EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF NUSH AS A CONDITION FOR THE FORMATION OF A COMPETENT EDUCATOR

Abstract

The article examines the characteristics of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) learning environment as a condition for developing competent learners. NUS cultivates not only subject knowledge but also life competencies by creating an educational space that provides the necessary conditions, resources, and technologies for teaching students, educators, and parents both inside and outside the school building.At the same time, this environment must be safe, inclusive, and supportive of students’ free development.According to I. Bekh, the competency-based approach meets the demands of modern society and focuses on learners’acquisition of «essential life competencies». The relevance of the study is driven by the need for both theoretical and empirical analysis of the NUS learning environment’s role in forming competent students. The aim of the article is to investigate the NUS educational space as a condition for the development of key competencies.The objectives are: to clarify the concepts of «learning environment» and «competent learner» in the NUS context; to analyze theoretical foundations (competency-based, ecological, and learner-centered approaches); to identify the environment’s structural components (spatial-material, psychological, ICT, and socio-cultural); to describe practical cases and challenges in pilot schools; to highlight the teacher’s role as facilitator, learning– space designer, and partner of parents; and to develop recommendations for enhancing the NUS environment’s effectiveness. The article synthesizes the work of I. Bekh, I. Bohdanova, O. Savchenko, R. Shiyan, H. Selevko, and others, as well as NUS conceptual documents and current pilot-school practices. It proposes a model in which flexible, mobile physical spaces interact with a climate of trust and support, robust ICT infrastructure, and socio- cultural initiatives. Based on data analysis and examples, the article identifies promising directions: strengthening inclusivity and safety, advancing ICT infrastructure, providing continuous professional development for teachers, and activating partnerships with the community. The findings indicate that a high-quality NUS learning environment is a key factor in shaping graduates who can apply their knowledge effectively in real-world situations. Further NUS implementation must rely on the systematic harmonization of the physical, psychological, and informational components of the learning space to achieve sustainable educational and social outcomes.