OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION OF CONSERVATION SKILLS IN PRE-SCHOOL AGE

Abstract

Relevance of the topic. Environmental (ecological) education in preschool age is becoming more and more relevant. An educational institution promoting the ecological lifestyle of children should seek to create opportunities for environmentally conscious awareness, ecological behavior, and the development of environmental skills through experiential activities (Šorytė, 2021), especially in pre-school age groups (Von Kotzebue et al., 2020). In the modern context of children's education, it is important to understand the significance of environmental and experiential education for preschool children (Lamanauskas, 2007). The problem of the research is insufficient attention to the development of environmental education skills through experiential activities in the preschool age. The object of the research is the opportunities for developing the environmental education skills of preschool children through experiential activities. The aim of the research is to reveal the opportunities for developing the environmental skills of preschool children through experiential activities. Tasks: To theoretically substantiate the opportunities for environmental education in pre-school education institutions.; to empirically determine the attitude of parents and teachers to the opportunities for environmental education in pre-school age groups in institution. Research methods: analysis of scientific literature and documents, written survey, oral survey, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained data. Research results: environmental education opportunities in pre-school education institution: use of environmental school curricula, their integration into general education curricula, raising teachers’ environmental qualifications and teachers’ personal environmental literacy, attention to the development of external educational spaces in pre-school education institutions, use of educational programs of non-formal education institutions (zoos, botanical gardens, museums), involvement of parents or the whole community of the institution in the educational process, community events. Possibilities of nature conservation education in pre-school education institutions: the use of nature conservation school programs, their integration into general education programs, raising the nature conservation qualifications of pedagogues and the personal environmental literacy of teachers, attention to the creation of external educational spaces of pre-school education institutions, non-formal education institutions (zoology, botanical gardens, museums), the use of educational programs, the involvement of parents, the entire community of the institution in the educational process, organized community spectacles. After carrying out an empirical study, it was found that: in groups of pre-school children, the opportunities for nature conservation education in the institution are quite large, but they are not used enough.