The impact of digital educational environments on socio-political competence development of students

Abstract

Globalization and the expansion of the information society increasingly influence higher education systems and the socialization of university students. Under these conditions, educational institutions face the task of forming socio-political competence among students, particularly future teachers, as an essential component of professional and civic development. The purpose of this article is to identify and substantiate pedagogical conditions for the formation of socio-political competence of pedagogical students within the contemporary educational environment. The study is based on a qualitative review and analytical synthesis of scholarly literature, policy documents, and educational practices addressing civic education, political socialization, and digital learning environments. The analysis demonstrates that processes of globalization and digitalization significantly transform students’ forms of socio-political participation and identity formation. The results indicate that socio-political competence is increasingly shaped through the pedagogical use of digital tools, university information environments, and guided forms of online engagement. It is concluded that higher education plays a decisive role in structuring students’ socio-political experience, while traditional educational approaches are gradually losing effectiveness in comparison with digitally mediated pedagogical practices.