The primary goal of this study was to unveil the key features of research activity in the context of school education and identify the most significant barriers to it. This was to be achieved by conducting a structured survey of 174 teachers. Further interviewing of 10 teachers of the most successful schools in these terms intended to detail the characteristics of research activities in the considered educational institutions. The systematization and generalization of the collected results was the final stage of this analysis. The data obtained in the course of the investigation confirmed the idea that most students should take a special course on introduction to research from their first days at a university. In practice, the research results can be used in the implementation of STEM methods, scientific education, and the involvement of schoolchildren in research activities in the educational programs of most developing countries that have similar problems.   Keywords: entrepreneurial education; research activity; science education; soft skills; STEM; university preparation programs.