Comparative study of the characteristics of implementation of the credit system of education in Kazakhstan and China

In the wave of education globalization, credit system, as a flexible and open mode of education management, is increasingly becoming an important trend to promote the internationalization of higher education. With the deepening of international exchanges, mutual reference and integration among higher education systems of different countries have become the norm, and the importance of credit system as a bridge connecting different education systems has become more and more prominent. Kazakhstan and China, as countries with unique educational traditions and development paths, the implementation of their credit systems not only reflects the characteristics of their respective educational systems, but also provides a valuable case for international comparative education research.

Kazakhstan, as one of the former republics of the Soviet Union, was deeply influenced by the Soviet model of education, but after independence, it gradually explored the path of education reform that suited its own situation. The introduction of the credit system is an important step in the internationalization of Kazakhstan's higher education, aiming to improve the quality of education and promote academic mobility. China, on the other hand, since the reform and opening up, higher education has undergone a profound transformation from elitism to massification, and the widespread implementation of the credit system has become a key initiative in this transformation process, aiming to cultivate students' independent learning ability and innovative spirit.[1] The purpose of this study is to explore in depth the implementation characteristics of the credit system in Kazakhstan and China, and to reveal how the credit system adapts to and promotes the development of their respective education systems by comparing and analyzing the similarities and differences between the two countries in the calculation of credits, curriculum, and the mechanism of course selection. At the same time, this study will also examine the impact of the credit system on the quality of higher education in the two countries, and explore its role in improving the comprehensive quality of students and enhancing the international competitiveness of education. Through this study, it will not only improve the understanding of the current situation of credit system implementation in the two countries, but also provide useful reference and inspiration for other developing countries, and promote the common improvement of the quality of higher education in the world.

Characteristics of the implementation of the credit system in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's education system is deeply influenced by the Soviet period, and its higher education system, based on the inheritance of the Soviet model, also faces many challenges and reform needs. The educational system of the Soviet period had an obvious color of planned economy, and there were problems in the field of higher education, such as emphasizing science over literature and imbalance in subject settings, which to a certain extent limited the diversity and flexibility of higher education in Kazakhstan. However, with the advancement of globalization and the trend of internationalization of higher education, Kazakhstan has begun to actively explore the introduction and development of the credit system with a view to improving the quality and international competitiveness of higher education.

The introduction of the credit system in Kazakhstan's higher education marks the transformation of its education system in the direction of greater flexibility and openness. The government of Kazakhstan has gradually introduced the credit system in higher education institutions through a series of reform measures.[2] In terms of credit calculation, Kazakhstan has adopted credit standards in line with international standards, such as ECTS (European Credit Transfer System), which makes Kazakhstan's credit system internationally comparable to a certain extent. At the same time, Kazakhstan has established a higher education quality assurance system to ensure the effective implementation of the credit system and the continuous improvement of education quality.

In terms of curriculum and selection mechanism, Kazakhstan's higher education institutions have begun to implement a more flexible curriculum, in which students are free to choose courses within the prescribed credit limit according to their interests, career plans and academic needs. This mechanism of course selection not only enhances students' independent learning ability and creativity, but also promotes the intersection and integration of disciplines. In addition, Kazakhstan also encourages colleges and universities to cooperate with foreign universities to implement dual-degree education programs, providing students with broader academic horizons and opportunities for international exchanges. However, the implementation of the credit system in Kazakhstan has not been smooth. As its education system is deeply influenced by the Soviet model, the introduction and development of the credit system is to some extent limited by the established system. [3] For example, in terms of subject offerings, there are still problems such as some subjects are too narrow and the curriculum is not comprehensive enough. These problems limit the flexibility and diversity of the credit system, and also affect the cultivation of students' comprehensive quality and the enhancement of their innovative ability. In addition, although Kazakhstan's credit system is in line with international standards to a certain extent, there are still some problems in actual operation, such as barriers to mutual recognition of credits and academic mobility. These problems limit the internationalization process of Kazakhstan's higher education and affect its competitiveness in the international education arena.

In summary, the implementation of the credit system in Kazakhstan is characterized by both the flexibility and openness of its education system and the exposure of the limitations and challenges of its established system. In order to further improve the quality and international competitiveness of higher education, Kazakhstan needs to continue to deepen its educational reform, improve the credit system, and strengthen the interface and cooperation with the international education system. It also needs to focus on cultivating the comprehensive quality and innovative capacity of students to meet the demand for talents in the era of globalization. Through these efforts, Kazakhstan is expected to play a more active role in the international education arena.

Exploration of the characteristics of the implementation of the credit system in China

In the course of China's education reform, the introduction of credit system is an important change in the management system of higher education. Since the late 1970s, with the deepening of reform and opening up and the establishment of the market economy system, Chinese higher education has gradually shifted from the academic year system under the planned economy model to the more flexible and open credit system. This shift not only adapts to the social demand for diversified talents, but also promotes the diversified development of higher education structure. The widespread implementation of the credit system in Chinese colleges and universities reflects its unique advantages. The credit system is centered on course selection, which allows students to independently choose courses and arrange their study progress within the prescribed limits, which greatly stimulates students motivation and autonomy in learning.[4] Meanwhile, the credit system measures students' learning outcomes through credit calculation, which makes the curriculum more flexible and diverse and meets the individual needs of different students. In China, the credit system is usually combined with the grade-point system, using the average credit grade point as an important indicator for evaluating the quality of students' learning, which helps to comprehensively and accurately reflect students learning status.

In the implementation of the credit system, the curriculum system and course selection system are the key links. Chinese colleges and universities usually divide the courses into two categories: compulsory courses ensure that students master basic knowledge and professional skills, while elective courses provide students with opportunities to broaden their knowledge and cultivate their interests and specialties. The flexibility of the course selection system enables students to develop personalized study plans under the guidance of tutors according to their interests, abilities and career plans. In addition, the credit system also encourages interdisciplinary course selection, which promotes the intersection and integration of disciplines and helps cultivate compound talents. The implementation of the credit system in China is not completely independent of the academic year system.[5] In practice, many colleges and universities have adopted the credit system of the academic year as a transitional form, which retains the teaching plan and stability of the academic year system and absorbs the flexibility and autonomy of the credit system. This combination is not only conducive to the rational allocation and management of school resources, but also to meet the needs of students' personalized development. Of course, there are certain limitations in the academic year credit system, such as the rigidity of the curriculum and the restricted freedom of course selection, etc. These problems need to be explored and improved in practice.

The implementation of China's credit system has played a positive role in promoting students' personalized development. It breaks the neat and uniform teaching plan and talent cultivation mode under the traditional academic year system, and enables students to choose their own learning paths and growth methods according to their actual situation and interests. This personalized cultivation mechanism helps stimulate students' innovative spirit and creativity, and cultivate high-quality talents with independent thinking and independent learning ability. Meanwhile, the credit system also promotes the optimal allocation and open sharing of higher education resources, providing a strong guarantee for the sustainable development and quality improvement of higher education.

Comparative Study of Credit System in Kazakhstan and China

Under the background of education globalization, credit system, as an important trend of internationalization of higher education, has been widely applied and practiced in both Kazakhstan and China. Although both countries have achieved remarkable results in the implementation of credit system, there are significant differences and similarities between them in terms of curriculum, course selection mechanism and credit calculation, which have different impacts on the personalized development of students and the quality of higher education in the two countries.

In terms of curriculum and selection mechanism, both Kazakhstan and China have adopted the model of combining compulsory courses and elective courses. However, Kazakhstan's curriculum is more flexible and diversified, not only covering a wide range of subject areas, but also emphasizing the provision of interdisciplinary courses, which provides students with more choices. In contrast, although China's curriculum is also in the process of continuous improvement, there is still a certain rigidity due to the influence of the traditional education model, and the offering of interdisciplinary courses is relatively limited. In terms of course selection mechanism, Kazakhstan has a higher degree of freedom in course selection, and students can freely choose courses according to their interests and career plans, while China, although also implementing a course selection system, has a relatively lower degree of freedom in course selection due to factors such as teaching resources and student management.

In terms of credit calculation, both Kazakhstan and China have adopted credit as the unit of measurement of students' learning outcomes. However, there are some differences in the calculation of credits between the two countries. In Kazakhstan, the calculation of credits is more detailed, not only taking into account the number of hours and difficulty of the courses, but also focusing on the cultivation of students practical ability and innovation ability. On the other hand, the calculation of credits in China is relatively simple, mainly based on the credit hours of the courses and the examination results. To a certain extent, this difference affects the learning motivation and the cultivation of innovation ability of students in both countries.

The impact of the credit system on students' personalized development in the two countries also shows different characteristics. Kazakhstan's credit system pays more attention to students' personalized development, provides more freedom of course selection and opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, which helps to cultivate students' innovative thinking and comprehensive quality. In contrast, although China's credit system is also gradually implementing personalized education, students' personalized development is still subject to certain limitations due to factors such as traditional education concepts and teaching resources.[6] However, with the continuous reform and development of Chinese higher education, more and more colleges and universities have begun to pay attention to the personalized cultivation of students, and gradually improve students' freedom of course selection and learning autonomy through the opening of special courses, the implementation of small class teaching and other measures. The impact of credit system on the quality of higher education in Kazakhstan and China is also obvious. Kazakhstan, through the implementation of the credit system, has promoted the diversification and internationalization of higher education, and improved the quality of education and the competitiveness of students. China, on the other hand, through the implementation of the credit system reform, has also promoted the internal development of higher education and improved the quality of personnel training and the internationalization of education. However, the two countries also face some common challenges in the implementation of the credit system, such as insufficient teaching resources, irrational curriculum and imperfect course selection system. In order to cope with these challenges, the two countries need to continuously strengthen educational reform and innovation, optimize the allocation of teaching resources, improve the curriculum and course selection system, and improve the quality of education and teaching level.

There are both similarities and significant differences in the implementation of the credit system between Kazakhstan and China. These differences have different impacts on the individualized development of students as well as the quality of higher education in the two countries. In the face of common challenges and opportunities, the two countries need to continuously strengthen exchanges and cooperation, jointly promote the improvement and development of the credit system, and contribute to the cultivation of high-quality talents with international competitiveness.

Conclusion

Through an in-depth comparison of the credit system in Kazakhstan and China, this study finds that the two countries have their own characteristics in the implementation of the credit system. Kazakhstan focuses on curriculum flexibility and interdisciplinarity, while China is gradually promoting personalized education, albeit with relatively less freedom of course selection. Both countries' credit systems have played a positive role in promoting students' personalized development and improving the quality of higher education, but they also face common challenges such as insufficient teaching resources and irrational curricula.

In view of these problems, the following suggestions for improvement can be made: Kazakhstan should further optimize the allocation of teaching resources and improve the convenience of the course selection system; China needs to continue to deepen the education reform, increase the freedom of course selection and encourage interdisciplinary learning. At the same time, both countries should strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, learn from international advanced experience, and continuously improve the credit system.

In the future, the development trend of credit system in Kazakhstan and China will pay more attention to the personalized needs of students and the cultivation of innovation ability. Possible reform directions include: strengthening practical teaching links to improve students' practical ability and comprehensive quality; improving the mechanism of mutual recognition of credits to promote international academic exchanges and cooperation; and using information technology means to improve the intelligence and convenience of credit system management. These reforms will contribute to the sustained improvement of the quality of higher education in both countries and the enhancement of international competitiveness.