Integration of environmental content into natural science disciplines as a factor in forming students' environmental competence

Abstract

The article presents the results of a pedagogical study aimed at developing environmental competence among students in teacher education programs through the integration of environmental content into natural science disciplines. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to prepare future teachers capable of addressing contemporary environmental challenges within the context of sustainable development and the digital transformation of education. The purpose of the study is to design and experimentally validate a model for developing environmental competence based on the STEAM approach and interdisciplinary integration. The study was conducted at Zhetysu University named after I. Zhansugurov and involved 127 students. The research employed a pedagogical experiment, testing, questionnaires, and statistical data analysis. The experimental design included diagnostic, formative, and control stages. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in the environmental competence of students in the experimental group: the proportion of students with a high level increased from 18% to 42%, while the proportion with a low level decreased from 36% to 14%. A statistically significant correlation was identified between the cognitive and activity-based components (r = 0.96; p < 0.001). The findings confirm the effectiveness of integrating environmental content and STEAM technologies into the educational process and highlight their potential for modernizing teacher education programs.