Improving the health protection competence of 5th-9th grade schoolchildren in compliance with information security

Abstract

Problem and purpose. In modern society, information security must be considered as one of the factors in maintaining and strengthening health. Schoolchildren are one of the categories of citizens who are most vulnerable and less protected from information influences on the Internet. Compliance with certain conditions contributes to the formation of personal security in the information space, as well as to the preservation of mental, moral, and spiritual well-being. Methods. Methods of measuring the formation of components of health preservation competence were used in the study. The study involved two groups of schoolchildren studying in 5th-9th grade experimental (228 people) and control (212 people) classes. The experiment consisted of two stages. The first stage involved measuring the components at the initial stage of their formation, without the targeted intervention of teachers and parents. The second stage involved obtaining digital data after the introduction of certain conditions that contribute to the formation of personal security in the information space. Comparison of the indicators obtained at the first and second stages was carried out using the Mann-Whitney U test (U), as well as the method of descriptive statistics to determine the mean value of the trait manifestation (M). Results. The analysis of the effectiveness of students' health-protection competence formation showed significant differences on a number of scales (p<0.05). Positive changes were shown in the experimental group of students. The increase in the mean value (M) in terms of indicators was as follows: knowledge of the competence content (0.57), experience in the competence manifestation (0.64), attitude toward the competence content (0.33), emotional- volitional regulation of the competence manifestation (0.6), readiness to demonstrate competence (0.71). Statistically significant differences in the components of competence have been revealed (p<0.05). This category of children is characterized by high motivation for changes in the personal sphere and a creative approach to a joint activity. Conclusion. The author's interpretation of the concept of “information security” is of practical importance for a student so that he/she knows how to protect against information that threatens his/her health and development, can regulate his/her behavior, knows how to use the mechanisms of protective behavior in a problem situation relative to what is happening. The experiment showed that compliance by schoolchildren with the proposed conditions could solve the problem of the formation of their information security skills in an educational institution. It is necessary to determine which of these skills can be supported by a social care teacher, others - by a practical psychologist or by parents, etc.