STUDENTS’ RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN HISTORY LESSONS: STATE, CHALLENGES, AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

The article is devoted to analyzing the practice of organizing research activities in the process of teaching history in general secondary education institutions. To establish the actual state of using the research approach in history lessons, the authors conducted an online survey of history teachers, covering educators from various regions of Ukraine. The analysis of teachers' responses provided grounds to assert that the vast majority of teachers positively evaluate research activities as a means of enhancing students' motivation and cognitive independence, as well as developing their key competencies. However, as the survey results indicate, the application of the research approach in history lessons remains sporadic, with teachers primarily focusing on developing students' analytical skills while paying less attention to fostering creative abilities and social skills.

The survey data enabled the authors to identify the main factors hindering the implementation of research activities in the history teaching process: overloading of curricula with factual material, insufficient class hours, a lack of adapted historical sources, large class sizes, and the absence of clear methodological guidelines and assessment criteria. According to the authors, addressing these identified issues requires the introduction of a set of measures, which are thoroughly described in the article’s recommendations. These include optimizing curricula by allocating time for research, developing and disseminating specialized methodological materials and digital resources, establishing transparent criteria for evaluating research work, and organizing relevant teacher training. The article outlines prospects for further research related to developing a methodology for using digital tools/resources in students’ historical research activities and creating criteria for assessing research papers and projects.