Finland Olympiad Studies: What Factors Contribute to the Development of Academic Talent in Finland?

This paper reports findings from a study of Finnish academic Olympians of different ages who participated in Olympiad Studies in mathematics, physics, or chemistry during the years 1965-1997. The study focused special interest on the influences of home and school in contributing to the development of academic talent. The results of the Finnish study are compared to an earlier U.S. study using the same instruments. The Finnish Olympians were mailed a 14-page questionnaire and the self-confidence attitude attribute scales; their parents received a shorter version of the same questionnaire and the inventory of parental influence. Data included 150 males and 7 females. More than half of the Olympians were first-born children; parents had either a very high educational level or a very low educational level; and parents had good incomes. Olympians and their parents were asked to rate the importance of family/school influences in development of academic talent, and parents rated these influences as more important than did the Olympians. Finnish Olympians emphasized their own interests and efforts as key factors to their talent development, as well as good teachers. They noted few hindrances to their talent development. More than half expressed the view that they would not have accomplished as much without the Olympiad program. Data are going to be compared with similar data from the United States, Germany, and Taiwan. (Contains 21 figures, 7 tables, and 11 references.) (BT)