The scientific novelty of the thesis is as follows: for the first time, a system of professional training for future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils, which integrates educational, extracurricular (research-oriented, educational, practical, self-educational) components of the educational process interacting within the innovative environment of higher education institutions has been developed; the concept and the model of the system of preparing future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities of younger pupils, which includes such sub-systems as methods and goals (aim, objectives, methodological approaches, principles of training), content and procedures, monitoring and results (criteria, indicators and levels of readiness) have been, respectively, theoretically justified and developed. The thesis determines pedagogical conditions for effective professional training of primary school teachers to the specified pedagogical activity. They are as follows: boosting students’ positive motivation to organize leisure activities for younger pupils during their higher education study; improving the content of professional training to organize leisure activities in primary school; using interactive and integrated artistic-pedagogical technologies in professional training of future primary school teachers to organize leisure for younger pupils; integrating management and self-management of the actors in the system of preparing future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for pupils.
The thesis clarifies such concepts as “leisure activities of younger pupils”, “organization of leisure activities for younger pupils”, “preparation of primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils”, “readiness of primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils”, “creative primary school”, “system of preparing future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils”.
It is important to note that theoretical provisions on professional training of future primary school teachers, content characteristics of leisure activities in school, methodological approaches, general didactic and specific principles of preparing future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils have been further developed.
Professional training of future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for primary school pupils is presented as a purposeful process of mastering general, professional and subject-specific competences required for productive organization of leisure activities in primary school.
Such training should result in high levels of readiness of future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils. In turn, the specified readiness acts as an integral axiological-personal quality that ensures professional development of student’s personality through a conscious harmonious combination of competences to organize leisure activities for younger pupils. Besides, it promotes successful communication during collective activities based on conscious moral and ethical norms and beliefs. Finally, it covers the capacity for continuing professional development and self-expression concerning primary school pupils as the actors in leisure activities.
The analysis of leisure activities organization in primary school shows that it is a controlled, purposeful, two-way interaction between teachers, parents and other actors in leisure activities in terms of developing their values-based attitude towards such activities.
The structure of leisure activities organization in primary school includes the aim, actors, content, interaction, forms, methods, results, adjustment of results and reflection of actors in leisure activities. The main functions of leisure activities are the following: recreational, hedonistic, cognitive, developmental (self-knowledge and self-realization), axiological, communicative, social, educational, compensatory-psychotherapeutic and creative.
The thesis justifies the concept of the system for preparing future primary school teachers to organize leisure activities for younger pupils. The concept relies on the leading ideas of pedagogical theory and practice, which act as the priorities in younger pupils’ activities. The main idea of the concept is defined as a systematic, holistic, dynamic and dialectical process of developing future primary school teachers’ general, professional and subject-specific competencies needed to perform multifunctional professional tasks in primary school and, in particular, organize leisure activities for younger pupils.
