Abstract

Objectives: The study aimed to identify the personal, school-related, and familial factors that influence the low participation of secondary school female students in national and international competitions. It also sought to explore the main challenges and opportunities that could enhance such participation, from the perspective of teachers. Methods: The study adopted a descriptive analytical approach. A questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 195 female teachers from secondary schools under the supervision of the Al-Sulay Education Office. Appropriate statistical analyses, such as means and standard deviations, were used to interpret the data. Results: The findings revealed that school-related factors were the most influential in reducing student participation, followed by personal and then familial factors. The main obstacles identified were academic overload, lack of incentives, limited awareness of the importance of competitions, and fear of failure. The study also highlighted promising opportunities for improvement, including the provision of specialized training workshops, implementation of material and moral incentives, and enhancement of media promotion for competitions. Conclusions: The study recommends supportive policies focused on training, motivation, and awareness, along with fostering a school and family environment that promotes active engagement in line with comprehensive education and Saudi Vision 2030.