THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF PEDAGOGICAL APPROACHES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: FROM RESISTANCE TO STRUCTURED INTEGRATION

The article is devoted to the analysis of the transformation of pedagogical approaches in the context of the rapid penetration of artificial intelligence into the educational environment. The key aspects that higher education instructors should take into account are considered, including issues related to the structured integration of AI into the educational process. Particular attention is paid to the development of students’ metacognitive skills, as well as their understanding of the ethical aspects of AI usage. The empirical part of the article presents the results of a survey conducted among 177 students of Westminster International University in Tashkent (WIUT) and provides the authors’ recommendations for implementing structured AI-based assignments in the “Introduction to Programming” (Python) course. The article presents the authors’ concept of the phased integration of AI into the process of teaching programming fundamentals, which makes it possible to combine the acquisition of basic knowledge with the development of critical thinking. The article concludes with general findings and practical recommendations for educators.