DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AS A RESOURCE FOR DEVELOPING DIGITAL COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE SPECIAL EDUCATORS

Аңдатпа

This article examines the perceptions of future special educators regarding the development of digital competencies in the context of the evolving digital educational environment in the Republic of Kazakhstan, focusing on challenges and prospects. The study was guided by four research questions and utilized a descriptive survey research design. The study population consisted of 239 future special educators from three leading higher education institutions in the Republic of Kazakhstan – Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. Data were collected between January and March 2026.  Given that the population size was manageable, complete enumeration was used; no sampling technique was applied. A 40-item author-developed questionnaire titled “Challenges and Prospects of Forming Digital Education Environments Questionnaire” (CPFDEER) was used. Face and content validity was ensured by three experts in Educational Measurement and Evaluation. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha (Cluster 1 = 0.81, Cluster 2 = 0.82, Cluster 3 = 0.81, Cluster 4 = 0.83, overall α = 0.82). Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation with SPSS version 26.0. The results showed that respondents perceived that digital learning environments support quality training for future special educators. The findings highlight perceived challenges such as technical issues, limited access to technology, and inadequate training. This study provides insights into respondents’ perceptions of how digital learning environments support special education.