BIOLOGICAL THEORY: STRUCTURE AND ITS APPLIED ASPECT IN THE METHODOLOGY OF BIOLOGY EDUCATION

Abstract

The problem of increase in the theoretical status of a school course of biology is
caused by need of an invention of effective remedies of development of theoretical
thinking of pupils. Its leading aspect is the question of selection of contents and the
principles of its systematization (or designing). The previous own analysis of scientific
and scientific and methodical primary sources testified that the theory is the leading
component of theoretical knowledge. The purpose of the publication is the state-of-theart review of scientific literature which considers structure natural-science theories.
This review makes a basis for development of structure of biological theories. It can
become the leading factor of systematization of maintenance of a school course of
biology. A theoretical and analytical review of literary sources in relation to the
development of the structure of the biological theory and the content of its components
allows us to draw the following conclusions. The theory is a system of generalized
knowledge of reality that describes, explains, systematizes and predicts the functioning
of a certain set of phenomena. Biological theories are descriptive empirical
naturalistic theories. Like physical, they have four main components: base, core,
implications and applications. Each of them has a content that is caused by
methodological peculiarities of theoretical biological knowledge. Biological theories
as descriptive empirical theories of natural science are characterized by the leading
methodological principles of the relationship: conformity, complementarities and
historicism. The structure of the theory and the methodological principles of the
interrelation of biological theories are the basis for constructing a school course on
wildlife. It is these principles that were used in the development of the methodological
system for the formation of theoretical biological knowledge of schoolchildren. This
makes it possible to increase the level of theorization of the school biology course as a
whole.
Key words: theory, structure of biological theory, functions of theory,
methodological principles of the interrelation of theories.