IMPACT OF THE PREPARATORY COURSE “BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR FUTURE SCIENTISTS” ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE BRAZILIAN BIOTECHNOLOGY OLYMPICS, AN ANALYSIS BY SEX – 2022 TO 2023

Abstract

In Brazil, educational inequality demands the adoption of strategies that promote student engagement in the teaching and learning process. Therefore, implementing mechanisms to encourage their active participation is essential. This study sought to evaluate participants in the Brazilian Biotechnology Olympiad (OBBiotec) and the preparatory course "Biotechnology for Future Scientists" by gender from 2022 to 2023. This non-mandatory course, offered free of charge remotely, has a 30-hour workload and consists of 21 modules on biotechnology. Descriptive analyses were performed using Epi Info, using the mean and median variables of the participants and gender, in 2022 and 2023. Socioeconomic status continues to influence student participation, as evidenced by the difference between large urban centers and other regions. It is important to highlight OBBiotec's main promotional channels: email, website and social media posts, schools, in-person events, videos, and radio, regardless of the type of institution. Therefore, the average performance was similar between the sexes. Girls who were enrolled in courses performed 13.8% better than non-students, while boys saw an average increase of 14.8%. It can be concluded that further incentives are needed to expand the opportunities for students from rural areas to participate in preparatory courses for science Olympiads, thus promoting a more inclusive competition that is sensitive to the diverse realities of participants.