LEVEL OF TECHNICAL SKILLS IN PRIMARY STUDENTS

The development of manual skills is directly related to technical education, everyday activities as well as graphomotorics. Our assumption is that the reduction of hourly grants in the subject of technical education since 2009 has resulted in decrease in students´ technical skills. This is the key basis of our research aimed at determination of primary students´ technical skills when operating various technical materials. By means of analysis and observation of pupils’ work, we have examined skills related to cutting, folding and modelling which are essential in the development of fine motoric skills which are according to the national educational programme amongst basic performance standards. This article presents the results of primary research joined by 50 students of 3rd and 4th grade of primary schools in Slovakia. The results show that students have difficulties properly operating work equipment and show poor skills and convulsive performance. It is therefore necessary to pay more attention to this matter and enable pupils a continuous acquisition and development of these skills from a societal point of view as well.