The role of STEM education in training specialists in technical fields under the conditions of Ukraine's digital transformation

Abstract

The digital transformation of the economy, science, and education actualizes the need to update technical specialists' content and training methods. The introduction of the STEM approach, based on the integration of natural and mathematical disciplines, information technologies and engineering, is considered a key mechanism for increasing the efficiency of the educational process, focused on the development of innovative thinking, interdisciplinary interaction and digital competence. The purpose of the article is to theoretically substantiate the role of STEM education in the professional training of applicants for higher technical education in the conditions of the digital transformation of Ukraine, as well as to analyze the factors that determine the effectiveness of its implementation in the practice of educational activities of higher education institutions of a technical nature. Methods. The methodological basis of the study is a systematic approach, a comparative analytical method, a content analysis of regulatory and legal documents regulating the digitalization of the educational space, and a questionnaire method for collecting empirical data on the perception of STEM education by participants in the educational process. The study results indicate positive changes in the content and structure of technical specialties' curricula due to the introduction of STEM components. There has been an increase in the formation of digital, analytical, and design competencies among education seekers. At the same time, several limitations associated with uneven resource provision, fragmentation of integration processes and insufficient training of teaching staff to work in the conditions of a new educational paradigm have been recorded. Conclusions. Thus, STEM education is one of the key areas of modernization of Ukraine's higher technical education system. Its effective implementation requires a comprehensive approach, which involves updating educational and professional programs, developing digital infrastructure, providing systematic support for teachers in forming modern pedagogical practices, and ensuring regulatory and institutional conditions for the sustainable development of innovation-oriented education in Ukraine.