Preparation of future primary school teachers for nature and environmental education of students

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of natural and ecological education, defines it as one of the leading ways to overcome the ecological crisis. The publication reveals the essence of training future primary school teachers for natural and ecological education of younger students. The article reveals the theoretical principles of the essence of natural and ecological education, it is interpreted as: a complex of knowledge about the environment, its interrelationships, features of protection, preservation and restoration of natural resources; acquisition of practical skills and skills of rational nature management; a way of developing ecological thinking and nurturing a humane attitude to nature, which is a manifestation of ecological ethics, high culture of society.

The scientific publication determined that the preparation of future primary school teachers for natural and ecological education of students is based on the organization of classroom classes (lectures, practical and laboratory classes); extracurricular activities (environmental projects, challenges, quests, contests, etc.); independent work (preparation for classes, own research, participation in professional development courses), pedagogical practice.

The article presents a survey of teachers of the Valentyna Voloshyna Faculty of Preschool and Primary School Education and teachers of the Natural and Geographical Faculty of Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University. In the course of the survey, the leading educational practices that contribute to the preparation of future teachers for the natural and ecological education of younger schoolchildren were determined, the main ones among them are: project activities, creative and search-research activities, own observations of the natural environment, participation in nature conservation activities, etc. The article also presents a survey of future elementary school teachers regarding the most effective methods that contribute to better learning of educational material. In addition, we offered methodological recommendations to teachers of higher education institutions, which will allow to improve the process of preparing students for natural and ecological education of elementary school students.