INDICATORS OF THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF FUTURE TEACHERS, FOCUSED ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Abstract

Global environmental, social, and economic transformations are placing new demands on the education system, including primary school teacher training. The primary goal of this research is to comprehensively determine the level of professional competence of future primary school teachers within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to assess the scientific and pedagogical foundations for the effective integration of these principles into higher pedagogical education. The main research areas and concepts are aimed at developing models for integrating sustainable development concepts into the primary education of future teachers, as well as enhancing their professional preparedness to address environmental protection and social sustainability issues. The research methodology is based on a quantitative approach. To collect empirical data, a customized questionnaire was developed and administered to 101 female students of the Faculty of Education. The study conducted a comprehensive analysis of respondents' knowledge, value-motivational principles, practical and operational skills, and reflective abilities regarding the SDGs. The collected data were subjected to mathematical and statistical processing, and a level analysis was conducted. The results showed that, although the general understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals among future teachers was relatively high (average scores of 3.8–4.0), the level of detailed information about the 17 UN goals and international documents was low. Although students fully embrace the ideas of TDM, their skills in applying these ideas in practice and conducting reflective analysis remain average. A comprehensive analysis divided respondents' competence levels into three groups: 42% of participants demonstrated a high level, 21% a moderate level, and 37% a low level.
Based on these empirical data, the need to incorporate SDG principles as a mandatory component of modern teacher training curricula is scientifically demonstrated. Based on the findings, the article formulates practical approaches and methodological recommendations for developing the professional skills of future teachers in the field of sustainable development.