BEYOND THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS: THE USE OF READING STRATEGIES IN THE INTERPRETATION OF CHEMISTRY QUESTIONS AT THE ENEM EXAMINATION

Abstract

This work aims to show the importance of reading texts in the process of learning Chemistry for it takes into account the cognitive and interactional aspects involved in the reading process, as well as emphasizes the importance of language, encyclopedic knowledge and interaction. For this research, multiple choice questions of the discipline of Chemistry from four editions of the National High School Examination (ENEM) were analyzed. Methodologically, such multiple choice questions were separated according to the necessary knowledge to answer them. It was possible to understand that several multiple choice questions demanded that the candidate possessed strict reading skills for their resolution. After analyzing these questions, some of them were collected for the sample in order to exemplify our analysis. It was observed that the knowledge of reading strategies is essential to a better mastering of Chemistry, once thirty percent of the analyzed questions required from the participant such knowledge and that the vast majority of the multiple choice questions presented long statements, contextualized subjects and words in scientific language.