Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the views of international Science Olympiad participants on the benefits of the competition and the factors that affected their career aspirations. We also investigated how students’ choice of competition category varied with respect to gender. The sample included 273 International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering, and Environment Project (I-SWEEEP) participants from 39 countries. Mixed-methods were used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics and t-statistics were provided to answer the first question. As a means of addressing the second question, a chi-square test was utilized to examine how participants’ category selection differed by gender. Qualitative analysis was used to reveal the types of benefits students reaped from participation in the I-SWEEEP. Results indicated that students were most affected by their teachers, parents, and personal interests. Although the relationship between gender and competition category was not statistically significant, there nevertheless emerged a pattern showing that girls preferred environmental science projects (45.5%) to engineering projects (24.4%). Qualitative analyses revealed six themes as benefits that students gained from participation in the I-SWEEEP. The relationship among the fundamental themes was also examined and revealed important findings. The results have educational implications for helping students accomplish to be science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals in the future.
Highlights
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been a hot topic in the field of education for a number of years
Results from this study revealed that students with higher SAT mathematics scores were more likely to follow STEM-related majors in their college years, and students who were involved in advanced placement (AP) courses were more likely to pursue STEM-related majors than students who did not take AP courses
The first five questions on the survey requested demographic information about the 273 individual I-SWEEEP participants contacted by email with a request to respond to the survey
Summary
Technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has been a hot topic in the field of education for a number of years. It is believed that STEM is vital for the economic future of many nations. Countries that choice to invest in STEM education will benefit economically and socially. Some countries are aware of the importance of a quality STEM education and concerned that current curricula and pedagogical methods in STEM-related subjects failed to engage students adequately. One of those countries is United States of America, a country once considered an indisputable leader in science and technology. United States’ concerns are shared by a number of other industrialized nations such as the United Kingdom and Australia as well (e.g., Archer et al, 2012; Tytler, Osborne, Williams, Tytler, & Cripps Clark, 2008)
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