THE DIGITAL GENERATION AND THE CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES OF EDUCATION

Abstract

The study addressed the presence of the digital generation in the contemporary educational context and its implications for students’ school trajectory and for teaching practice. It was based on the understanding that technological transformations and the widespread diffusion of digital media have modified the ways information is accessed and knowledge is constructed within the school environment. In this context, the research sought to answer the following question: how does the presence of the digital generation in the school context influence the educational process and what impacts and possibilities does this scenario produce for teachers’ practice? The general objective was to analyze the school trajectory of the digital generation, discussing the possibilities and impacts that this context produces for teaching practice. To achieve this purpose, a bibliographic research methodology was adopted, based on the analysis of academic productions related to digital technologies, active methodologies and contemporary educational transformations. In the development of the study, the characteristics of the digital generation and the changes occurring in schools due to the profile of connected students were discussed, highlighting the need to adapt pedagogical practices and expand the teacher’s role as a mediator of knowledge. The final considerations indicated that the presence of the digital generation influences teaching and learning dynamics by requiring more participatory methodologies integrated with digital technologies. It was concluded that, although this context presents challenges for teaching practice, it also offers possibilities for the development of more dynamic pedagogical practices aligned with contemporary social transformations.