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3EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT OF GEOGRAPHY IN DEVELOPING ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN PUPILS
A.S.Nurlanov
Nukus State Pedagogical Institute named Ajiniyaz https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10885916
EURASIAN I0URNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
ARTICLE INFO
Received: 18th March 2024 Accepted: 26th March 2024 Online: 27th March 2024
KEYWORDS Ecological culture, ecological crisis, natural complex, natural resources, rational use, mineral resources, human factor, labour resources, agriculture, reserve, seminar, conference.
ABSTRACT
Due to the drying up of the Aral Sea, the ecological disaster on the territory of the Republic of Karakalpakstan has aggravated and led to negative changes in the environment, and significantly affected all sectors of the economy. This article considers the role of geography in the formation of environmental education and skills in schoolchildren of Karakalpakstan.
O'QUVCHILARDA EKOLOGIK BILIMLARNI RIVOJLANTIRISHDA GEOGRAFIYA
FANINING AHAMIYATI A.S.Nurlanov
Ajiniyoz nomidagi Nukus davlat pedagogika instituti https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10885916
ARTICLE INFO
Received: 18th March 2024 Accepted: 26th March 2024 Online: 27th March 2024
KEYWORDS Ekologik madaniyat, ekologik inqiroz, tabiiy majmua, tabiiy resurslar, ratsional foydalanish, foydali qozilma boyliklar, inson omillari, mehnat resurslari, qishloq xojaligi, qo'riqxona, seminar, konferentsiya.
ABSTRACT
Orol dengizi bilan bog'liq Qoraqalpog'iston Respublikasida ekologik inqirozning murakkablashuvi bu xududlardagi tabiiy atirof muhitning o'zgarishiga asosan xalq xo'jaligining barcha sohalariga salbiy ta'sirini ko'rsatmoqda. Ushbu maqolada Qoraqalpog'iston sharoitida maktab o'quvchilariga ekologik ta'lim va tarbiya ko'nikmalarini shakillantirishda geografiya fanining ahamiyati ko'rsatilgan.
Today, the rapid changes occurring in the environment as a result of technological progress do not allow people to devote enough time to thinking. As the world's population grows, so does its need for consumer goods, food and drinking water. This, in turn, gives rise to such problems as the inappropriate use of natural resources and the indecent attitude of modern industry towards the environment. In order to protect our Planet's air, soil and water
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
resources, ensure its safety and stabilize environmental problems, it is necessary to educate environmentally friendly generations.
In connection with deterioration of the ecological situation caused by drying up of the Aral Sea, such tasks as improvement of ecological education of preschoolers and schoolchildren, and formation of ecological culture of the indigenous population have become actual tasks of the society today.
In his speech at session 72 of UN held on 19 September, 2017 president Sh. M. Mirziyoyev said, "Once again, I'd like to draw your attention to the Aral Sea crisis, one of the most urgent problems of today. Here is the map of the Aral Sea catastrophe in my hands. I think that it does not need any explanation. Solving the problems, caused by the drying up of the sea, requires combining appropriate international actions. We support the programme on practical aid to people suffering from Aral Sea disaster approved by UN" [1].
According to the requirements of the new education program implemented in the system of education, the contents of each subject of secondary school are being rewritten in accordance with the demands of local social life and ecology, and new textbooks are being created.
The use of new modern techniques and methods which enliven the ecological topics and pupils' yearning for knowledge means creating a new complex, which renovates old methods in education and comprises methodological and pedagogical ideas defining the main directions of school's future.
Creating a favourable attitude towards ecology in adolescents is a complex social and pedagogical process. Since the residents of our region live in an area of deteriorated environmental conditions, the subject of Geography plays a big role in improving their environmental culture. Geography has greater potential than other subjects in teaching the basis of ecology and effectively achieving its goals.
For the sake of the safety and future of the planet, instilling in the younger generation the love for the environment and developing their knowledge about the environment is entrusted to experienced teachers.
Along with enriching environmental knowledge, much attention should be paid to developing its educational function and compiling textbooks necessary for every person to receive environmental education.
Developing students' environmental consciousness is not only about teaching the basics of ecology, but also about instilling problem-solving skills in students so that they can feel the need to understand environmental problems, compensate for damage caused to nature, and prevent future damage. In addition to conducting lessons and expanding the interests of schoolchildren, it is also important to direct their will, character, and worldview to nature conservation activities [2].
The Course of Natural Geography provides valuable information about the interaction of the Earth and its geographical layers, the laws of their development, the relationship between society and man, and the interrelated development of the components of nature in the environment. The topics of the course such as Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere, as well as the topics on the contamination of the environment and ecological
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
problems explain the importance of the geographic crust for human life and play a significant cognitive role in developing students' ecological outlook.
In the process of learning the natural geography of continents and oceans, great attention is paid to the topics of interrelated development of soil, vegetation, and the wildlife as well as to the topic of protection of the nature. In the course of these topics, students contemplate and gather information on the ecological problems occurring in natural zones of all continents, on the measures taken to protect the nature, natural parks and reserves and develop their ecological thinking abilities.
In developing the skills of protecting the environment and natural resources in students, first, we should lay the foundations of ecological knowledge in them. Secondly, in order to create in them new ideas about environment, we should explain the importance of the nature and the ways of protecting it with the help of reports on natural disasters, opinions and conclusions of experts.
To educate comprehensively developed and ecologically literate citizens, the teacher should possess all valuable sources of information about the region where he lives. Nowadays, the importance of learning the territorial location of the mineral resources developed by manufacturing forces of society and their territorial organization is becoming urgent.
Some young people's knowledge is limited to natural resources and mineral production. They do not pay sufficient attention to the impact of human activities on the natural complexes where they live, and do not have exact data on the measures taken in our country to protect the environment.
Therefore, teaching geography requires studying not only the relationship between nature and society, but also studying the human factors influencing both of them. For example, in the course "Economic and Social Geography of Uzbekistan", we should not limit ourselves to studying the human factor only as a labor resource, but should also carefully study its connection with natural, economic and social problems.
Studying the natural geography of Karakalpakstan, we must deeply analyze the state of the natural components of our country in modern environmentally stressed conditions. People should know that disruption of nature and its balance has an impact on human activity and life. This attitude will teach people to take care about nature as if they were their own eyes, and to treat nature correctly.
One of the most important tasks in the process of studying the economic and social geography of Karakalpakstan is to instill in students the knowledge about the territorial structure of the areas, where the population live as well as the issues of rational development and consumption of its natural resources in accordance with scientific methods for the benefit of people.
In studying the Economic and Social Geography of the World students acquaint themselves with the pollution of environment in different parts of the world and the root causes of ecological problems. They also study the effective ways of solving them. Also, they get to know how the Aral Sea ecological disaster, caused by drying up of the Aral Sea, affects negatively the social and economic development of the population and, of course, the work force. This arouses in them the love for the nature and understanding of the need to use the
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
natural resources efficiently as well as the importance of every individual's efforts in dealing with the problems.
Currently, more than 2.7 thousand large nature reserves and natural parks have been created around the world. Most of them are located in developed countries, that is, in the USA, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia [3]. Interesting stories and demonstrative lessons of the teacher about the attitude of the population of these countries to the environment, their culture, their activities aimed at not killing animals for no reason and preserving vegetation, pastures, water bodies and forests help create the opportunity to develop an environmental culture in students.
Students' creative works are also of great didactic importance, for example, their environmental posters, drawings, brochures, newspapers, thematic projects aimed at increasing environmental literacy, essays on environmental topics force teenagers to compare different sources of information, analyze and express their own opinions about the rational consumption of nature and natural resources [4].
In order for the educational side of a geography lesson to be more effective, the expression of opinions, discussions, decision-making and other activities between the teacher and students should be carried out on an equal and open basis. Discussion classes, seminars, conference and debate classes can be conducted appropriately this way. Disputes or seminars on the ecological problems of our country can also be organized. For example,1) How the ecological conditions caused by drying up of the Aral Sea affect the health and life of the Republic's population. 2) Of what steps taken to keep the ecological balance in the region, affected by the Aral Sea, consist of. 3) What kind of projects are carried out in order to provide the population of the region with healthy foods. 4) What measures and decisions should be put into practice in order to form healthy lifestyle in the people and so on.
In these activities the teacher directs the thoughts of students to the solution of today's real problems, and completely convinces them that everyone should participate in tackling these issues. The aim of present geography education is, along with developing and enlarging the scope of knowledge of students, to bring up ecologically cultured citizens, who can freely think about the ecological views of each nation living on the earth, think geographically and evaluate situations accordingly.
If we appropriately incorporate environmental education into lessons when teaching geography in school, we can create opportunities for students to develop the following environmental and educational responsibilities.
- The ability to understand the relationship between man and society and their impact on people's activities and lives;
- Ability to analyze sources of water, air and soil pollution and know ways to prevent them;
- Awaken love and devotion to their homeland, to the nature of their own region;
- Know how to effectively consume the country's natural resources, their careful handling and conservation;
- Look for possible ways to save flora and fauna that are in danger of extinction due to environmental disaster;
- To form an environmental culture among students by expanding their geographical horizons;
EURASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE
Innovative Academy Research Support Center UIF = 8.2 | SJIF = 8.165 www.in-academy.uz
If we successfully resolve, with the assistance of the general public, these pressing issues that lay the foundations for the ecological culture of the youth, we will be able to educate a geographically literate, ecologically qualified future generation and make a significant contribution to the stabilization of the ongoing environmental disaster in our Republic.
References:
1. Mirziyoyev Sh. M. Speech at UN Session 72 on 19 September, 2017
2. Kosheleva V.L. "Ecology and Morality". "Obshestvennye nauki i sovremennost". 1993, No.1
3. The Fourth Conference of Ministers "Environment for Europe". Central Asian States: Evaluation of the Environment, Denmark, Aarhus, June, 1998.
4. Kucher T.B. Ecological Education of Students in Teaching Geography. M. Prosveshchenie, 1990.
