METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPING STUDENT’S RESEARCH SKILLS WHEN TEACHING PHYSICS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

This article examines the development of school students’ research skills. The study aims to present a methodology for developing student’s research skills through a system of project-based and modeling tasks integrated into physics education.

This article describes the main structural elements of an approach aimed at developing student’s research skills, identified through an analysis of scientific and methodological works related to the research topic. These elements include students’ independent construction of knowledge, the organization of goal-oriented activities, the presence of a personally meaningful problem, the formulation of a primary research question, and the integration of the theory and practice.

The article examines the alignment between the “Nanosatellite construction” club program, introduced for students in grades 8 and 9 at Zhaniya Aubakirova’s author school and the school physics curriculum. In accordance with the program content, the article presents materials aimed at systematically developing students’ academic and research skills related to the orbital motion and attitude control system of a nanosatellite.

The conclusions are based on the teacher’s pedagogical observations and a qualitative analysis of the tasks completed by the students. Therefore, the findings are presented as descriptive results of the initial implementation rather than as conclusive quantitative evidence of the program’s effectiveness.

The qualitative observations indicate that project-based assignments increase student engagement, facilitate the connection between theoretical knowledge and practice, and develop research skills. The article formulates methodological principles for using project-based work as part of research assignments as a pedagogical tool for developing students’ research skills in physics teaching.