Olympiad movement as an educational regime: a conceptual model, its contradictions, and approaches to reform

Introduction. One of the internal contradictions within the olympiad movement in Russia lies in the tension between its selective focus and the objective of fostering students’ giftedness. This research is structured around the following question: how can the olympiad movement be conceptualised as a distinct educational regime with its own internal logic, components, and contradictions, and what analytical insights does such a conceptualisation provide for understanding the functioning of olympiads and for justifying potential reforms? Aim. The present study aims to develop, both theoretically and empirically, a conceptual model of the olympiad educational regime that facilitates the identification of its inherent contradictions and establishes the relationship between the configuration of the regime’s components and the nature of the selection practices employed. Methodology and research methods. The research methodology is grounded in cultural, axiological, and risk-oriented approaches. It encompasses theoretical analysis and synthesis of Russian and international academic literature on the olympiad movement, content analysis of regulatory and methodological documents, conceptual modelling of five key components of the olympiad regime, and qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with 67 mentors of the All-Russian School Olympiad from nine regions of Russia to validate the developed model. Results. A model of the olympiad educational regime is proposed and tested, comprising five interrelated components: value-target, content-related, procedural-format, assessment-criteria, and actor-based. Key contradictions and areas of risk are identified. The interviews demonstrated the relevance of all five components of the model and revealed additional tensions related to the disparity between the resources available to mainstream schools and the demands of the more advanced stages of the olympiad. Scientific novelty. The scientific novelty lies in applying the concept of an educational regime to the systemic analysis of olympiads within Russian pedagogy, and in developing an analytical framework that addresses the fragmentation of existing descriptions. Practical significance. The results obtained can be utilised by educational authorities to evaluate the olympiad movement and plan targeted reforms; by olympiad organisers and methodological committees to align content requirements with the Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) and to enhance the transparency of assessment criteria and appeals procedures; and by teacher-mentors and educational institutions to reflect on stakeholder dynamics and develop network-based forms of preparation.

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