FEATURES OF FORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS OF GEOGRAPHY STUDENTS

Abstract

The article analyzes the state of formation of ecological consciousness of students‑ geographers, as well as increasing the effectiveness of formal ecological education in higher education institutions, which is due to the current modern needs of society. The scientific novelty lies in the study of the formation of ecological consciousness during the study of disciplines of environmental orientation by students of the first (bachelor’s) level of higher education in specialties 014 “Secondary Education (Geography)” and 106 “Geography“ of the Faculty of Geography of the State Higher Educational Institution “Uzhgorod National University”. The characteristics of educational disciplines of ecological content and their inclusion in the cycles of general and professional training, both mandatory and selective components of educational programs, are presented. The research methodology is based on a combination of structural-functional and scientific approaches. The theoretical and methodological directions of research on environmental knowledge are outlined and a comparative analysis of educational programs by specialties and 106 “Geography” and 014 “Secondary Education (Geography)” is carried out regarding the presence and volume (in credits) of environmental disciplines. The article also considers the role of educational and production practices in the formation of students’ environmental awareness through the practical application of environmental knowledge and the development of environmental thinking at the final stage of continuous environmental education in higher education. Particular attention is paid to the problems and prospects of implementing a competency-based approach in modern pedagogy of teaching ecology, which contributes to the formation of practical skills and abilities of future teachers for effective work in geography and natural science lessons. The emphasis is also placed on the possibilities of using the competencies acquired by geographer students in professional activities – both in the field of education and in institutions of a design, search and production profile, land departments, territorial management bodies, environmental protection structures, state authorities and local governments, as well as in the activities of public organizations, where graduates can realize their potential.