Nadezhda A. Nestereva

The relevance of the research problem is determined by the contradiction between the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard of Primary General Education for achieving meta-subject results, including acquiring research skills and critical thinking abilities, and the insufficient development of pedagogical technologies that ensure the achievement of these results in unity, particularly based on the material of ethnocultural traditions of the Yakut people and other regions of the Russian Federation. The aim of the article is to present theoretical substantiation, diagnostic tools (including detailed diagnostic tasks) and pedagogical technology for the development of critical thinking as a meta-subject result of the research skills development in primary school students based on the material of the ethnocultural traditions of the Yakut people. The leading method of the research was a pedagogical experiment implemented on the basis of the Sylanskaya Secondary School named after Professor G.P. Basharin and the Arylakhskaya Secondary School named after T.M. Kazhenkin of the Churapchinsky ulus of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) with the participation of students in grades 3–4 (experimental and control groups). Diagnostics was carried out on the basis of the author's original criteria map developed in accordance with the structural model of critical thinking by I.V. Suslonova and S.V. Savinova. Main results: the initial levels of critical thinking formation in primary school students were identified; a step-by-step technology for the development of critical thinking in the process of research activity based on the material of the Yakut ethnocultural traditions (folklore, decorative and applied arts, folk calendar, rituals) was developed and tested; statistically significant positive dynamics in the experimental group compared to the control group was proved. The theoretical significance of the article lies in clarifying the structure of critical thinking in relation to primary school age and substantiating the didactic potential of ethnocultural traditions (including the traditions of the Yakut people) as a content resource for the development of meta-subject cognitive skills. The practical significance is determined by the possibility of using the developed diagnostic materials and technological solutions in the practice of primary school teachers, including in educational organizations with an ethnocultural component of educational content.

The development of research skills in primary school students is a task that requires a comprehensive approach and involves creating favorable pedagogical conditions. An important aspect of establishing such conditions is the use of the pedagogical potential of ethnocultural traditions, which enriches the educational process, making it more diverse and engaging for children. The aim of this study was to examine the pedagogical conditions for developing research skills in primary school students through the pedagogical potential of ethnocultural traditions, which serve as a rich source of knowledge, skills, and values. In the course of the research, the following tasks were addressed: identifying and describing the pedagogical conditions that facilitate the effective development of research skills in primary school students; determining the means of the pedagogical potential of ethnocultural traditions for the development of research skills; and conducting an experimental study to assess the effectiveness of applying ethnocultural traditions to the educational process. Based on an analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature, the identified pedagogical conditions contributing to the development of research skills in primary school students laid the groundwork for organizing and conducting experimental work. The research methods included M.V. Matyukhina’s test “Study of the Motivational Sphere of Primary School Students for Research Activity” and the methodology for assessing the practical readiness of these students for research activities worked out by N.N. Sandalova. The latter methodology represents a comprehensive approach aimed at determining the level of research skills development in primary school students. During the experiment, innovative techniques that integrate ethnocultural traditions into the educational process were developed and tested. The results of the study showed that the use of the pedagogical potential of ethnocultural traditions helped to increase motivation for research activities, developed creative potential, and fostered the development of research skills in primary school students. The theoretical significance of the study lies in defining pedagogical conditions in the context of ethnocultural traditions. Its practical significance stems from the fact that the proposed methods of integrating ethnocultural traditions can be implemented in the educational process to enhance its effectiveness.