The master’s thesis presents the development and analysis of the results of an experimental task designed for the 46th National Physics Competition for the Stefan Awards, held on 16 May 2026. The experimental task is based on the construction of a simple hydrometer, which the competitors used to measure the density of liquids and solve experimental problems. In the process of developing the task, we addressed the design and assessment of experimental tasks in physics competitions for primary school students, with an emphasis on the difficulties students encounter during experimental work.
The theoretical part of the master’s thesis discusses the importance of experimental work in physics education and its assessment, the role of competitions, and the role of the Society of Mathematicians, Physicists and Astronomers of Slovenia (DMFA). Attention is also given to the relationship between competition tasks and the primary school physics curriculum, as well as to gifted students.
The empirical part of the research is based primarily on a quantitative research approach, while also incorporating elements of a qualitative approach. The study included 126 ninth-grade students who participated in the National Physics Competition for Primary School Students in the 2025/26 school year. The performance of the competitors on the developed experimental competition task was analysed using the difficulty index. In the task, the competitors first constructed a hydrometer from everyday materials and then used it to conduct measurements and process the obtained data. Participant observation was also conducted during the experimental part of the competition to record the difficulties encountered by the competitors while performing the experiment. The study examined the most common difficulties and errors encountered by the competitors, their performance on the experimental task compared with the theoretical part of the competition, and their evaluation of the experimental task according to selected criteria. The findings of this master's thesis can contribute to improving the design of experimental tasks in physics competitions and can also be applied to the planning and implementation of experimental work in physics education.
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