Olympiad Studies: Competitions Provide Alternatives to Developing Talents That Serve National Interests

Competitions are used by many teachers at the grassroots level to develop the talents of their gifted students. Each year the top Mathematics, Chemistry, and Physics Olympiad students are identified and assembled into national teams that compete against teams from around the world. This article summarizes findings from the American Olympiad study. Our investigators analyzed data from 345 adult Olympians and found that 52% earned doctorates, and these individuals pursued careers in technical areas that benefit the nation. So far these Olympians have published 8,629 publications, and many of the Olympians have assumed positions in universities or research institutions that contribute to the productivity of the United States. Their success supports competitions as a viable alternative for developing the talents of the gifted.     

若干国际国内数学奥林匹克不等式问题的加强

加强若干国际国内数学奥林匹克不等式问题，对于数学竞赛的研究有一定的指导价值。     

奥林匹克数学研究与数学奥林匹克教育

数学奥林匹克教育已成为国际公认的教育活动，随着这种活动的发展，逐渐形成了一门特殊的数学学科--奥林匹克数学。奥林匹克数学是基础性的综合数学，是发展性的教育数学，是创造性的问题数学，是富挑战性的活数学。认识奥林匹克数学的体系特征，主要研究内容和问题特点；妥当确立数学奥林匹克教育的教学定位，把握其教学要求，科学实施其教学方略，可促使我国数学奥林匹克教育健康、有序的发展。     

一组新编拟的不等式

利用一般化与特殊化等数学思想方法,研究了初等数学研究方面的书籍与期刊及数学奥林匹克竞赛试题中的不等式,得到了6个新颖的不等式,并证明了新编拟的不等式,对竞赛及高考命题有重要参考价值。     

Quantum states of neutron in Earth’s gravitional field: A challenge from the 36th international physics olympaid

This article describes a challenging problem concerning a neutron under gravity that was posed as a theoretical problem in the 36th International Physics Olympiad held in Salamanca, Spain from July 3–12, 2005. The Olympiad marked India’s eighth foray into this exciting event where seventyfive nations participated. Our performance was a success and all five student members of the team secured medals which included two gold, two silver and one bronze medals.     

Persisting in Physics and the Physics Olympiad — Impact of Gender Identification and Sense of Belonging on Expectancy-Value Outcomes

The German Physics Olympiad is an extracurricular science contest for students. Here, they have the opportunity to compete against other talented students, can do physics outside of school, and take a first step to more engagement in the domain. Yet, female students participate in the competition in fewer numbers and are disproportionally more likely to drop out of the contest earlier than the male students.

The present study hence explored the question to which extent the German Physics Olympiad provides a threatening environment for female contestants’ intentions of persisting in physics. A total of 298 participants (28% female) were surveyed with respect to stereotype and social identity threat, as well as gender identification and sense of belonging as predictors of success expectations for and value of choosing to study physics. Success expectations and value of choosing to study physics were used as a measure for career intentions within the expectancy-value model.

The results support the conclusion that the contest presents an equally supporting environment for female and male participants. We found no gender differences in success expectations for and value of studying physics. Sense of belonging and gender identification significantly predicted success expectations but not value of choosing to study physics. Female participants in the German Physics Olympiad were also neither affected by stereotype threat nor by social identity threat in their sense of belonging or gender identification.

     

高中奥赛训练如何影响拔尖 奥赛选手的创新能力？ ——基于对22名拔尖奥赛选手的质性分析

拔尖奥赛选手被视为拔尖创新人才早期识别、选拔与培育的焦点群体，但当下的高中奥赛训练如何影响其创新能力的问题未能得到充分的实证考察。基于对2013—2019年间22名学科奥赛获奖选手的访谈分析，探讨了高中奥赛训练对拔尖奥赛选手创新能力的影响机制，自主提炼了“参赛动机-教学环境-学习行为”理论分析框架：在特定的高中奥赛教学环境中，怀抱不同参赛动机的拔尖奥赛选手在学习自主性、外出开放性、刷题灵活性等因素中如何分配注意力和选择学习行为，决定了高中奥赛训练对其创新能力发展的影响性质。     

日本《小学数学学习指导要领》内容结构的调整与变化

日本文部科学省于2008年3月28日公布了新的《小学数学学习指导要领》(简称《要领》),新《要领》的内容结构与日本现行的《要领》相比发生了较大的变化。分析《要领》基本框架和内容的调整特点,可对我国小学数学课程改革提供参考和借鉴。     

Motivational Characteristics in Mathematical Achievement: a study of gifted high‐achieving,gifted underachieving and non‐gifted pupils

The aim of this study was to examine whether motivational‐emotional variables such as intrinsic orientation toward schoolwork, Mathematics anxiety, academic self‐esteem, attribution of success and failure in Mathematics and situational interest in Mathematics could differentiate different groups of mathematically gifted pupils. The research was based, theoretically, on an interactional model of giftedness. The sample consisted of 147 selected primary school pupils (9‐10 years of age) who were assigned to the following groups for comparison: mathematically gifted achievers (n = 31), mathematically gifted under‐achievers (n = 31) and mathematically non‐gifted pupils (n = 85). The results of a discriminant analysis show that the gifted pupils differ from the non‐gifted ones in attaining higher levels of intrinsic orientation toward Mathematics, lower Mathematics anxiety, lower attribution of success to external factors and effort, as well as in lower attribution of failure to external factors and abilities. Also, gifted achievers have lower attribution of success to effort than gifted under‐achievers and non‐gifted pupils.     

Odd behaviour of the even integer 2

It is always of interest when one finds a property that is true only of some given object, or some given class of objects. For example, if n > 1 is an integer, then (n − 1)! + 1 is divisible by n just when n is a prime number. In this article we look at some properties that are true only for the integer 2. Shailesh Shirali has been at Rishi Valley School, Andhra Pradesh (Krishnamurti Foundation India) since the 1980’s. He has a deep interest in teaching and writing about mathematics at the high school/post school levels, with particular emphasis on problem solving and on historical aspects of the subject. He has been involved in the Mathematics Olympiad movement at the national and international level for the past two decades. He is the author of several expository books and articles aimed at interested high school students.     

An Exploratory Case Study of Olympiad Students’ Attitudes towards and Passion for Science

Much is known about high school students’ attitudes towards science but there is almost no research on what passion for science might look like and how it might be manifested. This exploratory case study took advantage of a unique group of highly gifted science students participating in the Australian Science Olympiad (N = 69) to explore their attitudes towards school science and science as presented in the Olympiad summer camp. In particular the role the summer camp might play in igniting the students’ passion for science was a focus of the research. Data were collected through a two-tiered survey of students’ attitudes towards school science, an evaluative survey of the Olympiad summer camp and in-depth interviews with six participants. Findings indicated that Olympiad students generally had positive attitudes towards school science with most selecting science as one of their favourite subjects. However, an underlying ambivalence about school science was noted in the data. In contrast, the Olympiad summer camp transformed students’ positive attitudes into passion for science. Seven themes emerged from the data providing a foundation for a model of what academic passion for science looks like.     

从新设学科“理数”看日本高中课程改革的新特点

2018年3月,日本颁布了新的《高中学习指导要领》,根据时代和社会的变化,针对日本学校教育以及探究性学习实施的现状,设置了一门新学科“理数”,包括“理数探究基础”和“理数探究”。其目的是使学生具有综合地把握事物现象,灵活地运用数学和理科的视角和思维方式进行探究、解决课题的能力。日本将不同学科进行融合,培养学生创造力;采取各种措施,提高探究性学习课程的实施效果;挖掘探究过程中的多种养分,提升学生的科学素养。这些课改特点给我们提供了重要启示。     

High School Students’ Perceptions of the Effects of International Science Olympiad on Their STEM Career Aspirations and Twenty-First Century Skill Development

Social cognitive theory guided the design of a survey to investigate high school students’ perceptions of factors affecting their career contemplations and beliefs regarding the influence of their participation in the international Science Olympiad on their subject interests and twenty-first century skills. In addition, gender differences in students’ choice of competition category were studied. Mixed methods analysis of survey returns from 172 Olympiad participants from 31 countries showed that students’ career aspirations were affected most by their teachers, personal interests, and parents, respectively. Students also indicated that they believed that their participation in the Olympiad reinforced their plan to choose a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) major at college and assisted them in developing and improving their twenty-first century skills. Furthermore, female students’ responses indicated that their project choices were less likely to be in the engineering category and more likely to be in the environment or energy categories. Findings are discussed in the light of increasing the awareness of the role and importance of Science Olympiads in STEM career choice and finding ways to attract more female students into engineering careers.     

Gender differences in mathematics and science competitions: A systematic review

Gendered patterns in mathematics and science interest emerge in early childhood, develop over time, and ultimately reflect advanced course selection in secondary education. During the crucial time adolescents become aware of their strengths and interests and specialize accordingly, they get the opportunity to participate in out-of-school learning programs such as mathematics and science competitions. This raises the question whether mathematics and science competitions contribute to gender equity by equally promoting female and male interests. In this article, we present a systematic review on gender differences and the mechanisms explaining success and failure in mathematics and science competitions. On an international level, we found large gender differences regarding participation in all Olympiads with the exception of the biology Olympiad. In fairs and national Olympiads, overall participation rates were not gendered as such, but females preferred biology topics whereas males preferred physics related topics. Male and female achievement in fairs was comparable, but males clearly outperformed female participants at the Olympiads, with the smallest differences in the biology Olympiad. Variables and theoretical frameworks explaining participation and achievement and the role of gender in mathematics and science competitions are discussed. We suggest that gender stereotypes, through their influence on self-concept and interest, play an important role in the mechanisms resulting in low female participation rates in and beyond mathematics and science competitions (especially in physics and chemistry). The mechanisms we found explaining female representation during a national selection competition might be considered as reflecting those in female mathematics or science careers and could thus serve as food for thought on countering the gender gap in mathematics and science.     

中日两国高中数学新课程目标的比较研究

日本和我国同属东方文化系统,文化背景相似,在数学教育方面有不少相似之处,而日本在东西合璧方面的经验特别值得我们学习.通过对我国2003年颁布的《普通高中数学课程标准》和日本文部省1999年颁布的《高中数学学习指导要领》的高中数学新课程目标的比较,我国应在以下几方面加以改进:(1)应加强数学活动;(2)要重视学生的个性化培养;(3)要培养学生运用数学思想方法的态度;(4)应把课程目标真正落到实处.     

实施"读、研、导"模式,加强师资队伍建设--数学系省级优秀课程《数学分析》教研室师资队伍建设的实践及经验

加强师资队伍建设是搞好重点课程建设的基础.近年来,我们数学系在加强省级重点课程<数学分析>的建设中狠抓师资队伍建设,通过实施"读、研、导"模式,提高了教师的教学水平和科研水平,取得丰硕的教学科研成果.     

Factors and conditions promoting academic resilience: a TIMSS-based analysis of five Asian education systems

It is well documented that academic achievement of students from families of low socioeconomic status (SES) tends to be below their more socially advantaged peers. Several studies have identified factors and conditions that facilitate academic success for disadvantaged students (i.e., promote academic resilience). However, one of the main criticisms of this body of research is in the set of variables that explain academic success for low-SES students and which is not very different from the variables that would explain academic success for all students. The objectives of this article are dual: firstly, to identify factors and conditions associated with academic success, regardless of student SES, and secondly, to identify factors and conditions associated with academic resilience, that is, exclusively for low-SES students. To this end, we used data from Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, and Japan in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011. The study sample covered 23,354 students in 720 schools in the five countries. The strategy for analysis was driven by fit of logistic regression models, first predicting the probability of academic success and then subsequent identification of variables significant as predictors for success within the pool of low-SES students. Results indicated that variables, such as positive student attitude to mathematics, teacher confidence in student performance and the test language being spoken at home, were associated with greater chances of academic success. High academic expectations and time spent on mathematics at home demonstrated a differential effect between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students in Singapore. In Korea, being male (gender) and in Taipei, low levels of bullying at school, increased the likelihood of resilience. Results suggested that interventions impacting behavior reflected in differentially associated variables could help disadvantaged students to become academically resilient.     

布伦戴奇与1936年奥运会

布伦戴奇与柏林奥运会有着不解之缘。一方面,布伦戴奇对“纳粹奥运会”的按时举办起了至关重要的作用,他充分利用自己在美国和国际体育界的地位和影响,赤膊上阵与抵制派进行激烈搏斗,促成了柏林奥运会的按时举办。另一方面,柏林奥运会是布伦戴奇政治生涯的转折点,他促成这场“几乎完美的奥运会”的举办的努力,得到了国际奥委会领导阶层的赏识,从而打开了通向国际奥运会最高权力阶梯的大门。同时,柏林奥运会将“体育与政治必须严格分开”的错误理念推向了极致,对奥林匹克运动造成了深远的影响。     

Children in care in education: Who is entered for exams and who reaches critical thresholds of success at age 16?

Being entered for exams and reaching key educational thresholds, for example 5 A* to C grades (including English and Mathematics) at GCSE, are important markers of participation and success in secondary education. However, little is known about the prevalence and make-up of children in care reaching these thresholds. Using secondary data analysis, we compared the proportions of children in care, children ‘in need’ and children in the general population who achieved four key thresholds, including exam entry and 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. We then focused on children in care and examined factors that predicted exam entry and achieving 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. Children receiving social care interventions were less likely than children in the general population to be entered for exams or to reach important educational thresholds. For children in care, several socio-demographic, care and educational factors predicted their likelihood of success. No children with an autistic spectrum disorder or who had ever been permanently excluded were recorded to have achieved 5 A* to C grades, including English and Mathematics. Children with poor attainment at Key Stage 2 were also at significant risk of not achieving this threshold. Practitioners and policymakers should consider the modifiable risk factors for poor educational performance and be aware of groups of children in care who are at significant risk of not achieving a minimum standard which could open doors for their future.