DEVELOPING RESEARCH SKILLS IN THE TECHNOLOGIES AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF STUDENTS FROM SECOND GRADE THROUGH PROJECT ACTIVITY

Abstract

The focus of this paper is on the formation of research skills in the Technology and Entrepreneurship course of second grade students in primary school through project activities. The need for complex skills and creative thinking, which directly correspond to important key competencies, is pointed out. Acquired competencies in the field of technology correspond to human desires or needs and are related to the understanding of the changes caused by human activity. Their presence is a prerequisite for the formation of socially and technologically educated individuals, contributing to the sustainable growth of modern society. It is specified that the training in Technology and Entrepreneurship in the second grade is aimed primarily at acquiring basic knowledge and building technological literacy, which predetermine the creation of sustainable cognitive interest in adolescents and a positive attitude towards work, technical equipment and technology. The essence of the terms "research skills" and "project" is clarified. The paper explains that the project activity is a preferred form of work in the Technology and Entrepreneurship classes because through it specific thematic cases related to global environmental or demographic problems are purposefully researched and solved. The destructive influence of human activity on the flora and fauna is mentioned and students’ thinking, and activity are directed towards overcoming this negative tendency. In the process of work, children are stimulated by their mentor to think critically and creatively, to be responsible and determined, and thus they create initiative and entrepreneurial culture. The psychological and pedagogical prerequisites for the successful implementation of project-based training are considered in the context of the need for high-quality modern education. The age characteristics of the second graders such as visual thinking, curiosity, activity is considered. Emphasis is placed on the specific features of the process of building research skills, indicating the factors that determine its effective implementation and the stages by which it is carried out. Research thinking and initiative are key to future development, and technology and entrepreneurship training is listed as the highest return investment. The table shows the implemented projects for a certain period and summarizes the students’ activities on the topic of the research. It is noted which areas of competence in the subject of Technologies and Entrepreneurship they refer to and what interdisciplinary connections are made during their implementation. Modern, innovative teaching methods are preferred to traditional teaching and it is recommended to use the project activity more often during the lesson in primary school. The importance of the formation of research skills from an early school age is emphasized because it leads to the well-rounded development of adolescents and their transformation into intelligent modern individuals, rapidly adapting to the conditions of a dynamically changing world.