FOREIGN EXPERIENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPETENCE DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE NATURAL SCIENCES TEACHERS

Introduction. In modern society, environmental education plays a significant role in the development of such a relatively new and important educational concept as environmental competence. «Teachers of the future» who live in harmony with nature and realize the importance and value of environmental education for the development of society, the foundations of which are laid in current realities, are needed for the development of environmental competence of the individual. Purpose. The article aims to study the foreign and Ukrainian experience of introducing environmental education into the system of vocational training of future natural sciences teachers to achieve new professional competencies – environmental. Methods. Pedagogical observation, conversations, interviews method of comparison and historical analysis were used. Results. To solve environmental problems, the world community is inclined to the idea of creating a global system of continuous environmental education, the development and implementation of which is based on international and national regulatory documents. based on the integration of native and foreign experience, the practice of introducing environmental education into the system of professional and practical training of future teachers of natural sciences to achieve new professional competencies – environmental. Environmental education began to become one of the topics discussed throughout Europe in 1972. After the 1992 conference in Rio de Janeiro and the adoption of the Agenda for the XXI century, the governments of many countries took new measures to introduce the ideas of ecologically sustainable development into national education systems. A feature of foreign environmental education is the existence of scientific laboratories based on universities, the presence of mechanisms for the implementation of scientific ideas and their developments in production practice, and the intensive involvement of students in scientific research and familiarizing them with modern achievements of environmental science. Originality. Foreign experience in the field of environmental education is quite practical and can be used for the system of environmental education in Ukraine. The main thing that distinguishes the experience of foreign countries is educational programs on environmental education, which are built on a new educational methodology, they are aimed at training based on research projects, and close communication between applicants and teachers, university faculties and schools, universities and enterprises. Conclusion. The author offers the following approaches for adapting foreign experience in increasing the effectiveness of environmental education in the educational institutions of Ukraine. At the state level, state the priority of environmental education in solving environmental problems and emphasize the responsibility of the new generation in solving these issues. Specialized educational components on ecology should become a mandatory component of educational programs in schools and universities, embodying the so-called idea of «greening of educational programs».