DEVELOPMENT OF SOFT SKILLS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BASED ON THE ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING METHOD

Abstract

This study is devoted to the topical issue of developing soft skills in primary school students through the use of activity-based learning. The study was conducted at the First Gymnasium of Petropavlovsk, Republic of Kazakhstan, with the participation of 20 third-grade students. The novelty of the work lies in the comprehensive application of activity-based methods for the simultaneous development of communication skills, critical thinking, the ability to cooperate, and emotional intelligence in primary school children in the context of the Kazakhstani educational system. The methodological basis of the study was formed by the concepts of the activity approach in teaching, the theory of speech development by L.S. Vygotsky and A.A. Leontiev, as well as modern approaches to the formation of flexible competencies. The pedagogical experiment used role-playing games, project-based learning with an ethnocultural component, Think-Pair-Share methods, group projects, and interactive tasks. The results of the assessment showed a statistically significant increase in communication skills (from 35% to 75% of students with high and average levels), critical thinking (28% increase), teamwork skills (32% increase), and emotional regulation (24% increase). The structure of the study includes a theoretical analysis of the problem, a description of the experimental program, and a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results. The conclusions confirm the effectiveness of Activity-Based Learning as a pedagogical technology for developing soft skills, which meets the requirements of the updated educational content of the Republic of Kazakhstan and international educational standards.