PRACTICAL STATUS OF PREPARATION OF FUTURE BIOLOGY TEACHERS FOR ORGANIZING RESEARCH ACTIVITIES OF BASIC SECONDARY EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

Contemporary educational reforms, in particular the implementation of the New Ukrainian School (NUS) concept and the active development of STEM education in basic secondary schools, place fundamentally new and high demands on teachers' professional activities. At the heart of these transformations is the development of research competence, which is key to the successful adaptation of students in a rapidly changing world. In the context of NUS, research activity ceases to be just an educational element − it becomes a cross - cutting method for developing all key competencies. This is particularly important for biology teachers, as the STEM approach requires not only the acquisition but also the integration of knowledge and the transformation of natural sciences into practical projects and experimental research. Thus, there is an urgent need for comprehensive and practice - oriented training of teachers who are able to effectively organize students' research activities, transforming the learning process into an active search and discovery. The article examines the practical state of training future biology teachers (FBT) to organize research activities for students in basic secondary education. The relevance of the study is determined by the requirements of the NUS Concept and the development of STEM education, which define research competence as essential for the formation of a modern specialist. A review of the literature showed that, despite a solid theoretical basis and considerable interest in the formation of research skills, the complex problem of biology teachers' readiness to organize this activity has not been the subject of special study. The purpose of the article is to reveal the results of the analysis of the practical state of teacher training. The study was carried out within the framework of the ascertaining stage of a pedagogical experiment (2020 – 2021) using questionnaires, testing, and statistical analysis. The sample included students from several higher education institutions. The data obtained indicate a contradiction between modern requirements for teachers and the unsatisfactory practical state of their training. Most MUB (68.17%) feel the need for professional development through research activities, but do not know how to achieve this. Among the factors that affect readiness, ( 69.20% ) of respondents identified a lack of practical skills, and ( 61.59% ) mistakenly prioritize professional disciplines over methodological and psychological - pedagogical ones (33.56%) for the development of organizational skills. The findings confirm that the problem has not been adequately addressed and that MUB need practice - oriented training in research organization skills.