Features of the group work organization of primary school students by the tools of the Swiss-Ukrainian project DOCCU – the civic competences development in Ukraine

Abstract

The article outlines the features of using practical materials of European partners on the development of the democratic citizenship during the study of the integrated course in primary school. It is proved the importance of diversifying the content, forms and means of teaching of primary school students with the materials from the DOCCU project, which will contribute to the formation of key and subject competencies and cross-cutting skills. Group work is described as a leading form of organization of students' learning and the examples show the importance of its use in combination with the tools of the DOCCU project, which we understand as the content of lessons with a clear focus on civic education and guidelines for their use in education.The publication highlights the advantages of using group work in heterogeneous groups of 2nd grade students, when they master the skills of independent activity, take the position of a researcher, become equal participants in the educational process. At this age it is important to take into account young learners' psychological compatibility, preferences, potential opportunities of results achievement.The authors offer methodological ideas for organizing group work with second-graders on the example of an integrated course "I'm exploring the world". It is established that the exercises offered by the DOCCU project ("Europeans are different and equal", "My personal symbols", "All different, all equal", "Balloon races", "Differences") have a wide range of didactic opportunities for the formation of individual components of students' civic competence, such as: openness to cultural otherness, tolerance, cooperative skills, listening and observing skills. The formation of these qualities is enhanced by the clear content and guidelines for exercises that are aimed at group analysis of the obtained information, comprehensive interaction and discussions. The effect of performing exercises is enhanced by the following auxiliary methods and techniques: work with illustrations and in notebooks with a printed basis, verbal methods (explanation and dialogue), "Microphone" and others.