Developing Future Teachers' Digital Literacy: Results of the Conducted Empirical Research

In today’s digital society, digital literacy has become a key component of the education system. The relevance of this research lies in the need to improve future educators’ readiness for effective work in digital environments. The main objective of the study is to define the theoretical foundations of digital literacy and empirically assess the preparedness of students in pedagogical specialties in this field. The research tasks include analyzing the structural elements of digital literacy, evaluating students’ readiness, and developing recommendations for improving educational programs. The theoretical analysis revealed that digital literacy encompasses not only the use of technology, but also skills in critical information analysis, adherence to cybersecurity principles, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence tools. The empirical part is based on a survey conducted among first-year students of pedagogical programs at Zhetysu University named after I. Zhansugurov. The findings indicate that while students generally possess a sufficient basic level of digital skills, additional support is needed in areas such as fact-checking, cybersecurity, and working with cloud technologies. The results emphasize the importance of systematically integrating digital components into educational programs, thus enhancing future teachers’ ability to work effectively in digital environments.