1 STUDENT’S SKILLS DEVELOPED BY PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS COMPETITIONS

Extracurricular activities for physics students in upper secondary schools could, for instance, take the form of participation in national or international physics competitions. One such event is the International Young Physicists ' Tournament (IYPT) which takes place once every year in different countries. Another one, better known, is the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO). This competition is on an individual basis whereas IYPT involves a team of five young competitors. Yet another annual event is the Polish First Step to Nobel Prize in Physics (FS). The organizations of these three competitions will be described and examples will be given of problems presented for and by those participating. IYPT and FS both require some research activities as a preparation for the presentations of solutions. Thus, the skills which will be developed in such activities might be different from and complementary to the ones which are normally emphasized in ordinary school curricula