ASTRONOMIC LITERACY: WHAT DO ADOLESCENTS OF THE PROVINCE OF SAN ANTONIO KNOW ABOUT THE GREAT IDEAS IN ASTRONOMY?

Abstract

Chile is considered a natural laboratory for astronomy due to the conditions provided by the climate and geography of the north of the country. In relation to the above, the question arises: How much do adolescents in the province of San Antonio know about astronomy? To resolve the above, a survey was prepared based on the Eleven Great Ideas in Astronomy [GIA] prepared by members of the International Union of Astronomy. This was applied to 191 students in the province of San Antonio (average age 15 years). Respondents were asked about the educational contexts where they learn the most about the universe plus 34 questions focused on GIAs. All respondents declare that they learn astronomy mainly in the school system. However, both men and women have low knowledge about these issues, proving the hypothesis that the astronomical literacy of adolescents in the San Antonio commune is minimal due to the scarce coverage in the different educational situations (formal, non-formal and informal). The male gender had higher hits, knowing four GIAs (one more than women) and with an average performance of higher hits (49% in men and 43% in women).