The thesis provides a theoretical generalization and solves an important scientific task of developing media literacy of future
officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the process of professional training.The first chapter «Theoretical foundations for the development of media literacy to future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine» considers the formation and development of media literacy to future officers in the scientific research of national and foreign scholars, reveals the essence, structure and content of media literacy. It has been determined that the media literacy of future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a professionally important personal property that includes motivation to improve their level of media literacy, conscious attitude and interest in media texts, knowledge of the history and role of media, types of information influence, ability to search for necessary information, analyse media messages, make optimal use of media resources, and resist manipulation and disinformation. Its components are personal, cognitive, and activity-based.The second chapter «Scientific and methodological foundations for the development of media literacy to future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the process of professional training» presents the methodology of the study, defines the criteria, indicators and levels of development of media literacy to future officers, clarifies the state of development of this professionally important property, substantiates the pedagogical conditions for its development.The structure, criteria (personal-motivational, knowledge- cognitive and activity-resultant) and three levels (low, medium and high) of future officers’ media literacy are proposed. According to the results of the ascertaining stage of the pedagogical experiment, it has been found that the vast majority of future officers have an insufficient level. There have been determined and substantiated the pedagogical conditions for the development of media literacy to future officers in professional training: providing future officers with basic knowledge of media literacy and information security; use of non-formal education tools (distance and online courses, webinars) designed to broaden cadets’ understanding of the importance of media and the specifics of evaluating the content of media messages; introduction of interactive learning technologies to develop skills of searching, selecting information in media texts to participate in discussions on professional issues; use of the research method for gaining cadets’ experience in countering disinformation, negative information and psychological influence. For the systematic organization of work on the development of media literacy to future officers, it is proposed to use a structural and functional model that includes target, technological and resultant blocks.The third chapter «Organization and results of the formative stage of the experiment» presents the content and methodology of implementing pedagogical conditions for the development of media literacy to future officers in the process of professional training, the results of the formative stage of the experiment, as well as methodological recommendations for research and teaching staff. The scientific novelty of the research results is that: for the first time there have been substantiated pedagogical conditions for the development of media literacy to future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the process of professional training; there have been improved a diagnostic apparatus for determining the state of development of media literacy of future officers through the use of criteria (personal-motivational, knowledge-cognitive and activity-resultant), their corresponding indicators and characteristics of levels (high, medium, low); there have clarified the essence of the concept of «media literacy of an officer of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine»; there have further been developed scientific ideas about the content and structure of media literacy of future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the peculiarities of its development through modelling this process and developing an appropriate structural and functional model. The practical significance of the results is that: methodological recommendations for research and teaching staff on the development of media literacy to future officers have been developed, in which it is proposed to use non-formal education means, including webinars, distance learning and online courses to broaden cadets` understanding of the importance of media and the specifics of evaluating the content of media messages. The obtained results can be used in the system of professional training of future officers of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other forces of the security and defense sector.
