Date of Award
1-23-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
First Advisor
Michael Wesolek
Second Advisor
Bronwyn MacFarlane
Committee Members
Julie Milligan
Abstract
Science Olympiad is a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competition open to middle school and high school students across the United States. Students that participate in Science Olympiad have the opportunity to explore and learn about cutting edge STEM topics in an atmosphere that promotes teamwork and opportunities to challenge themselves as they compete against other schools. This quantitative correlational study examined the relationship between participation in the Science Olympiad program and the decision to pursue a STEM-related major in college. Prior Science Olympiad participants were asked about their participation in Science Olympiad in secondary school and their current college majors along with the perceived impact of Science Olympiad on their decisions to pursue their fields of study. Three significant findings from this study were recognized. First, individuals that participated in Science Olympiad while in secondary school were significantly more likely to pursue STEM majors in college. Second, the decision of Science Olympiad participants to pursue STEM majors was independent of their initial motivation to join Science Olympiad and the number of years that an individual participated in the program. Third, individuals that participated in the Science Olympiad program were more likely to indicate that the program had prepared them well for college.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Spiegel, Gregory Lee, "Relationship Between High School Science Olympiad Participation and Declaration of a College STEM Major" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1125.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1125
