The development of ecological thinking of secondary school students by means of education innovation cluster

The study deals with a project on the development of students’ ecological thinking and the improvement of their environment-focused social activity. To achieve this goal, an education innovation cluster has been developed. The cluster is characterized by unified resources of secondary general, secondary vocational, and higher educational institutions; the environmental focus of training programs and studying Ecology on an integrated and supplementary basis; following the curriculum of secondary education and vocational education in the field of green building at the same time. The project proposes that the curriculum of secondary general and vocational education might be integrated on the basis of a secondary school. To green education, it is necessary to involve students in an in-depth study of natural sciences, introduce Ecology, and include topics related to the development of students’ ecological thinking in a number of syllabi. The project presents the methods and techniques of engaging students in environment-focused social activity. The problems are solved through the creation of the education innovation cluster, which includes a secondary school, a research and educational center at this school, and several secondary vocational and higher educational institutions.