Abstract:

Recently, our organization has shown an increased need for graduates of secondary vocational schools with a technical focus. Also thanks to the reform movements that supported and strengthened the teaching of science subjects and placed more emphasis on the technical education of pupils in primary schools, the interest of pupils in technical education is declining (Pavelka et al. 2019). Through the subject of technology at primary school, students also meet the teaching unit World of Work, where they get acquainted with work activities and orient themselves in individual professions. Pupils acquire basic work skills and habits in the subject of technology, develop creative technical thinking, learn to work with various materials and aids. This allows them to properly assess their options when deciding on the choice of a suitable profession and vocational training. This helps them decide on the right choice of high school. Another condition for choosing a secondary school is also teaching by a qualified teacher and good material and technical support for teaching.

These facts are the conditions for the correct continuity of technical education in primary and secondary schools. This means that primary school pupils should be properly motivated and professionally prepared for further studies at a technical secondary school. Upon arrival at the secondary vocational school, they should have such knowledge and skills as are necessary for further successful studies at the secondary vocational school.

We carried out a survey on a sample of teachers of practical training at selected secondary vocational schools. Based on the results of the survey, we identified the basic knowledge and skills that students should have acquired when coming to secondary vocational school.

The article presents the results of research focused on the reasons why primary school students decided to go to study at a secondary vocational school with a technical focus.
The article presents the results of our research with a comparison of the results of research by other authors carried out in the last year in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The results describe in more detail the reasons why students decide when choosing a secondary school, which factors influence them the most and how much free time they spend in technical activities and housework. Based on their involvement in technical activities in their free time, their level of skill on arrival at high school is reflected. It can be an essential indicator of a student's level of skill. In connection with good preparation at primary school, the student comes to secondary school with sufficient skills needed to successfully manage studies at secondary school with a technical focus.

Keywords:

technical education,professional orientation,motivation,pupil