Organization of Project Activities of 5-6 Grade Students in Сomputer Science Lessons: Scientific and Theoretical Analysis

The study is devoted to the problem of scientific and theoretical analysis of the possibilities of the practical application of project activities for 5–6 grades students in Computer science lessons. The aim of the article is to justify the importance and relevance of the implementing educational projects by 5–6 grades students, solving research tasks, which should lead to the formation of comprehensive skills, information literacy and culture. Methods. To achieve the aim, the author used the following methods: analysis, synthesis of regulatory, legal, scientific and pedagogical sources, generalization. Results. The relevance of the problem of application of project technology in the study of the educational subject «Сomputer science» by students has been proven. The project method should be considered as a system of education, according to which students acquire knowledge and skills in the process of planning and performing gradually more complex practical tasks. The project-based learning environment is dominated by students' self-activity and activity. This pedagogical technology should be implemented in several stages and be cyclical in its implementation. At the same time, project activities should be carried out in several stages, which include: constructive, value-oriented and evaluative-reflective. Project technology should include: transformation of the student into the central figure of the educational process; the absence of reproductive learning with the simultaneous dominance of cognitive activity; independent acquisition and the possibility of applying the acquired knowledge; joint reasoning, discussion and research; respect for students, taking into account the integral personality of students; the presence of an important problem; creativity; structuring the content of the project; the presence of the final version. It is emphasized that the work on the educational project should involve free choice of the project by students and consideration of their interests, independence and problem solving, integration of knowledge, skills and abilities from other fields of science and technology, creativity, practical application of the acquired knowledge, and gaining individual experience. Сomputer science teachers should focus on the individual characteristics of students in grades 5–6, as youth of this age have differentiated, stable and effective cognitive interests. Accordingly, it is necessary to stimulate students' cognitive interest through activities that are practically oriented. In turn, this allows you to introduce students to a problematic situation that will affect their intelligence, will, emotions, feelings, desires and actions. Given these circumstances, a Computer science teacher should use such methods as brainstorming, analogies, modulation, and cataloging in project activities. The use of the brainstorming method leads to the activation of students' cognitive activity; the method of analogies deals with the formulation of hypotheses; modeling leads to independent construction of models, development of new notation systems, creation of ideal subject environments; cataloging helps to the compilation of stories in accordance with the questions posed by the teacher. Conclusions. It is noted that when organizing the project activity of students in grades 5–6, school teachers should take into account the mandatory application of the principle of continuity to the education of this age category pupils (the initial stage of implementation of the NUS Concept in primary school; project skills acquired by primary school pupils; available IT competencies; low level of independence); types of independent work, appropriate and adequate to the age characteristics of pupils; the presence of a learning problem in the organized project activity; personal and collective creativity; and the development of the project activity. The educational outcome of organizing project activities in Computer science lessons is the integration of theoretical and practical knowledge, search and research activities, the students’ orientation in the information space, the critical evaluation of information, the formation of skills to analyze, systematize, generalize the material obtained, the development of skills for cooperating and self-educating in the solving practical problems process.