Relevance. The digital transformation of education has necessitated a shift towards heutagogical principles in postgraduate programs. Even before the pandemic, theories about digital natives and heutagogy pointed towards new directions in education driven by digitalization.Purpose. This study aims to synthesize the emerging paradigms of Education 3.0 and 4.0 in relation to knowledge management concepts for training master's students. It also evaluates students� perspectives on the principles of Education 3.0 and self-directed learning.Methodology. A questionnaire with two sections was administered to 149 master's students across four universities in Kazakhstan.Results. Understanding heutagogy as a self-determined learning theory can cultivate a new generation of professionals ready for the knowledge economy. Heutagogy nurtures this phenomenon of a globalized knowledge marketplace. The theoretical portion summarizes approaches to redefining learning and learner identities by connecting digital disruptions to transformations in learning and thinking.Conclusions. The practical component examines Master�s students� evaluations of heutagogical principles. Future plans include developing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on heutagogy and Education 4.0.
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