Use of arguments and analogies in preparation for the International Biology Olympics and their contributions to promotion of scientific thinking skills in Costa Rican students

Abstract

This research was intended to identify scientific thinking skills such as argumentation and use of analogies that are emphasized in preparing Costa Rican students to participate in the International Biology Olympics. It is important to explore the types of instruction provided in the training process of students that represent the country in Central American, Ibero-American and World Olympics, since the creation of comprehensively trained individuals should be promoted to provide scientifically competent people who can become agents of transformation in diverse environments. The investigation was carried out between May and November of 2018, working with 16 students, at least 1 student of each edition, and 8 tutors or professors specialized in various areas of biology. Interviews, case studies and observation were used to collect data. The main results indicated that the preparation processes for competing in the International Biology Olympics promoted scientific thinking skills, and that the use of arguments in a variety of student-tutor interactions, as well as the use of analogies, mainly by the students, served as a way to for students to better understand and internalize content. It is concluded that argumentation should be emphasized in the preparation of students as a way to better explain what they are learning; they always question the usefulness of what they learn in both personal and social terms. On the other hand, analogies are literary devices that enable better understanding of content by allowing students to relate what they are learning to what they already know.