Research indicates that a more hands-on education in mathematics could improve how students relate to mathematics. Laboratory mathematics is a way of making mathematics more concrete.  How is the purpose of laboratory mathematics perceived? This thesis has its focus on the pupils? perceptions of the purpose of laboratory mathematics, but the intention of the teacher involved is also investigated. The main research questions asked were:What is the teacher's definition of laboratory mathematics?Which is the teacher's purpose in using laboratory education?How do the students perceive the purpose of the laboratory teaching of mathematics?To answer the questions, I conducted a series of qualitative interviews.

This study examines how formal mathematics can be taught in the Swedishsecondary school with its new curriculum for mathematics. The study examineswhat a teaching material in formal mathematics corresponding to the initialcontent of the course Mathematics 1c could look like, and whether formalmathematics can be taught to high school students.The survey was conducted with second year students from the science programme.The majority of these students studied the course Mathematics D.The students described themselves as not being motivated towards mathematics.The results show that the content of the curriculum can be presented withformal mathematics. This both in terms of requirements for content and studentsbeing able to comprehend this content. The curriculum also requires thatthis type of mathematics is introduced in the course Mathematics 1c.The results also show that students are open towards and want more formalmathematics in their ordinary education. They initially felt it was strangebecause they had never encountered this type of mathematics before, but somestudents found the formal mathematics to be easier than the mathematicsordinarily presented in class.The study finds no reason to postpone the meeting with the formal mathematicsto university level.

The purpose of this study is to compare different ways to teach mathematics in the school's lower age groups, and to examine whether certain practices increase students' desire and motivation to learn the subject. The questions used to determine the purpose is the following: What vision has the students in the class at maths? How does the teaching of mathematics in the class look like?What vision has the students in the class at working with different approaches in education?Does the traditional approach  and the options that I am examining meet the steering documents requirements?  The essay is organized as a qualitative study. The study was conducted in an elementary school in Sweden, third grade. The methods used included interviews with students and observations in the classroom.

Background: Mathematics is a subject that many students perceive as difficult. In recent years, results in mathematics declined, while many students have difficulties in the subject of Swedish. However, there is not much research on the relationship between difficulties in mathematics and language weaknesses.Purpose: The purpose of this work is to find out what role the advocate competence of learning opportunities for the students to understand mathematics. A further aim of this work is to find out how mathematics is verbalized and individualized in preschool and find out how teachers in those classes describes how they work to verbalize and individualize mathematics.Method: The purpose is answered by observations in preschool and interviews of the teachers working in the observed classes. The empirical data are discussed and analyzed with theories related to children's learning and literature of mathematics and language.Result: The results show that mathematics is extensively verbalized in preschool classes.

The aim of this study is to examine how students and teachers experience full class lectures in contrast to working individually in mathematics education. Furthermore, the study explores how different ideas of individualization influence the teaching practice.The investigation uses qualitative interviews and the survey analysis is based on the phenomenographic method. The interviews took place in two senior level compulsory schools and both teachers and students were interviewed. The ambition has been to explore the teachers? perspectives regarding their choice of method in the teaching of mathematics.

The purpose of this study has been to investigate how four 3rd grade pedagogues allow communication in the teaching of mathematics and how these pedagogues allow their students to use and expand their language of mathematics. It has also been an aim to investigate these four pedagogues? opinions about the significance of communication and of the language of mathematics for students? mathematical learning.The study is based on a sociocultural perspective of Vygotskij?s. The theory implies the importance of using the language and communication for students? learning.

This study examines some students? attitudes towards mathematics in grade 2-4. When studying students? attitudes questionnaires and interviews are often being used as methods. In this study we used a more rare method.

The purpose of this study is to provide a description of how mathematics teachers in grades 3 choose to work with mathematics and how it affects of student performance in national tests. The categories I will use are outdoor education, textbooks, learning materials and problem solving. Laboratory materials can be everyday materials and educational materials in which pupils have an abstract understanding of the subject. This survey was conducted through interviews and observations. The survey was also conducted in relation to student performance in national math tests.

Most of my 16 students show a negative attitude towards mathematics and have difficulty understanding why they need mathematics to work as cooks. Their lack of knowledge has a negative effect on their work in the kitchen because they cannot master relatively simple mathematical solutions. The purpose of this study is to examine if an integrated working method of the subjects mathematics and cooking can change students? attitude towards mathematics and increase their understanding of the value of it in restaurant work. An integrated working method means to integrate the core subjects with programme specific subjects and that teaching is directed towards the main features of the vocational programme in order to create a holistic view.A theory of action research has been applied in this study, aiming to change something perceived as problematic through combining theory and practice in the cooking subject.

Most of my 16 students show a negative attitude towards mathematics and have difficulty understanding why they need mathematics to work as cooks. Their lack of knowledge has a negative effect on their work in the kitchen because they cannot master relatively simple mathematical solutions. The purpose of this study is to examine if an integrated working method of the subjects mathematics and cooking can change students? attitude towards mathematics and increase their understanding of the value of it in restaurant work. An integrated working method means to integrate the core subjects with programme specific subjects and that teaching is directed towards the main features of the vocational programme in order to create a holistic view.A theory of action research has been applied in this study, aiming to change something perceived as problematic through combining theory and practice in the cooking subject.

The background to the study was that the school agency published a report stating that students, after completing school, did not meet the criteria to receive the grade ?Pass? in mathematics. The study presents the reasoning of work teams from five different preschool departments?, about ways to work with the subject with children in the ages four to five. The study may help future teachers to develop new attitudes regarding mathematics in the preschool, by letting them take part of others pedagogues? thoughts and experiences.

During recent years, the trend of Swedish students? negative performance and results in mathematics has been discussed. It is agreed that a change in teaching methods is necessary in order to solve this issue. Thus we found it interesting to take a closer look at an alternative way of teaching. The purpose of this study was to find out what teachers and students associate concrete mathematics with and make a comparison between them.

In this paper you can read about students? opinion of teaching in mathematics. The study is done with eight students that were interviewed. The study is based on 16 questions about mathematic teaching. The questions covered student participation, how teachers should be, if they think mathematics is important, which approach to take in lessons and how student best learn.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how power is distributed in the mathematics classroom and how students achieve agency when ICT (Information and communication technology) is used as a teaching tool. Three learning situations, structured by mathematics, are analysed: in the first situation mathematics is taught in a traditional way, in the second mathematics is taught in interdisciplinary projects, and in the third mathematics is taught using ICT as a pedagogical tool. The theoretical concepts of power and agency are used as analytical tools within a socio-political framework. The concept of power is used to assess the students? ability to influence their learning and degree of inclusion in the three learning situations.

The goal of this study is to gain knowledge and understanding of how a teacher can apply mathematics with assistance from practical mathematics. Students? point of view on mathematics within practical mathematic lessons will also be examined. Four teachers from preschool to third grade in primary school were interviewed. 30 students from grades one to three were also surveyed. The study shows that teachers see a major benefit when practical mathematics is used in the theoretical teachings of mathematics.