TECHNOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN PRIMARY SCHOOL: CHALLENGES AND WAYS OF TEACHER’S TRAINING

The article examines the theoretical and practical aspects of preparation of future primary school teachers for technological education. It is noted that technological education plays an important role in formation of the key competencies of young learners, particularly constructive, creative, logical, research, and spatial skills. It is emphasized that the modern school requires a teacher capable for organizing the educational process using a variety of materials, tools, and innovative methods, integrating technological activities into the content of academic subjects. In this context, the training of future teachers should include the purposeful development of professional competencies, as well as technological, communicative, research-project, and organizational-pedagogical readiness. The key challenges that complicate the effective acquisition of technological education by students of pedagogical specialties are analyzed. These include limited material and technical resources in universities, insufficient practice-oriented training sessions, fragmented research and project preparation, the need for integration of technological education with other academic disciplines, and the insufficient mastery of digital tools and STEM/STEAM approaches. It is emphasized that overcoming these challenges is essential for preparation of a teacher capable of ensuring the creative activity of young learners, organizing a productive environment for practical interaction, and implementing a learner-centered approach. The analysis of contemporary scientific works allowed identifying the main trends in the development of technological education and the directions for improving teachers’ professional training. The increasing role of integrated and project-based learning, the strengthening of the practical component, the usage of digital platforms and design software, the application of design thinking, and the implementation of interdisciplinary tasks combining technologies with science, mathematics, and arts are highlighted. Particular attention is paid to the role of creative, logical, spatial, and algorithmic thinking in the professional training of future teachers, as these components determine the teacher’s ability to design effective technological tasks, manage students’ creative processes, and support the development of their practical competence.