Abstract
This study presents the development and empirical validation of a pedagogical model aimed at fostering environmental responsibility among prospective teachers within the digital learning environment of pedagogical colleges. The relevance of the research is determined by the need to move beyond declarative environmental education toward measurable behavioural transformation in the context of sustainable development and digitalization of vocational teacher training in Kazakhstan. The purpose of the article is to develop and empirically validate a pedagogical model for the formation of environmental responsibility among future teachers in a digital educational environment, as well as to evaluate its effectiveness based on a comprehensive diagnosis of cognitive, value, behavioral and digital competencies. The empirical study was conducted during the 2024–2025 academic year in two pedagogical colleges of the West Kazakhstan region and involved 165 students aged 16–20. The Eco-TeacherResponsibility (ETR) diagnostic toolkit was developed to assess four components of environmental responsibility: cognitive awareness, value orientation, behavioural readiness, and digital ecological competence. The results demonstrate statistically significant improvements following a structured formative intervention (p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.82). The proportion of students with a high level of environmental responsibility increased from 15% to 44%, while the share of those at a low level decreased from 49% to 11%. The findings confirm that the systematic integration of digital technologies, project-based learning, and value-oriented pedagogical support contributes to sustainable behavioural change among future teachers.