Influence of external factors on the information needs of general education teachers

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of information deficits in a situation of total digitalisation and intensification of communication processes has taken on a new meaning. The field of education is becoming not only the place where new models of working with information emerge and a predictor of success in the information world, but also the field for actualization of information inequality. The information gap between certain socio-demographic groups of educators can not only perpetuate information inequality within one professional group, but also affect the entire education system and its outcomes, exacerbating other forms of inequality in society. Purpose: Study the influence of factors external to the education system on the information needs and deficits of general education teachers. Materials and methods. The empirical basis of the study was the results of a remote survey of 29, 393 general education teachers from 80 constituent entities of the Russian Federation in April 2022. The questionnaire used both closed and open questions, which made it possible to use for analysis not only the tools of mathematical statistics, including descriptive analysis, but also methods of semantic analysis, including typing. Results. The survey revealed the influence of external factors in relation to the education system on the level and structure of information deficits of general education teachers. According to the respondents, external factors influence both the activities of the education system as a whole (88.1%) and the professional activities of each teacher (77.0%), determining the demand for certain information. The survey recorded the presence of both conscious, presented and latent, unconscious information request among teachers. Thus, 49.9% of general education teachers reported no information deficit related to the use of ICT in April 2022, and only 22.7% responded in assessing the demand for information in specific areas related to ICT, saying that they had no questions about the use of ICT infrastructure and software in 2022. Recorded information deficits of general education teachers, influenced by external factors, concerned various aspects of professional activity, such as changes in the content of the educational and training process, ICT support for educational activity and opportunities for psychological help and emotional support for educational workers and/or students. Conclusion. According to the survey results, the key factors exacerbating the information gap among Russian general education teachers and leading to information inequality, are territorial, settlement, professional specialization and age factors.