INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH AS A MEANS OF DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL COMPETENCIES IN FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

This article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of developing environmental competencies in future primary school teachers through an interdisciplinary approach. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing need to prepare teaching professionals capable of providing environmental education and fostering environmental awareness among primary school pupils in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The purpose of the study is to identify the potential of the interdisciplinary approach for enhancing the environmental competencies of future primary school teachers. The research employed the methods of scientific and pedagogical literature analysis, pedagogical observation, questionnaire surveys, diagnostic tasks, and a pedagogical experiment. Particular attention was paid to integrating environmental content into professional training disciplines, including pedagogy, methods of teaching the native language, literary reading, and methods of introducing pupils to the surrounding world. The findings indicate that the interdisciplinary approach contributes to improving students’ environmental knowledge, developing environmental thinking, fostering problem-solving skills related to environmental issues, and preparing future teachers to provide effective environmental education for primary school pupils.