Digital experience of primary school students as a pedagogical phenomenon: structure and components

Abstract

In the context of the digitalization of education, the issue of developing students’ digital experience is becoming increasingly important, as the digital environment acts as a significant factor in the socialization, personal development, and educational activities of primary school students. The purpose of the study is to provide a theoretical analysis and structural interpretation of the digital experience of primary school students as a pedagogical phenomenon. The methodological basis of the study includes the analysis of Russian and foreign psychological and pedagogical research, comparative analysis of scientific approaches, as well as methods of systematization and generalization of theoretical data. The article examines the main approaches to understanding students’ digital experience within the concepts of digital socialization, extended personality, internet activity, and the theory of the extended mind. The author proposes a structural operationalization of the digital experience of primary school students, including cognitive, emotional-motivational, social-communicative, and regulatory-reflective components. The study identifies the mechanisms through which the digital environment influences a child’s personal development, digital identity formation, digital self-efficacy, and self-regulation skills. Particular attention is paid to both the positive opportunities of the digital environment related to the expansion of educational resources and the development of digital competence, and the potential risks associated with information overload, digital addiction, and reduced attention stability. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive consideration of digital experience as an integrative personal formation. It is concluded that pedagogical support and purposeful integration of students’ digital experience into the educational process are necessary.