ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AS A HOLISTIC CULTURAL PHENOMENON IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE TEACHERS

This article is dedicated to the topical issue of environmental education as a holistic cultural phenomenon in the context of the professional training of future teachers. Environmental education is considered as a multifaceted process that integrates ecological knowledge with cultural, social, and ethical aspects of the interaction between man and nature. The methodological basis of the study was based on the integration of three scientific approaches to the consideration of environmental education as a holistic cultural phenomenon in the professional training of future teachers, namely: cultural approach, which allowed to consider environmental education as a holistic cultural phenomenon and its impact on the formation of the general pedagogical culture of the future teacher; systemic approach, which provided a comprehensive study of environmental education, taking into account the interrelationships between the various components of the educational process; competency-based approach, which focuses on the formation of professional competencies of future teachers, guaranteeing a practical orientation in training specialists capable of solving environmental problems in their professional activities. The article presents the author's definitions of the concepts of " environmental education as a holistic cultural phenomenon", " environmental culture of the future teacher" and " environmental educational project". Descriptions are provided for the concepts of innovative projects for the development of environmental education and culture, implemented in pedagogical educational institutions of the Kirovograd region: "Green Campus," "Virtual Ecological Laboratory," "Eco-locations of the City of Kropyvnytskyi," "EcoArt," "Mini-farm." Recommendations are formulated for improving environmental education within the framework of the professional training of future teachers, including: compiling an "ecological portfolio of a young teacher", creating a virtual information space of ecological didactics, introducing ecological mentoring and introducing a special course "Ecological Culture". Conclusions have been drawn that hold theoretical and practical significance for the development of environmental education and culture of future teachers in the context of European integration processes in Ukraine.