Abstract
Global transformations in education, including digitalization, sustainability-oriented learning, and practice-based pedagogical innovation, have intensified interest in research-oriented teacher education. This study presents a systematic review of international and Kazakhstani literature on research methodologies in teacher education, with the aim of identifying dominant methodological approaches, comparing thematic and conceptual priorities across contexts, and clarifying the role of Action Research within this broader landscape. The review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA principles and drew on publications from the journal Education Sciences indexed in Scopus and from Kazakhstani journals recommended by the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The analysis combined quantitative screening, thematic coding, and comparative synthesis. The findings show that international literature conceptualizes research activity primarily as reflective, inquiry-based, and practice-oriented, while Kazakhstani studies more often frame it as a strategic and institutional priority linked to the modernization of teacher education. Across both contexts, Action Research emerges as a significant, though not exclusive, methodology for connecting reflection, inquiry, and professional change. The study contributes to current scholarship by offering a comparative analytical synthesis of research-oriented approaches in teacher education and by identifying conceptual and methodological gaps relevant to the further development of teacher education in Kazakhstan.