Analysis and classification of the first ten tests of the Brazilian Olympics of Astronomy

Abstract

In this work we present an analysis on the types of question from
the first ten tests of the Brazilian Olympics of Astronomy and
Astronautics (OBA). This paper examines the formulation of
unique answer questions in the Astronomy issues, trying to point
out elements for the elaboration of questions based on the rationalization
of the answers, i.e. the linking of knowledge and not
the simple placement of data to be substituted in previously memorized
equations. The questions were classified according to closed
problems or unique answer questions criteria, which are the basic
skills necessary for students to use the time to resolve them. The ways to get the right result, the questions were classified as:
direct knowledge (type 1), calculation (type 2), reasoning and
knowledge (type 3), understanding (type 4) and questions of
Science technology and society (type 5). It is observed through
the editions of OBA that the types of questions tend to appear in all
level tests. In each level the type 3 and type 4 questions, claims
the same percentage, however, there is a percentage reduction
on type 1. The number of questions that use the simple memorization
of responses in High School has decreased over time as
well. For example, in the I OBA questions of simple memorization
there was a 32.4% and 53.3% in II OBA, but in the test of the IX
OBA the percentage was 10% and there is still a reduction of
2.9% from the IX to the X OBA. The classification and the
detailed of the results are presented showing that the questions
of OBA, wherever possible, have converged to more questions
of the 3 and 4 types and less on questions of type 1. In the initial
series of tests, the percentage of simple memorization questions,
or type 1 decreased from 77.8% in VII OBA to 35.7% in
the X OBA. The largest difference in percentage occurred in
the 5th to 8th series (eight years scheme) or 6th to 9th series (9
years scheme) of Elementary School, where the percentage reduced
from 35.7% to 5.6%, since the VII to the X OBA.