FORMATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF EDUCATORS: A SYSTEMIC APPROACH

Abstract

The article substantiates the conceptual foundations of forming ecologically appropriate behavior in preschool children as an integrated result of the interaction of cognitive, emotional-value, and behavioral-activity components within a systemic approach to the professional training of preschool educators. The content is defined, the structural components of specialist readiness are characterized, and the pedagogical conditions for implementing the relevant process in the educational environment of a preschool institution are substantiated. The relevance of the study is driven by the need to find new approaches to nurturing a personality capable of harmoniously coexisting with nature amid global environmental challenges, resource depletion, and deteriorating environmental conditions. Early childhood is recognized as a sensitive period for laying the foundations of environmental consciousness, value orientations, and responsible behavioral patterns. The aim of the article is to substantiate the structure of professional training for educators and to determine the stages of forming ecologically appropriate behavior in preschool children in their systemic interrelation. Research methods include theoretical analysis of regulatory frameworks and scientific literature; systematization for the development of a component-structural model; a констатувальний (baseline) stage of pedagogical experiment involving 120 future educators; diagnostic methods (observation, interviews, questionnaires for educators and parents). Assessment was conducted across three levels: high (creative), intermediate (reproductive), and low (passive). Scientific novelty: the concept of 'ecologically appropriate behavior of preschool children' is refined as a dynamic personal characteristic integrating environmental literacy and readiness for active environmental action; the content of its components is specified; sequential stages of formation are substantiated; the effectiveness of a set of pedagogical conditions is demonstrated. Practical significance: methodological recommendations for organizing an eco-educational environment are developed; a toolkit of effective forms and methods (ecological quests, integrated classes, project activities, Empowerment pedagogy) suitable for direct implementation in preschool settings is formed. The diagnostic findings indicate that the majority of student educators are at the intermediate readiness level, experiencing difficulties in practical application of acquired knowledge.