Abstract:

Reading mathematical texts is an integral part of the process of acquiring mathematical knowledge. Mathematics textbooks serve as a source of mathematical problems for the practice of the learned topics, while the teachers usually mediate the theoretical contents. Hence, students' reading of such texts is most often limited to reading the problems that need to be solved. As a result, students begin their academic studies lacking essential skills of self-learning and understanding of mathematics texts.

In the last decade, the need for self-regulated learning (SRL) skills is increasing due to the growing trend of on-line courses and/or Flipped-Class-Learning (FCL) in the higher education studies. FCL is based on blended/integrated/hybrid learning in which students have more control over their learning time than learning in a traditional way. A prerequisite for successful learning in courses based on FCL is the acquisition of high SRL skills. Such skills enable students to cope productively, by themselves, with learning materials.

In face-to-face classroom meetings, during the mediation of the learning materials, teachers' skilful questioning plays a vital role in helping students to build their mathematical understanding. In FCL learning, in which the students have to guide their learning and construct their knowledge, there is a need for activities that will replace teachers' role as mediators. This guidance can be activity of asking questions while reading the text and providing answers to these questions. Hence, the aim of the study was to examine aspects related to the integration of questions-asking activities and providing answers to them while reading mathematical texts on prospective mathematics teachers' (PMTs) ability to self-monitor their reading and understand mathematical texts.

Thirty-two PMTs that attend third year of B.Ed. studies for math teacher qualification participated in the study. The participants studied in two groups, one group included 15 students (experiment group), and the second group included 17 students (control group). The students were divided into two homogenous groups in terms of their previous grades. The first group had to ask questions and provide answers to them while the other group had to address questions raised by the other group. The two groups had to address the same exam at the end of the course.

The obtained results revealed that the experiment group had better scores in the final exam than the control group. Average and high achievers pointed out that the need to ask questions and provide answers to these questions caused them to delve into the texts and as a result, their understanding of the texts at hand was improved. On the other hand, low achievers reported on difficulties to ask questions for monitoring their learning. They argued that the texts were difficult to understand without the instructor's mediation they were used to get so far.

Keywords:

Question-asking, prospective-mathematics-teachers, self-regulated-learning, mathematics texts.