Digitalization of primary education as a factor of the formation of information and digital skills of primary school students

Abstract

The article explores the concepts of ‘information and digital skills’—a set of abilities involving the conscious processing of digital information, including online communication, and the selection of appropriate ICT tools and algorithms to fulfill specific requests. Additionally, it delves into the ‘digitalization of primary education,’ which is a component of overall educational digitalization. This process involves the digitalization of information and communication within the primary education sector. It has been identified that the information and digital skills that should be promoted in pupils aged 6-10 include the following groups: the ability to search for and evaluate information, the ability to select and use digital tools, online interaction skills, and the ability to independently identify and solve basic technical problems. The article establishes digitalization as a key factor in shaping the information and digital skills of primary school students. This is attributed to the fact that the digital transformation of primary education serves as a condition, catalyst, and driving force for fostering and enhancing the abilities of younger students. These abilities encompass searching for information on the Internet, critically evaluating digital data, selecting the necessary digital tools to accomplish learning tasks, and utilizing digital tools for online communication, ‘netiquette,’ as well as creating and editing digital products. Moreover, it involves behaving safely on the Internet, independently identifying and resolving basic technical problems, and more. Research has delved into the impact of digitalization in primary education on the development of information and digital skills in young students. This influence is discerned through the primary directions that effectively facilitate the digitalization of primary education. These encompass the regulatory and legal dimension, professional competence, technical and technological aspects, and the cultivation of subjectivity in primary education students.