The thesis analyzes theoretical and methodological basis of ecologically-based professional training of future teachers of natural sciences aimed at forming their ecological competency in the educational process of higher education institutions.
The author establishes the concept of the research at the methodological, theoretical and methodical levels. This made it possible to design the content and structure of the pedagogical system of formation of ecological competency of future teachers of natural sciences. The study presents the pedagogical system of formation of ecological competency of future teachers of natural sciences in the form of a conceptual model with a characteristic internal structural integrity provided with the unity of integrative connections between the main components, subjects of the educational process and educational environment. The author outlines the structure of the model with interconnected component blocks: conceptual-methodological, theoretical-content, organizational-procedural and diagnostic-evaluative. Its approbation is presented with the implementation of the improved maintenance, forms, means and educational technologies of formation of ecological competency of students in the educational process with the observance of certain pedagogical conditions of the model realization in the course of professional training.
The author characterizes the updating of the educational content of professional training of future teachers of natural sciences in the aspect of its greening. In the educational practice of higher education institutions it has been implemented educational and methodological support for ecologically-based professional training of future teachers of natural sciences in the experimental courses. The paper proves the efficiency of the application of innovative educational technologies in the formation of ecological competencу of future teachers of natural sciences (information and communication, problem-based learning, interactive, case study technology, project technologies).
The author clarifies the essence, functions and structure of ecological competency of future teachers of natural sciences and provides a rationale for the stages of its genesis in the process of professional training. The study determines the criteria, indicators and levels of formation of ecological competencу of students and methods of its diagnostics. As a result, the structure of ecological competencу of the future teacher is represented with the following components: information-cognitive, value-motivational, professional-activity, reflexive-evaluative. These components directly reflect methodological approaches to comprehension of the essence and content of ecological competence of the individual formed in the educational environment of higher education institution. According to the structure, the author establishes the criteria for its diagnosis (cognitive, axiological, practical-procedural, normative-worldview), indicators and levels (low – unconscious (involuntary) incompetencу, medium – conscious (arbitrary) incompetencу, high – conscious (arbitrary) competencу) of its formation. Basing on these ones the author presents the experimental check of the resulting quality of pedagogical system of formation of ecological competencу of future teachers of natural sciences and proves its efficiency. The obtained results demonstrate the efficiency of the implemented pedagogical system confirmed with the positive dynamics of the levels of formation of ecological competencу of future teachers of natural sciences of all experimental groups.
