Impact of Science Fairs on Students’ Scientific Creativity in Secondary Schools in Lagos State

This study assessed the impact of science fair participation on students' scientific creativity in senior secondary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Science fairs provide a structured platform for students to design and execute original projects, and as such are theorised to cultivate creativity, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking within a science context. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The sample comprised 360 SS2 students from 12 secondary schools in Surulere, Ikorodu, and Apapa Local Government Areas, divided equally between schools with active science fair programmes and those without. A validated Scientific Creativity Scale measuring fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration in science task performance was administered. Cronbach's Alpha reliability was 0.85. Independent samples t-test and multivariate analysis were used for comparison. Results showed that students from schools with active science fair programmes scored significantly higher on all dimensions of scientific creativity than those from schools without such programmes. The greatest differences were observed in originality and elaboration subscores. School resource level and teacher mentorship quality moderated the relationship. Recommendations included formal inclusion of annual science fairs in the academic calendar, designated science fair mentoring periods in the timetable, and state-level recognition awards for innovative student projects. Keywords: science fairs, scientific creativity, secondary students, Lagos State, innovation in education.