SOME METHODOLOGICAL TRENDS OF SCIENTIFIC STUDIES OF THE NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION

Natural science education is an integral phenomenon that requires a systemic approach and assessment. Therefore, most of the issues should be discussed in a broad context of general natural science education. However, two inconsistent moments can be mentioned: • the correlation between research and practice is weak. First, teachers' competence level in the field of educational research is rather low; second, partnership with the researchers' community remains unexpanded; the teacher is, first of all, a subject of pupils' training for life and their integration into society (socialization) who is responsible for high quality education and better results. Therefore, there are a few bitter reproaches about problematic research of educological natural science education that might be irrelevant in terms of teachers' work experience; • the correlation between a higher school lecturer and comprehensive school and educational practice in general, is very weak in most of the cases; a mission of the scientist is knowledge about scientific educational reality. From this point of view, teaching natural sciences at higher school seems to be rather complicated when educating the teachers of this profile. Often teaching science subjects at higher school is limited by “dry” academicism, a didactic cover is thin. The “real” naturalists hypothetically renounce the educologists working in the field of natural science education. The latter frequently feel being misunderstood by the “real” pedagogues – didacticists. In this article some main methodological trends of scientific studies in the sphere of natural science education are discussed. Main purpose of a study was to analyzed main trends, to display their content and specific character. Main methods of study – analysis of scientific literature, comparative and systemic analysis, the method of interpretations. Such main scientific trends of studies were analyzed: • studies of natural science and technological literacy; • studies of the motivations of the acquisition of knowledge about nature and studies of practical activity on questions of science research. • studies of human being relations with nature • studies of the integration of social and natural science knowledge (integrated education). • studies of questions of training the teachers of natural science disciplines and diagnostics of the quality of preparation on the basis of competencies. • studies of the problems of natural science education in the primary school and questions of the natural science education (literacy) of the teachers of primary forms etc. Therefore, natural science education is not the only subject of discussions today. It is more frequently examined in a very broad context which is natural science – technological – noosspheric education. The professionals of natural science education accept personal responsibility for the creation and extension of natural science education which is supposed to be a primary duty and obligation. Consequently, training of the comprehensive school teachers of natural sciences and the permanent development of natural science competence are very important features from this point of view. School cannot effectively work without the teachers and education managers of suitable qualification. The final idea of the author in this article – studies in the sphere of natural science education in Lithuania must be carried out at the higher methodological level also in the wider problematic field.