METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING TEACHING COMPETENCE OF FUTURE BIOLOGY TEACHERS IN TEACHING PRACTICE

Abstract

The effectiveness of biology education in schools is predominantly contingent upon the preparedness of future educators to convert biological knowledge into significant learning experiences during their pedagogical practice. This article validates the methodological principles for enhancing the pedagogical competence of pre-service biology teachers during school-based teaching practice. Teaching competence is viewed as a comprehensive construct encompassing subject-matter mastery, pedagogical content knowledge, methodological literacy, communicative abilities, and a reflective disposition towards ongoing professional development. The objective of the study is to develop and empirically validate a practice-oriented model that enhances these components within the practicum. A mixed-methods design was utilized, integrating theoretical literature analysis, diagnostic evaluation of competency levels, and a pedagogical experiment involving control and experimental groups of biology majors. The findings demonstrate that intentional organization of practice, explicit assessment criteria, and collaboration between university supervisors and school mentors substantially improve the pedagogical proficiency of prospective biology educators.