RESEARCH ACTIVITY OF SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS IN THE PROCESS OF STUDYING CHEMISTRY

The theoretical-methodological and methodical aspects of the research study and the peculiarities of the organization of research activities of pupils at secondary education institutions were analyzed. An ascertaining experiment was conducted to check the effectiveness of conducting research activities of students of secondary education in the process of studying chemistry. An anonymous survey of 100 pupils of 7‒10 classes of Yuriy Verbytskyi secondary school No. 27 of Lviv, and 12 teachers of secondary education institutions of Halytskyi district of Lviv was performed. The results of this experiment were analyzed and summarized: 70.3 % of pupils noticed that they consider chemistry as interesting experimental science and like to make investigations; 66 % realize the importance of chemical experiments in studying the properties of substances, however, for 20.1 % of pupils is difficult to predict the way of chemical reactions based on the properties of substances; 21.6 % of respondents cannot justify the relationship between the structure and properties of substances; 53.2 % of pupils can predict the application of substances by their properties. As evidenced by the survey results, 60 % of pupils perform creative (research) tasks during chemistry lessons, 65 % conduct experiments at home, 57 % take part in educational projects, and 52.3 % carry out search and analysis of information using internet resources. To promote the research activity of pupils in chemistry 78 % of teachers use project method, 58 % ‒ individual forms of work, 56 % ‒ work with information resources, 25 % ‒ group work. 41 % of teachers believe that the development of pupils’ research skills causes sustained interest in the subject study, 25 % are sure that it develops students analytical and critical thinking, 17 % think that it contributes to the comprehensive development of the personality and to the improvement and maximum use of their creative abilities.