Abstract

Mathematics olympiads play a crucial role in society as they are designed to identify students with exceptional mathematical talent and provide education tailored to their unique needs. However, in many countries, olympiad programs are not implemented in a structured manner; instead, they are managed by a small group of dedicated teachers. The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of teachers involved in mathematics olympiads in Turkiye, identifying the challenges they face and potential solutions. To achieve this, the study examines the awareness of olympiads, the student selection process, and the preparation procedures for the olympiad in Turkiye. In this study, phenomenology, a qualitative research method, was employed to investigate the shared experiences of teachers with extensive experience in mathematics olympiads. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically using content analysis. The findings revealed that awareness of the olympiad was inadequate among parents, students, and teachers, difficulties were encountered in identifying and reaching the right students, and challenges arose during the preparation process, including issues related to the official status of the program, curriculum uncertainty, and interactions with administrators. To address these issues, several solutions were proposed, including the development of a curriculum, the establishment of a student selection system, the organization of teacher training programs, the localization of the selection process, awarding additional points to successful students in other exams, and creating activities within schools to raise awareness about olympiads among students.

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