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The article addresses and provides an introduction to pedagogy in its capacity of science and a university discipline in the field of education sciences. Nowadays not only teacher education programmes are embedded in theories and follow transitions of pedagogy. These have become even more complex, therefore, challenge new discussions in the evolving importance of human relations and transition towards learning-centred science of pedagogy to underpin practice of competence-oriented education. Based on the main historical processes in Latvia and along with informative insight into the practices of European universities and research, the article traces the traditional background of pedagogy, the challenging role of philosophy to foster understanding of pedagogy as a unique, well-structured science with its object of investigation, which is not being explored by any other science. Alongside the discrete field of education and constantly evolving research, pedagogy develops its theories, all-level practices and disciplines within tertiary and doctoral programmes; because of these its changing nature provides sustainability, cause critique and improvements to an extent which is resilient to multiple external forces. The article highlights some current developments of pedagogy as a stable, open-to-diversity and innovative theory to underpin the process of formal and informal education. The understanding of pedagogy in its meaning of teacher philosophy-in-use leads to a discussion of the constant and changing components of the definition. The intellectual tradition of pedagogy has become a phenomenon and notion to be compared and clarified in the context of another phenomenon – education sciences. The conclusions remind therefore the benefit of adopting the science of pedagogy being a theory and practice of formal education.

Creating of digital models which transform learning and its outcomes, as well as the learner’s educational, developmental and educative achievements has become vital to provision of inclusion possibilities in a networked society. Researchers have produced several frameworks of using digital technologies in education, but these are generally do not appropriately incorporate socio-contextual perspectives. To explore this area and create a transformative model of teaching-learning at higher levels of education in Special pedagogy and social work an appropriate pedagogical provisions are needed to transform educational process as a system including: (a) meaningful and transforming objectives, (b) adequate for digital learning and leading to social change  pedagogical principles, (c) reflectivity with the domain of knowledge creation, (d) self-evaluation of learning and social inclusion, (e) transformations of teacher/educator activities towards social inclusion and knowledge share, as well as collaborative learning in organizational settings of emerging knowledge society. This study, focuses on tertiary education and doctoral investigations, reviews the literature on facilitated by transitions social changes, and introduces a theoretical underpinning of digital learning within a pedagogical model. The dominating method is theoretical analysis that includes reviewing, analysing and synthesising literature on the theme “in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on the topic are generated” (Torraco, 2005, p. 356; Hamilton & Torraco, 2013). The article introduces the theoretical approach to the project “Implementation of Transformative Digital Learning in Doctoral Program of Pedagogical Science in Latvia” and “Gender aspects of digital readiness and development of human capital in region”.