Which strategies do students adopt when reading a text containing a mathematical problem? Initial results of an exploratory study with eye-tracking

Several international studies recognise the central role of understanding in problem solving within the mathematics teaching-learning process. Interdisciplinary studies have shown how the type of text affects a student's reading and, consequently, performance. It emerged that “selective reading”, through which specific attention is paid to certain textual elements, often causes a lack of understanding of the mathematical problem posed. The aim of our research is to understand how some structural and textual aspects influence understanding of a mathematical text. This research, conducted with an eye-tracker tool, shows the initial results of an exploratory study involving university students from the Faculty of Education. In recent years, eye-tracker technology has become an increasingly effective tool for analysing students' learning process. At the same time, a paper- based experiment was conducted via questionnaire, administered to grade 11 high school students. The experimentation is currently underway and initial feedback shows significant results in terms of interpretation of the resolution processes activated by the students.