Психолого-педагогічні аспекти організації та проведення математичних змагань учнів

The article highlights certain psychological and pedagogical aspects of organizing and conducting mathematics competitions for school students that mathematics teachers should take into account. To understand the impact of mathematics competitions on learning and the development of students' personal qualities, key educational and psychological theories are examined, including the constructivist theory of learning, self-determination theory, social learning theory, and self-efficacy theory. While mathematics competitions offer numerous educational benefits, they are also associated with certain challenges and limitations that require attention. The advantages and challenges of engaging students in mathematics competitions are not merely based on numerous pedagogical observations, but are comprehensively supported by international research. This article analyzes a number of such studies conducted by researchers from Turkey, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and Indonesia. It also presents international scholars’ recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of mathematics competitions. An analysis of teacher training programs in Ukrainian institutions of higher pedagogical education shows that the knowledge and skills acquired by future mathematics teachers during their professional preparation are insufficiently focused on working with mathematically gifted students, including in the context of organizing and conducting various mathematics competitions. By recognizing the benefits, addressing the challenges, and improving the structure of competitions, mathematics contests can become a valuable platform for meaningful and developmental student engagement with mathematics.