PROFESSIONAL READINESS OF FUTURE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN FIREARMS TRAINING: STRUCTURE, ASSESSMENT, AND PEDAGOGICAL CONDITIONS FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article theoretically substantiates the structure, assessment criteria, and pedagogical conditions for developing the professional readiness of future law enforcement officers in firearms training as a component of professional education in higher education institutions with specific learning conditions. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to align the discipline's content with competence-based, activity-oriented, learner-centered, and safety-oriented approaches, as well as with the requirements of lawful professional decision-making, psychological resilience, and responsible safety behavior. Based on an analysis of recent scholarly publications and regulatory documents, professional readiness in the context studied is defined as an integrated personal and professional construct that combines motivational and value orientations, cognitive and legal awareness, operational capacity, psychological self-regulation, and reflective assessment. To assess the dynamics of professional readiness, corresponding criteria and indicators are identified, along with reproductive, functional, and adaptive-professional levels of its development. The scientific novelty lies in systematizing five interrelated pedagogical conditions: competence- and context-based structuring of content; safe scenario-based and simulation learning with gradual complexity and pedagogical debriefing; integration of psychological support and self-regulation development; diagnostic and formative assessment combined with individualization; and instructors’ methodological readiness together with a culture of a safe educational environment. The study proposes implementation stages for these pedagogical conditions, along with relevant organizational and methodological tools. It is emphasized that the quality of training should be assessed not through isolated reproduction of learning actions but through a cadet’s ability to act lawfully, safely, deliberately, and reflectively in simulated professional situations. The practical value of the results lies in their applicability to revising course syllabi, teaching materials, assessment systems, and professional development programs for instructors.