Evolution of the education system in Suvorov military schools: how digital technologies are changing traditional practices

Context and relevance. The digital transformation of society has a significant impact on traditional education systems, including Suvorov military schools. In the context of the growing digitalization of education and everyday life, the problem of maintaining continuity in education is becoming more pressing, which includes the transfer of traditional values, military-patriotic spirit and discipline to new generations of students. The theoretical basis of the study was the system-activity approach, the concept of digital pedagogy, the theory of military-patriotic education, which made it possible to comprehensively consider the problem at the intersection of sociology, pedagogy and psychology. Objective: identification of key challenges of digitalization for the succession system in the Suvorov military schools and development of practical recommendations for the integration of digital tools without compromising traditional values. Hypothesis. Digital transformation necessitates updating the mechanisms of continuity in the military education system, which does not imply abandoning traditional values, but rather integrating them with modern digital tools and methods. Methods and materials. The study involved 150 students and 30 teachers of the Moscow Suvorov Military School. The sampling methods included stratified random sampling based on the year of study for students and targeted sampling based on the principle of maximum variation for teachers. Methods of data collection: questionnaires among students, interviews with students and teachers, observation of the daily life of the school, a formative experiment with the participation of students and teachers of the school. Results. The results revealed the dialectical nature of the relationship between traditional educational practices and digital technologies. 65% of teachers recognize the need to adapt educational methods to the digital reality. The most respected teachers are those who not only master digital technologies, but also know how to integrate them into the traditional value system. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative relationship between the time spent on social networks and the level of military-patriotic values (r = -0.41, p < 0.01). Moreover, the use of educational platforms demonstrated a positive correlation with professional identity (r = 0.37, p < 0.05). The introduction of a hybrid education model has increased the involvement of Suvorov cadets in educational activities by 28%, increased the level of assimilation of traditional values by 19%, and the level of positive attitude towards digital technologies by 26%. Given the dynamic nature of the digital transformation of society, a constant search for the optimal balance of digital and traditional methods in the educational process is necessary. Conclusions. The study demonstrated the possibility of a productive synthesis of traditional educational practices and digital technologies, provided that a competent pedagogical strategy is adopted. A promising direction is the development of a comprehensive system for assessing the effectiveness of digital educational technologies, including both traditional pedagogical criteria and specific indicators of digital socialization.