Study Links Student Communication Skills to Science Fair Success
A national survey of 1,789 high school students found that using more communication and presentation skills during Science and Engineering Fairs (SEFs) was associated with better outcomes, with research notebook use showing the strongest individual association. The study, conducted across the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years, examined seven skills ranging from literature reviews to judge interviews. The findings highlight a potential gap between the communication practices students most commonly use and those most strongly tied to scientific inquiry.
Researchers surveyed 1,789 high school students participating in Science and Engineering Fairs (SEFs) during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 academic years to characterize their communication and presentation practices. Students were asked which of seven skills they used, including literature review, research notebook, data software, written report, poster board preparation, PowerPoint presentation, and judge interviews. Poster board preparation was the most commonly reported skill (67.6%), while literature review was the least common (17.3%), and students used an average of three skills overall. Poster board preparation and judge interviews were selected more than twice as frequently as literature reviews and research notebooks. Students who used a greater number of skills reported more positive SEF outcomes, and among individual skills, research notebook use had the strongest association with those outcomes. The authors discuss implications for how science fair experiences can better align with the Science and Engineering Practices outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), particularly around inquiry-based communication.
What's missing
The study is a preprint and has not yet undergone peer review. The survey was voluntary and anonymous, raising potential self-selection bias concerns. The study does not define or operationalize 'positive SEF outcomes,' making it difficult to assess the strength or meaning of the reported associations. Causal direction is unclear — students who are more engaged may both use more skills and achieve better outcomes, rather than skill use driving outcomes. The sample's demographic composition and geographic representativeness are not described in the abstract, limiting generalizability.
What different sources said
- bioRxivCenter
High school science fair: Characterizing student communication and presentation practices and their association with SEF outcomes
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