The dissertation has investigated the development of ecological values among future teachers of natural sciences in the process of professional training on methodological, theoretical and practical levels.
As a result of the research, the paper has clarified the educational significance and axiological aspects of the relationship “Human being – Nature” in the context of professional training of future natural sciences teachers. Taking into account the results of international and national research, the dissertation shows the growth of the relevance of economical and rational use of nature, the need to protect natural resources and the need for the maximum use of environmentally friendly technologies. At the same time, the research states that the practical harmonization of the relationship “Human being – Nature” requires in-depth knowledge of nature and its laws, and the urgent tasks of modern science and education include the promotion and establishment of the eco-centric type of understanding nature based on the proclamation of nature’s value.
The paper substantiates that the implementation of these tasks involves a leading role of teachers in specialty “Natural Sciences”, as they can not only provide understanding of nature and mastery of environmental knowledge, but also promote students’ awareness of nature, equality and equivalence of nature, human beings and society. The dissertation pays attention to the conceptual and categorical apparatus of the research of ecological values in the educational context, which includes three groups of concepts: 1) axiological aspect; 2) pedagogical aspect; 3) conceptual-target aspect. In analyzing a group of pedagogical concepts and categories, the main focus is on the concept of “value education”, which is determined as the process of mastering and reproducing the achievements of axiological theory as a result of teaching and education, transformative activities, self-education and self-development. The paper has conceptualized the phenomenon of ecological values as a basic element of professional training of future natural sciences teachers. Combination of the developments of the ethics of life, doctrine of the noosphere, ethics of the Earth, deep ecology, ethics of responsibility, concept of the common world, and eco-philosophical teachings and ideas allowed distinguishing the following environmental values: 1) the value of life in all its manifestations; 2) self-worth of nature; 3) the value of harmony with nature; 4) biocentrism as a responsibility for the world of living beings; 5) a healthy environment as a value; 6) the value of quality of life (in ecological discourse); 7) the value of environmental knowledge; 8) ecological image as a value. Ecological values can be reasonably divided into (1) values of terminal-positional nature and (2) values of instrumental-behavioral nature.
The research has characterized pedagogical conditions of the process of ecological values development among future natural sciences teachers. These include: 1) the formation of eco-centric understanding of nature (through the education of future teachers); 2) awareness of environmental values; 3) internal acceptance and ability to transfer and implement environmental values in educational and professional activities.
In accordance with the stated tasks, the paper theoretically substantiates and presents the pedagogical model of ecological values development among future natural sciences teachers. The effectiveness of the proposed pedagogical conditions and models of ecological values development among future teachers of natural sciences in the process of professional training has been experimentally checked. The established indicators have proved the high development level of the above-described environmental values, which were considered as the results of the educational process, according to the formulated and substantiated criteria (cognitive, value-motivational, operational-activity and organizational).
