THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING SOCIOCULTURAL COMPETENCE AMONG STUDENTS OF MILITARY EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for developing sociocultural competence among students of military education programmes in Uzbekistan. The relevance of the topic is determined by the growing need to prepare future officers and military specialists who are not only professionally trained, but also socially responsible, culturally aware, communicatively competent, and capable of acting effectively in complex civil-military environments. In the context of contemporary Uzbekistan, military education is being modernized in parallel with broader reforms in higher education, youth policy, and the national strategy for quality education. Therefore, sociocultural competence should be understood not as an auxiliary personal trait, but as an integral component of military professionalism. The article proposes an original conceptual model in which sociocultural competence is defined as an integrative quality that combines civic values, national and universal cultural orientations, intercultural communication skills, ethical judgment, digital information literacy, social adaptability, and reflexive self-regulation. The study is based on conceptual synthesis, comparative analysis, document analysis, and pedagogical modeling. As a result, the paper identifies the major theoretical approaches, core methodological principles, structural components, pedagogical conditions, and assessment criteria necessary for the effective development of sociocultural competence in Uzbekistan’s military higher education institutions.

The article argues that sociocultural competence should be embedded across the curriculum, educational environment, command culture, and extracurricular practice. Such an approach can strengthen professional resilience, leadership culture, national identity, and constructive interaction between future military personnel and society.