European International Journal of Pedagogics
67
https://eipublication.com/index.php/eijp
TYPE
Original Research
PAGE NO.
67-71
DOI
OPEN ACCESS
SUBMITED
20 January 2025
ACCEPTED
16 February 2025
PUBLISHED
17 March 2025
VOLUME
Vol.05 Issue03 2025
COPYRIGHT
© 2025 Original content from this work may be used under the terms
of the creative commons attributes 4.0 License.
Developing Digital Culture
and Competencies in
Future Educators Within
Uzbekistan’s
Transforming
Educational System
G.P. Narkabilova
Ferghana State University, Ferghana, Republic of Uzbekistan
Abstract:
This article reviews the development of digital
culture and competencies among future educators
within a rapidly changing educational landscape in
Uzbekistan. This work is carried out in line with global
digitalization and, accordingly, increased inclusion of
information and communication technologies into the
process of education, investigating how digital literacy,
cybersecurity, and ICT competencies have grown to be
an organic part of teacher preparation. This paper is
based on the responses of students in university teacher
education
programs,
exploring
existing
digital
competencies among future teachers, problems related
to digitally enhanced tools integration, and implications
of projects such as the "One Million Programmers"
program of Uzbekistan. Recommendations are made to
improve the existing structure on digital literacy in
teacher education so that future teachers may
experience skills that will help them practice their
profession in society in light of required technological
advancements. Emphasis is laid on developing inclusive,
safe, and flexible digital learning spaces in a manner that
contributes to the professional development of
teachers, taking into consideration socio-economic
determinants of digitization.
Keywords:
Digital culture, digital competencies, teacher
education,
ICT
integration,
digital
literacy,
cybersecurity, educational technology, Uzbekistan,
"One Million Programmers" program, inclusive
education, digital transformation, future educators,
digital skills, primary education methodology, socio-
economic factors, online learning, digital access,
professional
development,
educational
policy,
information society.
Introduction:
Digital technology in the present world
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European International Journal of Pedagogics
acts as the driving force in every segment of our life,
work, and learn. The widespread use of information
and communication technologies has been one of the
great developments within societies, changing
environments of everyday living and reconfiguring the
life of diverse cultures. The way this change occurs
depends to a large extent upon the reception accorded
to new technologies by society, their intended use, and
the rules and regulations that surround them.
At the 2022 World Government Summit, leaders were
emphasizing digitalization, decarbonization, and
reforms as three major forces that will be accelerating
progress throughout the next decade [8]. Other mega-
trends that may be expected until 2030-2050 include
big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and
genomic technologies. At the same time, this spread of
digital means and artificial intelligence challenges
people in traditional fields where jobs are lost [7]. The
change, however, puts a spotlight on the educational
sector, wherein technology is still not in a position to
remove humans. Rather, the attention is shifting
toward new educational programs training for the
needs of a digital world.
The pandemic underlined just how crucially important
digital tools are in education. The teachers who feel
confident about their skill in ICT can make full use of
online resources, collaboration of students, analysis of
information, and guidance to individual and group
learning [6]. Mastery over these means for a teacher
can help him/her in developing flexible and interactive
learning opportunities that lay the ground for
innovation and adaptiveness. In today's world, digital
proficiency has grown from a specialized skill into an
integral constituent of digital culture.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan outlined
ambitious targets for the country and positioned it as
a potential future IT hub [9]. The President added that
young people need to be provided with opportunities
for career development in the field of IT, be supported
in startup projects, and have more IT services exported
by training personnel who can compete at the global
level. In this direction, the government launched the
"One Million Programmers" [10] program aimed at
mass provision of youth with computers, assistance of
those in need, and showing off the talent pool of
Uzbekistan. IT parks, specialized training centers, and
schools have been organized; young people are
encouraged to show off their own talents through
projects that would contribute to social, intellectual,
and creative development.
Further developing digital culture, the free online
courses on the portal "Uzbekcoders.uz" will allow
youth to spend their summer time with social use and
simultaneous development of skills [4]. These courses
are included in the plans of further development for
easier access to IT training in regions.
METHODS
Currently, it is no longer necessary for educators to
learn only basic software skills, such as a word processor
or Microsoft Office; instead, they have to integrate new
digital tools with confidence in their teaching to enable
them to extend their approaches and differentiate
lessons to the learning needs of each student.
Dynamic
development
of
information
and
communication technologies in the sphere of education
made digital literacy the core of student competencies,
which concerns learning, monitoring, and assessment of
educational quality with the help of digital tools,
systematic organization of materials, and principles of
teaching, balancing goals, results, and content with an
efficient method and tools.
Research shows that most students are positive towards
the concept of digital learning; they know it is part of
their future. A recent review of courses in "Information
Technology in Education" showed that the majority of
such courses focused on basic digital skills, media
literacy, and the critical evaluation and use of
information. Students have identified the following as
important: being able to analyze information from a
number of sources; communicate well through email
and video conferencing; solve problems in a creative
manner with the help of subject-specific apps.
While students of education generally use computers
and the internet daily, there is variation in intensity and
frequency of use and in the types of digital tools they
rely upon. These differences suggest variations in both
the level of digital access and competency.
The role of digital culture increases with regard to the
needs of society and governments. It is also hugely
important in complex processes of preparation for the
profession of a future educator. In this respect,
attention to the development of digital competencies-a
task of an educational institution-will provide a student
with knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for
successful activity in the context of a digital society.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Different government policies and regulations also
reveal that digital culture is on the increase due to the
demands of society. In this respect, however, a survey
conducted on first-, second-, and third-year students in
teaching programs across universities gave us an insight
into how these students use and perceive the use of
digital tools in pursuing their studies.
First, we wanted to ascertain the frequency of use of
computer and internet facilities for academic purposes.
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Of those, about 83.5% claimed that they use these
tools each and every day, while the remaining 16.5%
said that they use it less than a few times a week.
Students showed the following digital uses: books and
textbooks, 24%; cloud storage services like Google
Drive or Dropbox, 26.7%; digital whiteboards, 24%;
video conferencing like Zoom and Skype at 3.5%.
Curiously enough, 6.4% of students reported not using
any digital tools, while others-7% in particular-used
email, online courses, and other online platforms to
help them study.
With a view to understanding how students believe
digital technologies could play a role in their
prospective professions, we asked the question, "How
important is digital culture for your future profession?"
While above half stated it's essential, about 10%
expressed uncertainty.
Today's educators need skills beyond just the use of
simple tools like word processors or Microsoft Office.
Today, educators are increasingly expected to use
digital tools in teaching with the aim of diversifying
learning methods, enhancing presentation styles, and
designing lesson formats that are more engaging and
which meet the needs of individual learners.
Our survey suggests that most students generally have
a positive attitude toward digitalization in education, it
being a development viewed as inevitable. However,
despite access to computers and the internet on a daily
basis, many students do not use those tools nearly as
often or deeply as they might.
Students also understand that in their future
professional careers, being able to analyze and
critically evaluate information from multiple sources,
communicated effectively via email, messaging
applications, social media, and video calls, represents
all aspects of being digitally competent [2].
They further outlined that some other important skills
acquired in this context were working with digital
documentation and use of professional programs and
applications, such as Photoshop or SPSS. These tools
encouraged creative thinking and innovation in
creating multimedia content, elaboration of digital
projects, and even studying programming.
Some students also pointed out the benefits of
creating online communities to share ideas and
experiences and using digital tools to manage and
schedule their studies. These competencies were
actually considered crucial in joining work life and
career building. Information literacy, or the ability to
critically evaluate information, stay safe online, and
uphold digital ethics, was also considered an important
skill.
The findings did, however, indicate that a number of
students in this population are uncertain about their
digital skills: about 40% rated their digital literacy as
high, but many were not sure. This certainly lends
credence to the need for more intensive educational
programs in order to better prepare students for the
digital skills and cultural competencies of today's
workforce.
Social Media for Professional Growth
Social media became a powerful tool in teachers'
professional growth-a means to join professional
communities, to share and get some experience, and be
in the epicenter of educational news. Forums and chat
groups open the opportunity for teachers and students
to take part in substantial discussions, ask questions
from experts, and share ideas. A social media portfolio
online allows the teachers to showcase their work and
reflect on personal growth. The use of social media in
education enhances cross-cultural relations where the
sharing of information and a global perspective are
fostered.
However, educational use of social media presumes
attention to privacy, participant safety, and clear
guidelines. Teachers are guides that can also offer
support for students on such platforms so that the
experience becomes productive and attuned with
educational goals.
In an attempt to assess the usage of social media in
students, we conducted a survey on the measurement
of its role in the life of respondents and its frequency.
The findings reflected that a great number of students
acknowledged the use of social media and used it daily,
while others were neutral. For the purpose of research,
students compiled their lists for the following social
networks: Instagram, Facebook, VKontakte, LinkedIn,
Twitter, TikTok, and Odnoklassniki. Among them, the
most notable ones are Instagram and Facebook. Then, it
also becomes clear that 36% of students do not use
social media for educational purposes because of either
the lack of necessary skills or lack of awareness
regarding its huge potential in learning.
Challenges of Digital Learning During COVID-19
With this shift, most digital challenges came to the fore:
poor internet connections, low computer performance,
and students unaccustomed to certain digital tools and
platforms also reported difficulties in submitting
assignments.
Now, in our contemporary world, almost every type of
communication
—
television, music, film, and now
merging into the internet, web, and gaming as one
single entity
—
has been influenced by digital
technology. As scholar Charlie Gere holds, if the
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presence of digital technology in everyday life is
ubiquitous, then there exists something like "digital
culture," which includes both technical tools and
systems of communication that distinguish our time
from previous epochs[3].
With the fast development of digital technologies,
youth connect their identity with digitality, and the life
without it is impossible to imagine. This indicates the
need to link digital technology with teacher training
programs so that future teachers can regard
technology as a key learning resource. According to T.
Bates, this addition of technology in education does
not automatically make education better; instead,
what is necessary is that the digital tool should satisfy
the needs of students[1]. M.Prensky also indicates that
in relation to this, teachers need to evolve because
students indeed thrive in modern pedagogies
corresponding to their rapidly changing digitally
governed environment [5]. Entertainment and
everyday needs have vastly influenced today's digital
culture, which needs an evolution of pedagogy that
nurtures creativity and fosters responsible usage of
digital platforms.
Educational Resilience and Digital Preparedness
The COVID-19 pandemic showed how vulnerable
traditional education is to sudden change, according to
a United Nations concept note entitled "Education
During the COVID-19 Pandemic". By mid-April 2020,
about 1.58 billion students in more than 200 countries
had faced disruption to their education, indicating the
urgency within which schools needed to adapt to new
challenges.
Most of the institutions faced the switchover to online
learning quite difficult due to a number of obstacles
like inadequate digital infrastructure, a lack of
technological resources, and limited digital literacy
among teachers and students alike. The adaptation to
new methods of communication, management of
virtual classrooms, and coping with the lack of
experience in teaching remotely led to lapses in
communication and difficulties in sustaining student
engagement.
The preparedness for online learning was, therefore,
different across regions and institutions, depending on
resources and technical support. Most teachers lacked
training in digital technologies, and subjects requiring
hands-on practice-which is crucial for learning-were
difficult to conduct online; hence, the limited
opportunity for students to apply knowledge in
practice.
Moreover, online learning meant that assessing the
progress and understanding of students was not as
easy. This was because of the diminished ability to
personally monitor the students and provide feedback
on how well they grasp the concepts.
Importance of Digital Culture and Cybersecurity
Digital culture is not just the active use of technology
but intelligent and responsible contact with online
information. The digital world opens new opportunities,
yet simultaneously it provides risks in the forms of
cybercrime, hacking, and identity theft.
Cybersecurity could be thought of as the cornerstone of
digital culture, protecting personal information, privacy,
and financial data. While over half of the respondents
were sure that their knowledge in cybersecurity matters
was good, actually, many of them seldom updated their
online passwords, thereby increasing security risks.
CONCLUSIONS
Digital culture among future teachers in modern
conditions
of
globalization
and
rapid
digital
development is urgent. The COVID-19 pandemic
underlined the effective use of ICT for further
development and increase in education accessibility.
Initiated projects, such as the "One Million
Programmers" project by the government of
Uzbekistan, create favorable conditions for the
development of IT skills among young people to make
them the basis for raising the quality of life and
competitive labor resources on the international labor
market.
Results of this study, however, indicated that even while
students are very interested and engaged with
digitalization, the level of digital competence still varies
a lot. A large number of students have challenges in
using digital resources and tools effectively, which
shows evidence that targeted work in education is still
needed.
In view of the facts mentioned above, digital literacy
programs are recommended to be strengthened at all
levels of teacher education. Digital literacy programs
should include both theoretical instructions and
practical work with modern technologies. Furthermore,
elaboration of the training skills for knowledge
application in the real educational settings of future
teachers is highly necessary for their adaptation to the
fast changes that happen in the technological area.
Besides that, it is relevant to highlight socio-economic
factors that will contribute to the integration of digital
culture in the educational process by guaranteeing
equal opportunities of access to digital resources among
all students. In this way, the creation of a digital gap will
be avoided and will contribute to greater inclusion in the
educational environment.
Improvement regarding digital security is one crucial
development in digital culture. The courses of
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cybersecurity are required to be part of the curriculum
to let students know the way to work with digital
technologies effectively and securely protect them
online.
Digital culture is, in such a way, not just an instrument
of reaching some educational goals but also a critical
necessity of the full integration of future educators
into the information society of today. It goes without
saying that it is very important to develop and support
such culture as part of the educational policy of
Uzbekistan.
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