Abstract:

The process of digital transformation of society, along with the rapid development and continuous changes in the field of technology, has made digital competence essential for modern society. The development and enhancement of these competencies throughout life play an important role in personal growth and future realization. The purposeful development of digital competence in school begins at the primary education level and continues continuously throughout all stages of secondary education. The goal of this training is not only to prepare students for active participation in a technology-driven world, but also to provide a solid foundation for further development of these competencies in higher education, especially in the fields of Information Technology (IT) and Computer Science (CS). The connection between school and university plays a key role in the successful development of specialists in these areas.

The present study was conducted within the framework of the project “Sofia University – Marker for Innovation and Technological Transfer” (SUMMIT) and aims to determine to what extent the digital competencies developed by students in secondary education meet the level of digital competence expected by university faulty from newly enrolled students in the context of IT and CS education. To achieve this goal, two studies were conducted: one with faculty members from the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, and another with teachers from schools offering specialized and/or vocational education in the field of IT and computer science. As a result of these studies, five groups of digital competencies expected by university lecturers from incoming students were identified. Based on these, the study with teachers identified a set of teaching practices that teachers use to develop these competencies. The final part of the study presents a comparative analysis between the assessments of university professors and those of teachers regarding the degree of importance and feasibility of predefined digital competencies.

The results of the study show that both academic staff and practicing teachers emphasize the parallel development of specialized technical skills as well as broader key digital competencies, such as critical thinking, information literacy, effective communication, and ethical behavior.

Keywords:

Development of digital competencies, secondary education, specialized training, higher education, computer science, IT.