The effect of structured stepwise presentations on students' fraction learning: an eye-tracking study

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Mathematics Education

Background:

• Effective teaching strategies are crucial for student engagement and learning outcomes.
• Understanding how presentation structure impacts cognitive processes like attention is key in educational research.
• Fraction learning presents unique challenges for primary pupils, necessitating targeted pedagogical approaches.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of structured stepwise presentations on primary pupils' attention and fraction learning.
• To compare the effectiveness of different presentation types (structured stepwise, unstructured stepwise, structured non-stepwise) on learning outcomes.
• To analyze the role of visual attention in mediating the relationship between presentation structure and learning performance.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 100 primary pupils divided into three groups, each receiving a different presentation type for fraction concepts.
• Utilized eye-tracking technology to record and analyze students' visual attention, including first fixation duration, total fixation duration, and regression time.
• Employed a one-way ANOVA test to determine significant differences in attention and learning performance among the groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences were observed in students' attention levels across the three presentation groups.
• Learning performance in fraction concepts varied significantly among the groups.
• Structured stepwise presentations demonstrated a superior ability to guide students' attention to relevant elements, enhancing learning.

Conclusions:

• Structured stepwise presentations are vital for effective fraction teaching, particularly in guiding student attention.
• This pedagogical approach facilitates better connection of related concepts, leading to improved learning outcomes in mathematics.
• The findings underscore the importance of incorporating structured, stepwise instructional design in teaching practices to optimize cognitive engagement and academic achievement.