High school science fair: Positive and negative outcomes

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229237
• Publication Date: 2020-02-13T13:47:45Z
• Authors: Frederick Grinnell; Simon Dalley; Joan Reisch
• Keywords: Science and engineering

The goal of our ongoing research is to identify strengths and weaknesses high school level science fair improvements that can help educators make a more effective, inclusive equitable learning experience. In this paper, we confirm extend previous findings in several important ways. We added new questions anonymous voluntary surveys learn the extent which students had an interest or engineering careers if participation increased their engineering. And surveyed national rather than regional student group by incorporating survey into Scienteer online portal now used Texas some other states for registration, parental consent, project management. learned about ~60% 300 cohorts completing 2017 2018 said they were interested career engineering, participating About two-thirds required participate fair, requirement reduced frequency who interest. worst case, ~10% not engaged misconduct (i.e., plagiarism making up results). Students’ positive comments competition focused on incentive, whereas was non-competitive scientific process general. discuss context National Science Teaching Association guidance begin features practice consistent with sciences