Using voluntary and anonymous surveys, we have collected answers from more than 700 high school students about the types and sources of help they received with their science and engineering fair projects, the obstacles they encountered, the strategies they used to overcome obstacles, and the impact of science fairs on their interest in science and…

Science competitions have continuing relevance for schools. The aim of the German youth science fair "Jugend forscht" is to encourage scientific thinking and inquiry methods such as experimentation. Three concrete examples of participating projects are given. We summarise the current state of research related to science competitions,…

Experiments are essential for both doing science and learning science. The aim of the German youth science fair, "Jugend forscht," is to encourage scientific thinking and inquiry methods such as experimentation. Based on 57 interviews with participants of the competition, this study summarises students' conceptions and steps of learning…

Although anxiety is a significant emotional element of formal school science, little is known about how anxiety is originated and managed in the context of science fairs. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how a group of students in Grades 7 to 12 discursively (re)produce anxiety and its management from the perspective of their…

The purpose of this study was to explore the motivation of a group of township learners who participated in a science fair known as Expo, by using phenomenography to explore their conceptions and experiences of Expo. The data comprised paragraphs written by the learners before the regional Expo and focus group interviews conducted afterwards. The…

In this article, the authors reflect on whether the competitiveness of science fairs does anything to enhance the learning environment of schools. The authors narrate how a visit to a local school's gymnasium to witness one of these gala events reminded them of why they so dislike science fairs. The authors mention that they applaud any sincere…

A study was conducted to determine whether their were significant differences in effects of outside facilities and resources of winners (n=69) versus nonwinners (n=169) in high school science fairs in the state of Mississippi. Results indicate that access to a university and resource dollars positively enhances chances of winning. (MDH)

This document was developed with the intention of increasing California public school students' awareness of and participation in science-related enrichment activities. Some of the activities are intended for participation by individuals, while others are meant for teams of students. These annual events are listed in chronological order for a…