Students' Inquisitive Questions Predict Their Understanding of Mathematics Texts

Resumo

Background: Inquisitiveness plays an important role in learning. Inquisitiveness encourages a person's natural tendency to ask questions when faced with a confusing situation. However, students are often unable to generate effective questions to understand information from mathematics texts. This study investigates students' inquisitive questions about mathematics texts and their relation to the understanding obtained from the text. Design: This study uses qualitative data and analysis of students' questions about mathematics texts. Setting and Participants: This research was conducted at Darul Ulum Islamic Boarding School University in Indonesia with 11 students. Data from three students as the most extreme cases were chosen for further discussion. Data collection and analysis: the data were obtained from observations of questions and student behavior during discussions, content analysis of written questions, and reading comprehension tests. Results: Lack of ability to raise questions related to the level of understanding of mathematics texts at the surface level. Interventions to read carefully and write down questions in each part of the text can increase the understanding of students who have high motivation to ask questions in discussion.