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Preprint · Research Square · July 3, 2026

The EMPOWER Framework: A Multi-Level Approach to Enhancing English Medium Education in Multilingual Higher Education Contexts

Давронжон Гаипов, Saule Tulepova, Madina Bekturova, Assel Chaklikova

Madina Bekturova
Open via DOIPDF

Abstract

Abstract This study proposes the EMPOWER Framework (English Medium Provision with Organizational, Workforce, and Educational Reform) to conceptualize the multi-level dynamics of English Medium Instruction (EMI) implementation in higher education. The framework was developed through a qualitative study exploring institutional leadership perspectives in Kazakhstan, where English Medium Education (EME) expansion forms part of the national trilingual education policy. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight senior leaders of state, private, and autonomous universities. Findings revealed three interrelated levels of EME operation: organizational, instructional, and student. Each level encompasses pillars - internationalization, policy and strategy, institutional infrastructure, professional development, curriculum design and support, faculty language proficiency, student wellbeing, employability, and students’ language proficiency. The EMPOWER conceptual framework illustrates how institutional, pedagogical, and learner-oriented dimensions of EME intersect within multilingual higher education contexts. It offers a structured lens for analyzing EME provision and provides practical implications for leadership, capacity building, and sustainable EME policy development.

Second Language Learning and TeachingHigher Education Governance and DevelopmentHigher Education and Teaching MethodsEnglish-medium instructionmultilingualism in higher educationinstitutional leadership

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