A Process-Oriented Approach to Assessing High School Students’ Mathematical Problem-Solving Competence: Insights from Multidimensional Eye-Tracking Analysis
The assessment of mathematical competence, particularly in real-world problem-solving contexts, has become increasingly crucial in high school educational evaluation. While traditional methods have shifted towards emphasizing problem-solving skills, they remain predominantly outcome-oriented, often...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/6/761 |
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| Summary: | The assessment of mathematical competence, particularly in real-world problem-solving contexts, has become increasingly crucial in high school educational evaluation. While traditional methods have shifted towards emphasizing problem-solving skills, they remain predominantly outcome-oriented, often failing to adequately capture the nuanced cognitive processes underlying students’ problem-solving behaviors. To address this gap, this study introduces a process-oriented assessment method leveraging eye-tracking technology. Fifty-three university students (primarily first- and second-year undergraduates) in China were recruited to solve six context-based mathematical problems of varying difficulty levels while wearing portable eye-tracking glasses, allowing for natural problem-solving behaviors in a paper-and-pencil test format. The study established a multidimensional model of eye movement features to evaluate problem-solving processes. Using China’s National College Entrance Examination (<i>CNCEE</i>) mathematics scores as the dependent variable, a Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) analysis achieved its best predictive performance (prediction R<sup>2</sup> of 0.271) based on multidimensional eye movement features when solving the most difficult problem. The first visual intake duration on problem-reading areas and key information regions emerged as significant contributors of the students’ <i>CNCEE</i> scores. These findings substantiate the potential of eye-tracking technology as a valuable tool for educational assessment, offering insights into the assessment of students’ mathematical competence and supporting the development of more comprehensive learning diagnosis and intervention strategies. |
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| ISSN: | 2227-7102 |