TEACHING ASTRONOMY TO SCHOOLCHILDREN: PROBLEMS AND PROSPECT
Introduction. The paper presents an analysis of the current state of the school education system in Russia. It concentrates on the problem of teaching astronomy, as a subject that has been excluded from the compulsory school curriculum. The article touches upon various aspects, such as pros and cons of the potential return of the subject to school curriculum. The authors stress the urgency of astronomical education in the modern world. Methodology. The methodological basis of the study is the fundamental character of astronomy, which is the basic component of the scientific worldview, human culture and human society in general. The authors define the theory of activity and the theory of natural science education as the most important methodological foundations. The research is based on the concepts of continuous natural science education and upbringing at the comprehensive school. The research is based on the psychological and pedagogical theory of activity, the use of activity-oriented and personality-oriented approaches for the organization of education, systematic and modular approaches for the content selection and organization of the astronomical education process and enlightenment. Results. The paper demonstrates the main opportunities available for schoolchildren to obtain astronomy knowledge. The authors describe the experience of the Center for Intellectually Gifted Children at Kemerovo Administration, as well as the experience of Kemerovo State University in creating an astronomy club for senior pupils. The paper describes the structure of the course and the possible training tools. It gives some ideas about retraining physics and geography teachers for teaching the basics of astronomy as the subject which is gradually returning to the school curriculum; it indicates some directions of the educational programs' development. The authors emphasize the role of implementing various types of astronomical projects for schoolchildren in the context of continuous natural science education and the formation of quality contingent of future university students. Conclusion. Taking into consideration the worldwide success of astronomy, even if the subject is included in the compulsory national curriculum, the development of astronomy as a subject beyond the classroom is getting more and more relevant and significant as a tool of scientific and cultural worldview formation.