Influência das competições educativas no desenvolvimento do raciocínio lógico e no engajamento dos alunos em matemática

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the influence of educational competitions on the

development of logical reasoning and student engagement in mathematics through the im- plementation of a mathematics competition project in the municipality of Vargem Grande

– MA, involving students from the final years of elementary school. The project was car- ried out within the Cactus Program, which is already well-established in the municipality

and aimed at preparing students for mathematics olympiads.

The methodology involved the application of a diagnostic assessment to de- termine the students’ initial proficiency levels, followed by structured lessons with lesson

plans focused on developing mathematical skills and enhancing logical reasoning. The pro- cess concluded with a final assessment to measure the progress achieved by the students.

After this stage, the students with the best performance were selected to participate in a quiz-style competition, providing a motivating environment for learning mathematics.

A comparative analysis between the diagnostic and final assessments demons- trated significant learning gains, showing that the opportunity to compete served as a

stimulus for studying mathematics. The results indicate that educational competitions can serve as an effective pedagogical tool to increase student engagement and improve performance in the subject.