Learners’ participation in science fairs has been encouraged for affording them experiences in
carrying out hands-on activities such as scientific investigations oriented towards inquiry science.
However, there has been some debate as to the viability of the Expo’s usefulness to ill-equipped
learners in disadvantaged schools as their cultural capital deficits appear to deny them opportunities
to compete on an even keel with learners from historically advantaged schools (where learners have
higher accumulations of all forms of capital) in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to
conduct an exploratory analysis of factors influencing student participation and success rate at 2010
Stellenbosch Regional Expo in South Africa’s annual science fair for learners – the Expo for Young
Scientists. Participation in the Expo is acknowledged to be one opportunity for learners to
experience the highest levels of scientific inquiry. The study was a quantitative analysis of a
convenient sample of 36 schools that participated in the Regional Expo in respect of variables such
as distance from the venue, school type (primary, intermediate, combined or high school) gender
equity, and poverty quintile categories. Findings were that only 5.1% of eligible schools in the
region participated and distance from the venue was a deterrent for many schools. Historically
advantaged schools in quintiles 4-5 (higher socio-economic status) did not only have a superior
participation rate as a measure of equity, but also had a higher success rate as a measure of the
quality of participation. However, not all schools in the so-called quintiles 4-5 category performed
well, suggesting that the neglect of scientific investigations or scientific inquiry could be more
pervasive than initially assumed. The study recommends democratisation of participation through
decentralisation, increased funding for infrastructure and logistics and increased technical support
for teachers in disadvantaged schools.