Since second half of 20th century, adult education is profoundly influenced by the concept of functional literacy. At the same time, in spite of the widespread consensus that literacy is a key to both personal and national development and safety, there are relatively few studies in Russian, whose authors would formulate the theoretical approaches to the development of functional literacy throughout human life. The subject of my research is the complex of the main characteristics of functional knowledge (its essence, features, structure, principles of formation). These characteristics I consider as the methodological basis for the creation of theoretical models of the formation and development of functional literacy learners, which is able to ensure the safety of their life in changing conditions of existence. I explore the nature and characteristics of functional knowledge (which is the content of functional literacy) using social-philosophical method and system analysis. I studied genesis of the concept of functional literacy and its functions during the period from the end of the 1960s until the beginning of the 21st c. (to determine the dynamics of the structure of the functional knowledge and principles of its formation) with the help of the system, structural-functional and block-modular approaches. As a result, I have shown functional knowledge is a spatial and temporal integrative education, identical to social knowledge in its essence. I identified the stages of development of the concept of functional literacy and its functions and accordingly, the genesis of the functional structure of the knowledge and principles of its formation. Given this, I built theoretical models (structurally meaningful and dynamic nuclear-spherical) of learners’ functional literacy formation and development. Such models ones could implement into the process of continuing education, including autonomous. I suppose, we could use this theoretical models as a methodological basis for the construction of a continuous educational process in educational institutions. I believe such institutions and libraries can use this model to organize an autonomous entity, and it would allow for the development of functional literacy needed for human life safety in the changing realities.

В статье приведены теоретические подходы к формированию и развитию функциональной грамотности обучающегося. Выявлена значимость функциональной грамотности для безопасности жизнедеятельности человека в условиях изменений, а также сущность и особенности функционального знания, определяющего ее содержание. Представлен генезис концепта функциональной грамотности и ее функций, на основе чего определена динамика структуры функционального знания и принципы его формирования. Описаны построенные с учетом этого теоретические модели формирования и развития функциональной грамотности. Определена роль непрерывного образования обучающегося, в том числе его автономного образования, в освоении нового уровня функциональной грамотности, отвечающего функциональному знанию, востребованному в изменившихся реалиях.