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Research Paper | Education Management | India | Volume 12 Issue 12, December 2023

Competition and Collaboration: A Survey-based Approach to Reviewing the Role of Mathematical Olympiads in Improving Student Learning Outcomes

Jaisal Sood

Abstract: It is widely agreed that school learning is unable to impart all the necessary arithmetical skills to all the students equally. Gaps are often seen along the lines of class and gender divide - the higher the student in the hierarchy of wealth and the less marginalised their gender identity, the better their chances at imbibing mathematical knowledge. In order to supplement the glaring gap in learning outcomes, there is an urgent need for local support in the form of personalised teaching and assessment. Towards that end, a first-of-its-kind open mathematical olympiad (OMO) was conducted by the author in collaboration with a high-impact organisation in Delhi. The objective of the OMO was to address the gap in learning and skill between various students. In an effort to combine standardised teaching with personalised modes of delivery, the test was divided into three levels and gave the test-takers ample material (such as the test trainer) to develop their individual skills. The results of the test confirm previous hypotheses in the field and provide useful insight to classroom teachers as well as policymakers. In order to stimulate further research on supplementing learning outcomes via local modes of engagement, the test-trainer used for conducting the OMO has been attached to the end of the paper as an appendix.

Keywords: Learning outcomes, Inequality, Gender gap, Personalised Learning

Edition: Volume 12 Issue 12, December 2023,

Pages: 393 - 407