Environmental Literacy: Through the Eyes of Schoolchildren and Teachers
Authors:   St. Petersburg Ushinsky Academy of Postgraduate Education, Alekseev S.V. 
Published: January 2025

Introduction. The article attempts to comprehend the phenomenon of environmental literacy as the first level of ecological culture. The results of the study of the attitude of schoolchildren and teachers to the structure of environmental literacy, effective methods of its formation are presented. The purpose of the study was to identify the key components of environmental literacy based on a comparative analysis of the position of schoolchildren and teachers to understand environmental literacy as the first level of environmental culture. The relevance of the study lies in the special appeal in the space of ecological culture to its first level – environmental literacy. The novelty of the results allows not only to characterize environmental literacy, but also to designate its taxonomy.

Materials and methods. The following research methods were used: analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis, the method of analogies, questionnaires, mathematical processing of results and their interpretation. The results of a socio-pedagogical study in 2023 aimed at understanding environmental literacy as functional literacy by teachers and schoolchildren were comprehended. (sample: 4599 students and 3480 teachers). The article presents the results of a study of environmental awareness (recognition) of schoolchildren (four comparable comparative studies conducted by A. Pavlov in 1902 (a sample of 100 respondents, students aged 11–15 years), S. Alekseev in 1991, 2012 and 2023.

Results. Conclusions are made on the coincidence and differences in the positions of teachers and schoolchildren in relation to environmental literacy and methods (technologies) of its formation. The relationship between environmental literacy and environmental identity of a person is shown. A possible version of the taxonomy of environmental literacy is presented. On the basis of the well-known taxonomies of goal-setting by B. Bloom, J. Marzano, O. E. Lebedev, V. N. Maksimova, V. P. Simonov and others, we propose a taxonomy of ecological literacy in the following form: 1. Recognition of natural objects, phenomena, processes; 2. understanding of scientific knowledge to characterize natural objects, phenomena, processes; 3. application of a creative approach to the characteristics of natural objects, phenomena, processes; 4. analysis of the integrity (complexity, interdisciplinarity) of the obtained characteristic; 5. evaluation of the result for use in everyday life; 6. reflection on the process of obtaining a result. A version of the training module for the formation of environmental literacy of students and a program for advanced training of teachers for the formation of methodological competence in the formation of environmental literacy of students are proposed. The teacher training program includes three modules that are closely interrelated: methods of environmental education, methods of environmental education and methods of environmental education. A variant of the final control of the advanced training course for teachers is presented in the context of the formation of the teacher's professional competence in the unity of his educational, question, methodological, educational and other competencies.

Discussion and conclusion. The article emphasizes the importance of integrating environmental education and enlightenment in the formation of environmental literacy of schoolchildren.