Abstract:

Nowadays in the field of higher education, the introduction of digital technologies is accelerating. Along with the obvious positive effects, digitalization of higher education contains certain challenges, both for students and teachers of higher educational institutions, related to the need for constant adaptation to the rapid development of new educational forms and technologies, as well as the introduction of digital methods in the university management system. The aim of the study is to examine the impact of the digitalization of academic labour activity on the psycho-social well-being of university teachers in the workplace. In order to test the research tools, at the pilot stage of the 2019 study, the authors conducted a survey of the academic staff of one of the universities in the Russian Federation. To obtain additional qualitative data, representatives of various categories of academic staff were invited to participate in a narrative interview. The results of the study show that most of the respondents have a positive attitude to the introduction of digital technologies in the educational managerial processes of the university, but note their imperfection and express concern about the loss of a job in connection with the further digital development of higher school. In general, the interviewed academic stuff address the presence of both positive and negative aspects of the digitalization of education. Respondents of the older age group indicate that the rapid pace of introduction of digital technologies in their professional activities adversely affects their psychosocial well-being due to difficulties in adapting to the electronic educational environment of the university.

Keywords:

Digitalization of higher education, digitalization of academic labour activity, psychosocial well-being, academic staff, narrative interview.