Digital competence of phd students majoring in physical culture and sports
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31652/3041-2463/2026-3-1Keywords:
PhD candidates, physical education, sports, digital competence, cluster, analysis.Abstract
Topicality. Enhancing the digital competence of PhD students majoring in physical culture and sports is an urgent necessity for the further progress of Ukrainian sports science. An important challenge remains assessing the current level of digital competence among PhD students and identifying strategic directions for its further development. The purpose of the study was to develop and validate an instrument for assessing the digital competence of PhD students majoring in Physical Culture and Sports and to classify participants according to their level of digital competence. Research material and methods. The study, conducted between 2024 and 2026, involved 30 PhD students majoring in «Physical Culture and Sports» at NUPESU Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and k-means cluster analysis with 10-fold cross-validation. Results of the study. A 12-item questionnaire was developed «The digital competence of a PhD student in physical culture and sports», demonstrating high internal consistency (α = 0.84; 95 % CI: [0.768; 0.912]). The cluster analysis revealed that the participants are divided into two stable clusters: Cluster 1 (66.7 %) included PhD students with a sufficient level, and Cluster 2 (33.3 %) comprises those with a moderate level of digital competence. In contrast to other components, no statistically significant differences were found between the representatives of different clusters regarding knowledge of the risks associated with digital fatigue and data loss or plagiarism risks (p > 0.05). The findings indicate substantial potential for further improving the digital competence of PhD students in physical culture and sports. Conclusions. The findings indicate the need for targeted educational programs aimed at improving the digital competence of PhD students in physical culture and sports. Priority areas include expanding knowledge of digital fatigue, data loss, and plagiarism risks, improving the ability to use modern research equipment, and enhancing the effective use of digital tools for presenting and disseminating research findings.
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