Understanding strategy development in mathematics: using eye movement measurement in educational research

Abstract

Devices that measure eye movement have made it possible for researchers to obtain and analyze learners’ eye movements when they engage in problem solving. This study investigated if eye movement characteristics differed according to whether strategies were developed during a division puzzle task, and before and after such strategy development. This task entailed inserting numbers in blank boxes while performing a division. Participants needed to think about the structure of the calculation and develop appropriate strategies. Twelve university students were recruited as participants. Our results showed little eye movement when strategies had been developed, and for answers to be completed efficiently. However, when strategies had not been developed, the participants exhibited a tendency toward much eye movement. Further, after developing a strategy, eyes tended to stop moving. We found that eye movement data could reflect the characteristics of the learning processes. Thus, eye movement measurement data could be helpful for understanding the learning processes in younger students as well (such as elementary school students), who often have difficulty explaining their understanding and strategy development conditions. In addition, eye movement measurement could be used to examine the differences in the process of using different strategies for identical problems. © 2013 European Journal of Research on Education by IASSR.