Abstract
This paper examines how Kazakhstani EFL teachers’ professional agency is shaped by nomadic cultural capital amidst ongoing educational reforms. Drawing on an interdisciplinary framework—integrating ecological, socio-cognitive, and sociocultural perspectives—the study explores how cultural heritage fosters resilience and adaptability. By analysing teacher engagement across two contrasting school settings, the research highlights differing modalities of agency and contextual influences on reform implementation. Findings reveal that teachers do not merely execute policy; they reinterpret it through inherited dispositions valuing perseverance, collaboration, and ethical practice, transforming top-down mandates into meaningful professional action. The study argues that teachers’ responses are rooted in historical and cultural norms rather than simple compliance. Ultimately, the research emphasises the necessity of an epistemological shift that integrates Central Asian cultural perspectives. This approach frames educational change as a dialogue between tradition and reform, challenging the linear trajectory towards Western modernity in favour of localised professional identities.