Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of preparing primary school teachers for the development and conduct of a research lesson. The importance of the formation of research skills of primary school students in accordance with the third generation of the Federal State Educational Standards is substantiated. The structure of the research lesson, as well as the algorithm for its construction, is presented. The article reveals the concepts of “research”, “research activities”, “research skills”, as well as the components of basic research activities of primary school students. The purpose of the study was to identify the level of formation of skills of 3d‒4th year students in the direction of training 44.03.05 Primary education and computer science in the field of preparing and conducting a research lesson. In the course of the study, such methods as testing and solving professional problems were used. The analysis of the diagnostic results was carried out taking into account the fact that 4th year students were familiar with the research lesson, its specifics, structure and methods of organizing the work of schoolchildren within the disciplines “Methods of teaching literary reading in primary school” and “Methods of teaching the Russian language in primary school”. Fourth-year students also completed assignments for the development of a research lesson with its subsequent demonstration at a practical lesson in the discipline. Similar preparatory work was carried out with 3rd, 4th year students who participated in the Young Professionals Championship (WorldSkills Russia), including within the framework of the discipline “Methods of teaching mathematics in primary school”. The rest of the 3rd and 4th year students did not undergo this training. A comparative analysis of the results of the tasks performed by the subjects in the context of cognitive, reflexive-evaluative and activity components of the readiness of future teachers to organize research work of junior schoolchildren was carried out. The significance of the participation of future teachers in the WorldSkills Russia (“Young Professionals”) championship in the competence “Teaching in junior grades” is substantiated, which positively influenced the results of preparing and conducting a research lesson, in particular, from the standpoint of the activity component. The authors of the article formulated recommendations on the theoretical and practical preparation of future primary school teachers for the development and implementation of a research lesson.