiative “New Humanitarian Knowledge: 100 New Kazakh Textbooks,” launched to modernize higher education and enhance access to global academic knowledge in the Kazakh language. The topic is especially relevant in the context of growing efforts by non-English-speaking countries to localize educational content and promote linguistic equity in academia. Despite the large-scale implementation of translation-based reforms, there remains a lack of empirical research on how students actually experience and assess such translated resources.
Study participants and methods. A structured survey was conducted among 147 philosophy students from two leading universities in Kazakhstan, using four key indicators: translation quality, accessibility, integration of digital formats, and contribution to academic learning.
The results. While a majority of students (59.9%) reported positive attitudes toward the translated textbooks, highlighting improved comprehension and cultural relevance, the study also identified several challenges: 38.1% of respondents noted terminological inconsistencies, 42.8% pointed to insufficient contextual adaptation, and 35.4% indicated limited availability of digital versions. Notably, this research addresses a significant gap in the literature by empirically evaluating a large-scale, government-driven translation initiative in a non-Anglophone, post-Soviet context – a dimension rarely explored in either translation studies or educational development literature.
Conclusions. Unlike many studies that treat translated materials as supplementary educational tools, this paper positions them as instruments of language policy, localization of knowledge, and academic equity. Focusing on philosophy textbooks – where linguistic precision is essential – the study illustrates how translation functions not merely as a linguistic act but as a channel for epistemological access and curricular transformation. These findings have direct implications for education policymakers, curriculum developers, and translators engaged in similar reforms globally. The study offers a foundation for future interdisciplinary research on the intersection of translation, education reform, and national identity construction in multilingual societies.
Keywords: academic translation, higher education, Kazakhstan, translated textbooks, philosophy education, linguistic accessibility
For Citation: Aitbayeva, A., Kuranbek, A., & Muminov, N. (2025). Students’ Perceptions of Translated Textbooks in Higher Education: A Case Study from the “100 New Kazakh Textbooks” Initiative. Perspektivy nauki i obrazovania = Perspectives of Science and Education, (6), 221–240. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2025.6.14
Authors:
Aigulim Aitbayeva (Kazakhstan, Almaty) — Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor. Narxoz University. E-mail: aba-abd@mail.ru
Asset Kuranbek (Kazakhstan, Almaty) — Cand. Sci. (Philos.), Associate Professor. Department of Philosophy. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. E-mail: kuranbek.aset@kaznu.kz
Nurlan Muminov (Kazakhstan, Turkistan) — Ph.D. in Political Science, Research Associate. Eurasian Research Institute. Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh–Turkish University. E-mail: n.muminov@ayu.edu.kz
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