Abstract
The article explores the didactic potential of active learning forms, particularly debates and business (role-playing) games, in studying the socio-political history of the Kazakh SSR during the 1960s–1970s. The relevance of the study stems from the need for higher education to transition from a reproductive model to a system-activity approach, which requires engaging students in independent analysis. The purpose of the work is to theoretically substantiate and practically test an innovative methodology for conducting seminar classes for a comprehensive analysis of the institutional and macroeconomic contradictions of Soviet management reforms. The main focus is on the period of economic councils (1957–1965) and the subsequent return to the sectoral dictate of ministries. The author has developed a unique set of didactic materials: a structured debate scenario for evaluating economic decentralization and a problem-oriented case for a business game built on local history material from the Semipalatinsk region. Modern digital tools (Kahoot online quizzes, Canva graphic editors, Padlet virtual boards) are seamlessly integrated into the educational process, contributing to visual data representation and prompt reflection. As a result of the study, it was convincingly proven that the use of active methods effectively stimulates the decentration process, developing students' stable skills in logical argumentation, critical comprehension of primary sources, and a culture of ethical polemics. It is concluded that the integration of historical-materialistic and system-activity approaches allows students to objectively evaluate deep cause-and-effect relationships between the economic basis and the political superstructure, significantly increasing the quality of professional training of future specialists.