Lyudmila V. Pivovarova

The article discusses the issues facing the biological education of schoolchildren as a unique tool for the development of biological literacy of the individual and society, designed to ensure their preservation, safety and adaptation to various changes. Biological literacy is important for all age and professional categories, especially for so-called non-biologists, who are responsible for making biosphere – and socially significant decisions, but unfortunately do not possess it. It develops mainly in the process of learning at school. According to our ideas, we define three levels of its formation – academic, functional, and system. The last two levels are aimed at mastering knowledge and developing meta-competencies (cognitive, communicative, activity, value), scientific outlook and personal qualities in the process of mastering the subject. For its formation, we have developed a conceptual didactic system of training on an integrative basis. The practice of implementation in schools, universities and teachers ‘ professional development in the educational process has shown its effectiveness. It was submitted to the Commission on biological education of the International union of biological sciences at UNESCO, which initiated the development of bio-literacy in the world at the conference in Moscow (1997). The article analyzes the results of its own, as well as international studies (TIMMS, PISA 2015, 2018.; TALIS, 2018) problems of biological education in the formation of bio-literacy in a changing socio-cultural and ecological settings in recent years (biology and environmental challenges, digitalization of the educational environment, pandemic 2019–2020, etc.). They indicate the need for an early response from the educational community. Among them: the problem of reducing the educational time of mastering subjects of the biological cycle, which has a system-network nature. That leads to many interrelated consequences; lack of awareness of teachers in the real results of educational achievements of schoolchildren; replacement of biology lessons with other subjects; outdated content of biological subjects, and some others. Despite the unsatisfactory results in the formation of biological literacy and related meta-competencies, the latter are currently perceived by teachers as a secondary need. The article discusses the reasons that lead to such results. The issue of the content of biological education remains unresolved. We believe that training programs should be updated by including knowledge, for example, in virology, microbiology, immunology, epidemiology and other branches of biology, as well as translating the acquired knowledge into the practice of everyday life. Today it will be in demand among all categories of citizens. For the development of biological literacy, the process of mastering digital technologies is important, as a new means of learning and a vector of self-development, which requires the use of activity control by biology teachers and parents in practice. The results of the study of school childrens’ learning problems can be used in the modernization of biological education at all levels of education, including in improving the skills of teachers.