The dissertation is based on analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature. The content of key concepts of investigation and the essence of the phenomenon "formation of information competence of future teachers of Geography"; the functions of information competence, its components, criteria's and levels of performance had been showed in the thesis. The study of the phenomenon of competence and theoretical principles of its formation had been realized on the basis of active, personal, axiological, technological, competency approach to professional education of future teachers of Geography. Considering modern requirements for professional activity gave grounds to interpret the information competence of future teachers of Geography as the ability that based on acquired knowledge, skills, abilities, motivation to gain proficiency in the current and critical attitude to comprehend the essence of geographic information and information processes, their meaning in the knowledge of the environment and human's social activity, understanding the problems of search and the role of modern information technologies in the development of geographic education, have formed a professional and personal relationship to geographic information, etc. Indicated that information competence of future teachers of Geography is a part of the professional competence, complex personality formation that represented a set of motivational, cognitive and activity-components, each of which is compared to the competence of information culture, competence of information literacy and competence of information activity. The basic functions of information competence of future teachers of Geography: educational, developmental, organizational, motivational, innovative, communicative had been differentiated in the dissertation. Analysis of the content of components and functions of information competence has allowed defining the criteria's, indicators and levels of its formation. Were determined the criteria's investigated formation: motivational value, focused on the identification and evaluation of motives, values of future teachers of Geography, working on creating a positive information direction; cognitive, that aims at evaluating of future teachers of Geography of their knowledge system of professional information, mastering of the students of the knowledge of the sources of information, the nature of geographic information and the basics of computer literacy; action-practical: the availability of skills of generalization of information, its productive use, independently of the form and means of the work with information, use of information technologies. Based on the content of structural components, criteria's and functions of information competence of future teachers of Geography were defined several levels its formation: high, medium, low. The model of formation of information competence of future teachers of Geography had been done. It combines educational and informational aspects of their professional development that includes such blocks: organizational and destination; content and procedural; effective. Their components have a goal and set tasks for implementation; principles and methodological approaches; system of the top pedagogical conditions that optimize the improvement of the formation of information competence of future teachers of Geography; functions of information competence; set of forms, methods and technologies that make it possible implementation of the models and results. The basic pedagogical conditions of effective formation of information competence future teachers of Geography were substantiated in the dissertation. They are: ensuring positive motivation of students to master information competence in the use of information technology; update content of professional and professionally oriented disciplines in the context of forming of information competence of future teachers of Geography; direction of the pedagogical and training practices to improve the experience of informative activity of the future teachers of Geography by using of the information component. Implementation of the first pedagogical conditions had been realized through enhanced cooperation between teacher and students in the form of individualization of their cognitive activity with the elements of competition, method of computer modeling and automated learning, e-teaching and methodical complex "Geography". The requirements of the second pedagogical conditions had been fulfilled by implementing of information technologies and methods: the illustrated maintenance of geographic data information; demonstration of the collected material, the method of computer modeling and automated learning, content module "Informatization of geographical education. Geographical nomenclature"; practical tasks that must be performed using the program "Windows", "Word", "Excel", "Publisher", "Power Point" and others. To implement the third pedagogical conditions were used updated program of the pedagogical practice; computerized technology training; game techniques that based on the use of computer games, expert systems with the introduction of game elements; the virtual game training programs of Geography; optional course; information and research method, interactive exercises, etc. The results of the experimental work had been showed the positive dynamics of levels of formation of the information competence of future teachers of Geography in the experimental group.
