Abstract
The article reveals the basic rules of cognitive learning that determine the content, organizational forms, and methods of teaching, the goals and objectives of teaching geography, and its importance in the formation of the special subject and meta-subject competencies of students.The article considers the role of cognitive learning in the formation of the thinking abilities of future geography teachers, and the importance of mastering complex theoretical concepts, methodological, and value-semantic components.To reveal the content of the topic, there was carried out an analysis of domestic and foreign literature on the application of a cognitive approach to teaching geography.