Аңдатпа
The reform of Soviet-style research training into structured PhD programs represents one step of a national initiative to align doctoral education in Kazakhstan with international practices. This paper examines the role of credit-bearing research methods courses in developing doctoral students’ research capabilities across two disciplinary fields – Chemistry and History – at two Kazakhstani universities. Empirical data were collected through individual interviews with doctoral students and faculty members teaching methods courses, and were complemented with document analysis. The study revealed a mismatch between faculty members’ intentions in methods courses and doctoral students’ needs, with a more pronounced gap in History. This misalignment stems from differing conceptions of ‘research methods’ among participants, limited research pedagogies, and a range of multi-level contextual constraints. The paper argues that, to avoid a risk of performative compliance in methodological training, sustained investment and adequate support for doctoral education are needed.