High School Science Fairs: Post-highschool student opinions regarding whether competitive and non-competitive fairs should be optional or required

Science fairs have been integral to science education, offering students experiential learning and promoting scientific inquiry. This study examines post-high school students' opinions on whether competitive and non-competitive science fairs should be mandatory or optional, building on Grinnell et al.'s prior work. Using an expanded survey dataset, responses were collected from summer research undergraduates, medical, and PhD students at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Our findings indicate that 53.4% of undergraduates, 73.3% of PhD students, and 58.3% of MD students who participated in science fairs believe non-competitive fairs should be mandatory, contrasting with 39.2%, 40.6%, and 35.5% of non-participants, respectively. However, only 15.1% of participating undergraduates, 10.0% of participating PhD students, and 12.5% of participating MD students support mandatory competitive fairs. These results suggest that while non-competitive science fairs are valued for their educational benefits, competitive fairs are less favored, highlighting the need to balance educational objectives with students' preferences.