Developing Digital Competence of Future Teachers in the Modern Digital Learning Space

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of formation of future teachers’ digital competence in the modern learning space. The purpose of the article is to determine the essence and content of a teacher’s digital competence on the basis of scientific literature analysis, to analyze the possibilities of formation of digital competence of students of pedagogical specialties in the modern learning space.
 The purpose realization involves the following tasks: to define and compare different definitions of the term “digital competence” by scientists; to reveal the essence and content of future teachers’ digital competence; to identify and characterize the ways, methods, forms, and means of formation of digital competence among the students of pedagogical specialties.
 Methodology. To achieve the purpose a complex of theoretical and empirical research methods was used. The theoretical methods included: analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization of scientific works and regulatory documents to determine the key concepts of the research and clarify the authors’ point of view regarding the essence of a teacher’s digital competence. In addition to the specified theoretical methods, empirical methods of scientific knowledge were used: the study of future teachers’ professional training, questionnaires, interviews with those who received pedagogical education, expert evaluation – in order to study the process of future teachers’ digital competence formation.
 Results. The analysis of international legal documents and scientific works of various scientists proves that the concept of “digital competence” is interpreted ambiguously. In particular, the first European framework of teachers’ digital competence states that digital competence is a specialist’s personal formation that integrates the following components: professional involvement, working with digital resources, teaching and learning with the use of these resources, evaluation of results, expansion of students’ opportunities, the development of digital competence in subjects of education. The formation of digital competence of students of pedagogical specialties is provided in various ways: teaching special courses, involving future teachers in educational activities based on the use of various digital tools, organizing students’ work with digital textbooks, reference sources and multimedia information systems, electronic simulators, digital laboratory tools, encouraging specialists to receive non-formal education.
 Conclusions. In the article, a future teacher’s digital competence is understood as a personal formation that integrates relevant motives, values, attitudes, knowledge of various digital resources, means, tools, technologies, as well as the ability to apply them in practical pedagogical activities on the basis of critical analysis and evaluation. The formation of future teachers’ digital competence involves a systematic combination of various methods and forms of education, constant rethinking of approaches to the organization and content of this process, ensuring an organic combination of methods of formal, non-formal and informal education.