The dissertation research considers and substantiates theoretical and methodological foundations of development of school biological education in Ukraine as a holistic and systematic social and pedagogical formation. The analysis of a large amount of evidence in natural science as a science and as a school subject – the propaedeutics of the biology course has necessitated new general scientific logic and methodological approaches.
The development of the phenomenon under study has been outlined as a scientific-theoretical and historical-pedagogical problem with its historiography and defined criteria for its periodization. The conceptual principles of the periodization of school biological education take into account changes in the public life of the country: a) political (social order, state educational policy – social order and staffing of educational institutions; b) economic – development of production, financial and economic situation of the educational base and education workers; c) scientific and pedagogical – scientific biological discoveries, achievements and pedagogical researches, reforms in education – appearance of new concepts, introduction of pedagogical technologies, identification and dissemination of innovative educational experience; d) value – virtues, national traditions and world culture embedded in the content of education. Important are the structural components of the periodization system (the purpose of school biological education, content, scientific and methodological support and the effectiveness of educational activities); implementation of functional relationships between them (design, organizational, constructive, gnostic, corrective), based on the historiography of school biological education and methods of research of this historical-pedagogical phenomenon, criteria have been developed, according to which its periods and stages are outlined: historical-normative – takes into account historical events over time and the content of state legal documents on the development of school natural education; didactic and methodological – determined by changes in the content and structure of biological education, in the process, methods and forms of organization of training, control over educational activities, as well as conceptual transformations in technology, in the training of pedagogical staff and improvement of their professional skills; reformative-historiographical, which considers the factors, which influence the teaching of biology.
Based on the conceptual framework of the study, the three main periods and corresponding stages of formation and functioning of the system of school biological education in Ukraine during the XX – beginning of the XXI centuries, which preceded the birth and domination of the descriptive and systematic direction of natural science as a propedeutical course of biology and formation of elements of biology education (1860–1900). The first period – 1901–1920. The second period – 1920–1991. The third period – 1991 – beginning of the XXI century.
Materials of archival documents and historical facts, little-known sources influencing the development of biological science and school biological education have been introduced into the scientific circulation; poly-functionality of school biological education in the aspect of formation of key and subject competences; the role and importance of school biology in the educational process of a national school have been revealed.
The conducted research proves the leading role of biological education in the educational process of the modern school, the development of which is conditioned by the realization of social, human-creating, cultural-creative function of education, principles of humanization and humanitarization. Understanding the biological picture of the world as the basis of the students’ scientific worldview is the primary objective of the school biology course, which provides the basis for the formation of core competency groups. Biology as a component of natural science provides students with information about the natural science foundations of modern technologies and modern production and performs educational function – civic, ecological, spiritual and moral, national-patriotic, valeological, aesthetic education.
Based on the identification of progressive tendencies of objective analysis of the retrospective of science education, the prospect of school biological education in Ukraine has been projected. The development of Ukrainian national education involves the development of conceptual foundations for the development of the school biological education system: selection of new content of educational material in accordance with scientific advances in biology; implementation of integration and differentiation of natural knowledge for forming holistic ideas about nature; introduction of effective learning technologies.
