Structural and content characteristics of the concept «pedagogical support for the development of digital literacy of a university teacher»

Abstract

The article is devoted to clarifying the structural and content characteristics of the concept «pedagogical support for the development of digital literacy of a university teacher». The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the digital transformation of higher education has changed the professional activity of university teachers and has increased the importance of digital literacy as a condition for effective pedagogical work in the modern educational environment. At the same time, in the scientific literature, the concepts of digital literacy, development of digital literacy, and pedagogical support are often considered separately. The relationship between these concepts in relation to a practicing university teacher remains insufficiently defined, which complicates the development of a support model, diagnostic criteria, and methodological provision for the development of digital literacy among academic staff. The purpose of the study is to determine the structural and content characteristics of the concept under consideration based on the analysis of scientific approaches to literacy, digitalization, development, pedagogical support, and the professional activity of a higher education teacher. The methodological basis of the study includes the analysis of scientific definitions, comparative analysis, and modeling of the conceptual field. As a result of the study, basic and derivative categories forming the content of the final definition were identified. It is substantiated that the digital literacy of a university teacher has professional and pedagogical specificity and is associated with the conscious use of digital technologies for designing, organizing, and evaluating educational activities while complying with information security requirements. Pedagogical support for the development of digital literacy of a university teacher is defined as a specially organized and continuous pedagogical process aimed at developing the teacher's ability to consciously use digital technologies in higher education, select them in accordance with pedagogical tasks, assess their effectiveness, and comply with information security requirements. The proposed definition clarifies the scientific boundaries of the concept under study and creates a basis for further designing support programs for the digital development of university teachers.