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Item Open Access Improving Student Engagement and Academic Achievement Through Real-Life Applications of Proportion(SDU University, 2025) Alimzhanova Zh.This study investigates the impact of incorporating real-life tasks in the teaching of proportions on student engagement and academic performance. It is grounded in constructivist and situated learning theories and employs a quasiexperimental design. The intervention was carried out in a public school in Kazakhstan, involving 24 sixth-grade students in a single experimental group without a control group. The results demonstrated that real-life contextual problems enhance students’ motivation, functional mathematical literacy, and critical thinking skills. The research also includes a comparative analysis of Kazakhstani and Singaporean mathematics textbooks. Findings reveal that Kazakhstani materials emphasize formal procedures over real-world problem-solving, whereas Singaporean textbooks integrate contextual tasks more extensively. This highlights a need for curriculum modernization to better reflect practical applications and build essential competencies in mathematics education. The experimental phase involved a proportion unit designed around real-life scenarios such as calculating discounts, adjusting recipes, working with scale models, and budgeting. Students worked individually and collaboratively, completed pre- and post-lesson questionnaires, and took a summative assessment. The comparison of results before and after the intervention showed a clear improvement in both academic outcomes and student engagement.Item Open Access The Relationship Between Foreign Language Anxiety and Academic Achievement in an EFL Context(SDU University, 2025) Khassen Zh.This study investigates the relationship between foreign language anxiety (FLA) and academic achievement, measured by GPA, among first-year university students in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context in Kazakhstan. Although previous research works have established that high levels of FLA can hinder language performance, its effect on overall academic achievement remains inconclusive, especially in under-researched regions such as Kazakhstan. Grounded in Krashen’s affective filter hypothesis, Tobias’s cognitive processing model, and Horwitz et al. 's theory of FLA, the study utilized the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) to collect data from 87 first-year students. Quantitative methods were employed to analyze descriptive statistics and the correlation between FLA and students’ self-reported GPA scores. The findings revealed that the mean anxiety score was 94.33, suggesting moderate to high anxiety levels. However, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r = 0.032, p = 0.766) indicated no statistically significant relationship between students’ FLA and their GPA. This implies that while FLA is prevalent, it does not necessarily predict academic success in a broader educational context. The study contributes to the existing literature by offering original data from Kazakhstani learners and suggests that emotional support in EFL classrooms remains important, even when anxiety does not directly impact GPA.