For the first time, in the Thesis the development of economic education at school in Ukraine has been analyzed and systematized within a holistic retrospective analysis in a certain chronological framework in the context of socio-political, economic, socio-cultural and pedagogical transformations; the essence of the basic concepts of research within the mentioned period is highlighted and clarified; the vectors of economic education development at school in Ukraine are described (economic knowledge, entrepreneurship education, the basics of consumer knowledge, financial literacy); the state of the problem and the historical and pedagogical prerequisites for the development of economic education at school in Ukraine are clarified; the stages of economic education development at school in Ukraine are identified and justified; the perspectives to use the acquired experience of economic education at school in modern conditions is updated and identified.
The following recommendations regarding the general approach to the introduction of economic education at school, in the institutions of secondary education in Ukraine have been identified: the role, status, content should be reflected in the educational standards and be within the curricula of secondary education; applicants for education, teachers and adults should understand the connection between the level of entrepreneurial competence formation, financial literacy and future opportunities for young people in the labor market, the development of their own life trajectory, the impact on a person’s life success and their quality of life in general are necessary to create conditions for the training, retraining and advanced training of teaching staff for the introduction (aimed at tasks accomplishment) of economic education at school (to develop and introduce the necessary programs, teaching and learning materials); the key is to use the potential of active, interactive methods and learning technologies that will contribute to the formation of economic knowledge for applicants. It is important to involve representatives of the community, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders, who have entrepreneurial experience in the broad sense of the term, in the education of applicants. In society the entrepreneurial competence is an important trait and quality of a modern person. Three levels to use the accumulated experience are determined: nationwide: development of the concept of school economic education; update of the curricula content, programs and textbooks in the economic-oriented subjects to work with applicants for education, taking into account modern changes in educational legislation, pedagogical theory and practice, and experience in development of economics at school in Ukraine at the end of the 20th - beginning of the 21st century; ensure that the content of education meets the needs and challenges of modern society, create conditions for the constant update of the educational content, turn education into an engine of the knowledge economy; ensure the integrity of economic education (coverage of economic knowledge at all levels of education); the restoration and revitalization of national and regional associations of teachers and teachers of economic subjects; introduction of uniform requirements to implement training and retraining of teachers of economics in institutions of higher and postgraduate pedagogical education); regional: active participation of teachers in the improvement of organization and modernization of the content of economic education at school at national level, taking into account regional characteristics and best practices; using the potential of active and interactive teaching methods that help students to get economic knowledge and skills and develop skills in the market economy; sectoral: creation of conditions for the effective training of lecturers and teachers of economic subjects at postgraduate courses in institutions of higher education (to develop and introduce educational and methodological support); involvement of community representatives, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders who have entrepreneurial experience in the broad sense of the term; carrying out educational work with applicants for education, teachers and parents to form the key competence “ entrepreneurship and financial literacy” with the further opportunities for young people to enter the labor market. The results and conclusions obtained in the process of scientific research can be used in the educational process in secondary schools, in higher educational institutions and institutions of postgraduate pedagogical education of Ukraine.
