Possibilities for fulfilling the heuristic potential of research activities in history lessons

The article aims to substantiate the scheme of organisation of research activities in history lessons in the 5th grade. Research is one of the methods actively used in the learning process for the development of students. The specificity of history lies in the fact that it, as a humanitarian discipline, on the one hand, deals with the text and, on the other hand, acts as a sphere of human science, which creates preconditions for awakening the personal and social activity of students in the 5th grade through answers to essential questions: who am I? who are they? Students can get these answers in research activities. However, despite the developing capabilities of this method, it is not always possible to realise the inherent heuristic potential. Often, research does not contribute to students' understanding of their own life world through the prism of historical events and examples. In the article, the authors substantiate the possibility of heuristic potential realisation by the fact that the organisation of research activity takes into account the age and personal needs of students, such as the tendency to experiment, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, etc. Methods of research include 1) theoretical and phenomenological analysis of personal and age characteristics of students in the 5th grade. The main characteristics are revealed: interest in adventures, fantasising, creativity, critical understanding of information, group work, demonstration of success; 2) qualitative and quantitative analysis of students' ideas about the study and their own role in its conduct, being diagnostic for the teacher and motivating for students. The main results of the study were an increase in the involvement of students and development of teaching materials: author's conversation to identify the interests and ideas of fifth-graders about research activities; schemes of the organisation of research activities in history lessons, allowing students to realise their own interests, to comprehend their own life through the prism of historical events and historical examples. The scheme consists of several stages: the author's conversation, orienting students to opportunities and the need to choose the topic of the study, to develop their own plan of activities, to choose partners, to identify experts to evaluate their research; the author's tasks "Research as an Investigation of the Life World", based on the possible interweaving of the content of history as an academic discipline and the identified interests of students, which will allow students to link their life interests with the program of the subject under study. With this organisation, the research becomes emotional, which opens up the opportunity for students to learn and comprehend their experience.

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