Abstract
Student preferences towards teaching subjects are an important starting point for planning, preparation and structuring of teaching. Due to the dynamics of technological development, students' preferences become an indispensable factor in the operationalization of teaching in general technical (technology) education. In this respect, this research carried out to determine the structure of pupils' preferences towards technological contents and the differences in preferences with respect to the characteristic features of the sample. The study was conducted on a sample of primary school pupils (N = 699) at the age of 11 to 15 years. For the purposes of the research, a redesigned PATT questionnaire used, from which extracted the pupils' interests towards technological contents and types of activities. Characteristic features of the group were the age and gender of students. The research results point to the students' aspirations for intensifying practical work, exercises, and theoretical contents in teaching. It was found that students' interest in content significantly change during maturation, from designing in 5th grade to the robotics in 8th grade. The interests differ with respect to the sex of the pupils, whereby the girls are more prone to technical drawing, while boys prefer robotics, and wood and metal processing. The preferred structure emphasizes the necessity of adapting the teaching of the technical (technological) area according to the gender and age of the pupil, and indicative awareness of the pupils about the importance of practical activities for their own development.
