Science Olympiad Research Articles

The National Science Olympiad and Its Impact on Improving the Quality of Education

The National Science Olympiad and Its Impact on Improving the Quality of Education

Pemanfaatan Youtube Dalam Mendukung Persiapan Olimpiade IPA Jenjang SMP

This community service aims to provide learning videos to all participants in the National Science Olympiad in Natural Sciences. This learning video is a free learning resource that can be accessed anytime and anywhere via the YouTube platform. These learning videos consist of 9 videos containing OSN Science grids and are collected into one playlist entitled KSN IPA (Fisika) SMP. The use of YouTube in supporting preparations for the science olympiads at junior high school level can be said to be effective by looking at the number of viewers, the number of likes and that no one gave a dislike. Ease of access and targeted material content can be something that attracts students participating in OSN. Even the comments column can also be used as a medium for discussion and correction of each material presented.

Prof. Muhsin Konuk met with students preparing for the Science Olympiad hosted by Üsküdar

Üsküdar University Vice Rector Prof. Muhsin Konuk met with students as part of the "İstanbul Science Olympiad Preparatory Camp" organized by the Science Olympics Institute of the Istanbul Provincial Directorate of National Educatio

Bimbingan Belajar Olimpiade Sains Nasional (OSN) Matematika Siswa di SMPN 3 Batusangkar

<p>The national mathematics science olympiads in junior high schools in the mathematics branch have an important role in the world of education by providing students with the ability to understand, apply and appreciate mathematical concepts in a scientific context. This includes developing a deeper understanding of mathematics, understanding of the scientific method, the ability to think logically, effective communication skills, and the ability to solve problems. This discussion details how the national science Olympiad helps students become individuals who are experts in mathematics and ready to play a role in science, technology and society.</p><p> </p>

Utilizing standardized test and certainty of response index (CRI): science olympiad preparation cases

This study focuses on Earth Science Olympiad prepation through assistance activities and utilizing a standardized test known as The Earth Science Standards Test. The assistance activities consisted of ten sessions, including pre-test, face-to-face learning, and post-test. Quantitative methods with a pre-test and post-test design were applied. The study evaluated the increase in students' scores using the N-Gain. Additionally, students were asked to indicate their level of confidence or Certainty of Response Index (CRI). Results revealed that the average pre-test score was low (46.03), suggesting that students' prior knowledge of Earth science was limited. However, after participating in the assistance activities, students demonstrated improvement, as evidenced by the average post-test score (69.29) and a moderate N-Gain score (0.41). Individual student improvements were also classified as moderate, except for one student (E). The study further analyzed the correlation between students' answers and their levels of confidence using either the Pearson test or Spearman's rho. Overall, a significant and strong correlation was observed (r = 0.628, ρ = 0.000). However, only students B, D, and F showed a significant relationship between their post-test scores and CRI. This indicates that the level of student confidence does not guarantee high scores on the test, although this pattern holds true for several students. In conclusion, format of the test used in Olympiad preparation plays a crucial role in students' performance. Further research are recommended to extend the use of standardized tests to assess students' understanding in various science learning and better understand and address factors impacting students' performance and confidence in science learning and olympiad.

Do Leadership Style and Work Culture Influence School Achievement?

This study explores differences in school achievement levels regarding leadership and work culture in public elementary schools in Pekanbaru. This study took a population of public elementary schools comprising achieving and non-achieving schools with 58 samples of teachers and staff. This study compares the achievements of elementary schools consisting of the National Student Art Contest Festival, the National Student Sports Olympiad, and the National Science Olympiad. The variables measured are moral leadership, change leadership, and work culture in schools using a questionnaire instrument, quantitative approach design survey type (Creswell & Creswell, 2018), and school achievement is used on documentation with comparative descriptive analysis. The results of the study found that moral leadership, change leadership, and work culture differed significantly Sig.(2-tailed) 0.0017, 0.027, and 0.015< 0.05 in of high-achieving schools and non-achieving. The analysis shows that the application of moral leadership, change leadership, and work culture in high-achieving schools is betterthan non-achieving schools. The implication is that schools need to apply moral leadership, change leadership and work culture properly.

40 Years of Inspiring Students to Explore STEM: What Has Science Olympiad Learned?

40 Years of Inspiring Students to Explore STEM: What Has Science Olympiad Learned?

THE TYPOLOGY OF TASKS OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN SOCIAL SCIENCE OLYMPIAD FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN BASED ON THE REQUIRED CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS

This article presents the typology of assignments of the All-Russian Social Science Olympiad for schoolchildren. The sample includes the tasks for the graduating classes, which were used at the regional and final stages of the Olympiad from 2009 to 2021. The analysis of task types was based on the skills described in the expert consensus report on critical thinking (The Delphi Report). The results of the analysis showed the importance of using critical thinking skills at different stages of the Olympiad. In conclusion, the author of the article presents a new type – a “logical and statistical” task – and its distinctive characteristics. It is argued that this typology of tasks and its connection with the skills of critical thinking emphasises the importance of developing critical thinking in preparation © Кахраман Гокмен, 2023 152 Научное мнение № 7–8 (2023) for the olympiads. This in turn will develop methods for designing tasks and more effective work with them in the future. Keywords: school olympiads, critical thinking, social sciences, gifted children, typology of tasks, argumentation skills

Purdue Northwest hosts the 2023 regional and Indiana state Science Olympiad competitions

Purdue University Northwest (PNW) welcomed 37 middle and high school Science Olympiad teams to its Hammond campus during the spring semester for STEM academic competitions on Feb. 11. The top six middle school and top seven high school teams at PNW’s regional qualified for the State Science Olympiad.

PENERAPAN JOB SAFETY ANALYSIS (JSA) DALAM MENGANALISA KESELAMATAN DAN KESEHATAN KERJA (K3) PADA PROYEK PEMBANGUNAN

In a development project there is Occupational Safety and Health (K3) both in planning, implementing and maintaining work. One of the efforts to reduce the risk and danger of work accidents is by applying safety management techniques, namely using Job Safety Analysis (JSA) to support safe and efficient work procedures. The purpose of this research is to analysis the implementation of Occupational Safety and Health (K3) implementation activities with the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) method. Collecting data in this study through the distribution of questionnaires, direct observations and interviews with contractors as service providers, construction management consultants, sub.contractors and foremen in the construction project of the Integrated Science Olympiad Laboratory of MAN 2 Kudus. Data analysis techniques using qualitative metods generally use tabulation of research characteristic through descriptive scales such as high, medium and low. The results of this research explain that the validity test of alla variables in proven valid, while for the reliability test all variables are proven to be reliable and the value of the Relative Interest Index (IKR) data obtained with the “important” factor. So it can be concluded that the efforts to control Occupational Health and Safety (K3) on the project can be applied and affect the project performance
 

Critical Thinking Characteristics of Female National Science Olympiad Participants in Solving Mathematics Problems

Critical Thinking Characteristics of Female National Science Olympiad Participants in Solving Mathematics Problems

Student Camps to Promote Scientific Vocations in STEM: The Quimi Camp Case

[Objective] From 1988 to 2018, high school students in Costa Rica had to pass a final exam to graduate from high school and be eligible for public university education. In this context, students had to choose a national science test from the areas of physics, chemistry, and biology. Historically, chemistry was the least chosen (4-6 %) of those sciences. On the other hand, there is a need -at the national level- to increase interest in careers related to STEM (Sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics). [Methodology] Under both premises, in 2016, the first national camp (called Quimi Camp) to promote scientific vocations was held to encourage high school students in Costa Rica to choose chemistry. Quimi Camp is an event supported by the OLCOQUIM National Chemistry Olympiad and the OLCOCI National Science Olympiad, which are in turn organized by the five Costa Rican State universities and the LANOTEC CENAT National Nanotechnology Laboratory at the National Center of High Technology, with the consent of the Ministry of Education (MEP) and the Ministry of Science, Innovation, Technology and Telecommunication (MICITT). The participating students made the final evaluation of this event. [Results] The results showed an excellent perception of the event regarding its organization and content. [Conclusions] Quimi Camp promoted students' vocation for science and engineering and positively influenced the selection of a University Career in STEM.

Integration of The Science Plus Senior High School Curriculum Baitul Qur’an Boarding School Sragen

This study explores the integration of the national curriculum and the Senior High School Program at Science Plus Baitul Qur'an Boarding School, aiming to develop an integrated system that emphasizes academics, religion, morals, responsibility, and other aspects. The research used qualitative descriptive methods, including observation, interviews, and documentation. The study found that the integration of the curriculum combines the K-13 character curriculum with the Science Plus Baitul Qur'an curriculum, including Physical Science, Life Science, and other programs such as tahfidz, language, and Turats study books. The integration occurs in the core curriculum, intra-curriculum, and extra-curriculum. However, the study identifies inhibiting factors for the integration, such as a lack of resources for religious studies, limited reference sources, and limited use of technology. Conversely, supporting factors include complete facilities, a favorable learning environment, guidance and training, science olympiad activities, and full support from the school and Islamic boarding schools. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the integration of the curriculum in a unique educational setting and highlights the importance of resources and support for successful integration

Collaborative partnership: helping adolescents to develop a STEM mindset

PurposeStudies have shown that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers remain to be one of the areas where there is considerable job growth (Lacey & Wright, 2009; National Science Board, 2010; Singh et al., 2002). However, in many rural regions, science teachers still find it challenging to motivate adolescents to develop an interest in these fields or pursue opportunities in STEM at their schools or in their communities. In exploring a distinctive way to motivate students from rural regions to develop and maintain a STEM mindset, the authors provided students opportunities to participate in programs within their communities to increase their interests in STEM. The authentic STEM learning experiences, “at no cost” for the high school students, helped them focus on cognitive and social abilities as they engaged in experiences developing identities as pre-STEM professionals. This paper reports on how the authors were able to develop research through the support of the professional development system at the university.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored the experiences of the high school students and parents as they engaged in the Science Olympiad events, community volunteering and mentoring projects over three years in the southeastern United States. A total of 50 high school students participated from the Science Olympiad team from ethnic backgrounds: Hispanic/Latino Americans (55%), African Americans (10%) and White Americans/Caucasians (35%) participated. The high school students and parents were asked to participate by completing required permissions and also completing pre- and post-surveys to help understand their reasons for participating in the activities. At the end of the semester, an interview was conducted with participants to better understand their experiences with working on the team and their STEM perspectives. Parents and guardians of the high school students were also asked to share their thoughts about their children participating in these activities through indirect conversations. The school partnership teacher, also Science Olympiad co-coach, invited high school students to participate in additional STEM activities throughout the school year through the university partnership.FindingsThe pre- and post-survey responses provided insight to researchers about the “lived experiences” of the students as they developed a STEM mindset. Analysis of data indicates students’ interests in STEM and working with youth increased as a result of the STEM opportunities. To help in increasing their interests, additional opportunities are needed for these youth to engage in STEM tasks and mentoring. The professional development system (PDS) creates the space for these opportunities to take place, leading to new knowledge for learning and “boundary-spanning roles” for school-university faculty to discover and experiment new ideas that “transcend institutional settings” (National Association for Professional Development Schools, 2021).Research limitations/implicationsAdditional research is needed in helping high school students develop a STEM mindset as they participate in volunteer STEM experiences. The survey tools should be revised to address the specific STEM activities that the students participate in during the year. In addition to feedback from the youth and parents using focus group interviews or other defined survey instruments.Practical implicationsThe school-university partners continue to explore the successes and challenges of the collaborative effort. Disruptions in the collaborative effort such as school closures due to severe weather and the pandemic have resulted in cancellations of STEM opportunities for high school students. Despite challenges, this collaborative effort continues with an additional focus on STEM learning.Social implicationsSuggested research may involve investigating parental involvement strategies that increase the likelihood of actual high school student attendance during out-of-school time activities, such as community STEM fairs, competitions and summer STEM camps. Use of focus group interviews provided students setting to talk freely.Originality/valueThrough a new initiative established by the PDS at the university, “PDS Master Teachers,” the school-university faculty were invited to participate and engage in purposeful, intentional professional learning and leading to enhance the quality of the experiences for teacher candidates (Professional Development System, Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2022). This innovative program inspired the school-university faculty to reflect on practice and create new approaches to expand STEM learning in the school and community. Through this collaborative effort, the following National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Nine Essentials were addressed: Essential 2: Clinical Preparation; Essential 3: Professional Learning and Leading; Essential 4: Reflection and Innovation; Essential 5: Research and Results; and Essential 8: Boundary-Spanning Roles (National Association for Professional Development Schools, 2021). The University’s PDS comprehensive approach to professional learning and its dedication to providing a space for all to engage in reflective practices for professional growth provided the required support for this project.

Preferensi Sumber Informasi dalam Persiapan Olimpiade Sains Nasional Pada Kalangan Siswa SMA di Kota Surabaya

The preference of information sources in preparation for the National Science Olympiad among high school students in the city of Surabaya, has the aim of explaining and knowing how the preferences or selection of information sources among high school students are to prepare themselves to confront OSN. The number of sources of information widespread among high school students will lead to a choice of information sources that can later be used as references by students to meet academic needs and for the needs of the National Science Olympiad (OSN). The ability of students to access and obtain information sources effectively can be a provision that must be mastered by students in selecting information sources. That way, students will get sources of information according to their needs in preparing for OSN. This research uses descriptive quantitative research methods and purposive sampling. The data collection method was taken from questionnaires and secondary data. This study analyzes the selection of printed and non-printed sources of information and the factors behind respondents choosing information sources. The results obtained from this research are that students tend to have multiple preferences, it can be proven by as many as 49% of respondents choosing to use both sources of information (printed and non-printed), this shows different results from previous research and uses as the theory of this research proposed by Jhon Steppen B. Arenas, et al. .al. (2018) The factors behind the choice of information sources available by students are due to the availability of collections in locations where students make choices, and also the convenience provided when selecting information sources, both printed and non-printed sources of information to prepare for the National Science Olympiad ( OSN). The selection of information sources is also inseparable from the important role of the library, as a location to find sources of information that can support OSN preparation.

Peningkatan Kompetensi Profesional MGMP Kimia Kabupaten Pasaman Sebagai Pembina Siswa Menghadapi Olimpiade Sains Nasional (OSN)

IMPROVİNG THE PROFESSİONAL COMPETENCE OF MGMP CHEMİSTRY İN PASAMAN REGENCY AS STUDENT COACHES FACİNG THE NATİONAL SCİENCE OLYMPİAD (OSN). Teacher training for National Science Olympiad (OSN) coaches is carried out as an effort to improve the professional competence of the Pasaman Regency Chemistry MGMP to prepare students to take part in competitions at the district and provincial levels. The ability of teachers prior to participating in the training was identified using pre-tests originating from OSN questions for the last five years. The training was carried out through analysis of OSN-K (City/District Level) and OSN-P (Provincial Level) questions for the last 5 years in 5 groups, and each group made written discussions which were compiled into modules that could be used by the trainees to prepare students in their respective schools. After that, discussions on HOTS questions in the fields of Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Biochemistry were given by the resource persons. At the end of the activity, a final test is given to see the effectiveness of the training. The results of the pre-test and post-test showed an increase in participants' understanding of 23.51. In addition, the response to the activity evaluation questionnaire obtained an average questionnaire of 3.47 (scale 4), which means that the training is in the good category.

PENERAPAN MODEL PROBLEM BASED LEARNING DALAM PENDAMPINGAN OLIMPIADE SAINS NASIONAL BIDANG EKONOMI DI SMAK KESUMA MATARAM

The National Science Olympiad in Economics is one of the competitions held every year for senior high school students, especially at SMAK Kesuma Mataram. Students need to well prepare to take part in this olympics. In the national science olympiad, students learn to be able to analyze and solve problems. Therefore, mentoring activity for the national science olympiad in Economics are needed. This activity aims to student to have new experiences on how to study well and finally be able to analyze and solve the National Science Olympiad in Economics. This mentoring activity applies a problem-based learning model. The results of this mentoring activity show that students can have new experiences about how to learn well. This is indicated by students having motivation to first read the material that has been delivered even though there is material that has not been understood. Second, there is a change in students' perceptions of accounting for better. At first, most of students had the perception that accounting material was difficult, especially they had never received accounting material. However, after the implementation of mentoring, most students found it easier to understand Accounting material. In addition, after participating in this mentoring activity, students can analyze and solve National Science Olympiad in Economics cases in Economics. One of the indicators is 3 (60%) students out of 5 students who participated in this mentoring activity passed National Science Olympiad in regency level. The number of students from SMAK Kesuma Mataram who passed National Science Olympiad in regency level also increased from the previous year, from 2 students to 3 students. Keywords: Problem Based Learning, National Science Olympiad, Economic, Accounting.

Acceleration of software execution time for operations involving sequences or matrices

The article describes three methods for lowering program runtime that are solutions to computer science Olympiad problems involving sequences or matrices. The first method relies on the representation of some sequences as matrices, after which the program for calculating the sequence's members will have asymptotics equivalent to the exponentiation algorithm's time complexity and be O(log (n)). The second strategy is to improve the existing code in order to significantly shorten program runtime. For scientists who create code for scientific inquiries and deal with matrix multiplication operations, understanding this approach is crucial. The author's challenge is presented and solved using the third strategy, which is based on minimizing temporal complexity by looking for regularities.

O uso de situações didáticas Olímpicas (SDO) no ensino de Cinemática: uma proposta pedagógica para o componente de Física

In this article, we propose the use of Olympic didactic situations (SDO), such as those used in the National Science Olympiad (ONC), Brazilian Science Olympiad (OBC), among others, as an alternative for teaching kinematics, in the component of Physics, in Basic Education. Reflecting on the need to work with kinematics in a more attractive and challenging way, which arouses the interest of students. Questions from Brazilian Olympics tests were analyzed and those about kinematics were selected. They were resolved, trying to meet the most didactic way to be carried out with the students. We observed that there is a scarcity of works that report the use of SDO in Physics teaching. However, we believe that it is possible to associate Olympic problems with teaching the Physics component and especially kinematics. Thus, we propose the use of this pedagogical approach to make learning more attractive for students, given that these competitions are gaining more and more strength in the educational field, offering great opportunities for students who stand out.

An Exploratory Study Explaining the Causes of Success in Science Olympiads: A Multilevel Analysis with Different Units

An Exploratory Study Explaining the Causes of Success in Science Olympiads: A Multilevel Analysis with Different Units