Results of International Olympiads as a Reflection of World Trends in Working with Gifted Youth

Abstract

The world has accumulated considerable experience in
working with gifted youth. Due to the absence of a single
coordination center and uniform generally recognized rules
for holding international student Olympiads, the accumulated
experience is not systematized and generalized.
Based on the analysis carried out, we have systematized
and generalized the material and highlighted modern trends
in the development of forms, directions and methods of work
with gifted youth, in particular, in the field of international
student Olympiads.
We distinguish two approaches to the formation of the
composition of teams participating in international student
Olympiads:
1) implementation of mass systematic work with gifted
youth on a national scale + careful selection of the most
capable according to the results of the system of multi-stage
state competitions + targeted training of the best;
2) implementation of a targeted preliminary selection,
the invitation of the “chosen ones”, the formation of an
elite circle of people with whom intensive narrowly focused
training is carried out.
Modern trends characterizing the state and directions of
development of work with gifted youth:
– leading positions according to the results of international
student Olympiads are taken mainly by teams from Asian
countries;
– the general level of performance of tasks of international
student olympiads over the years is slightly decreasing, the
share of unfulfilled tasks is growing;
– the role and effectiveness of purposeful preparation for
the competition as a means of achieving the goal is growing;
– international Olympiads (in mathematics, physics,
chemistry, astronomy, geography) do not use test items (they
are partially in the Olympiad in biology). This fact indicates
that the test approach to assessing certain abilities of a very
high level, as a rule, is unsuitable;
– at the Olympiads, there is an actual shift in substantive
emphasis towards theoretical approaches as the basis for
research;
– practical rounds of the Olympiads are more and more
focused on information technology and the use of software,
moving away from the “classic” laboratory research;
– the formalization and “commercialization” of
international Olympiads is growing, although so far all of
them function as public and not professional or commercial
organizations.