?Leka matematik och få roliga läxor!?
En undersökning av några pedagogers ambitioner för matematiklärande i förskoleklassen
MathematicsPreschool-classesPreschool teachersMultilingual studentsMatematikFörskoleklassenFörskoleklass lärareFlerspråkiga elever
This work deals with mathematics teaching in preschool classes. The purpose of my study is to investigate the preschool classes? teachers' aspirations for the children learning mathematics in two different preschools. To achieve my goal, I formulated the following questions to be explored and answered through interviews with five teachers. Does mathematics in preschool classes have a prominent role in educators' planning? What perception do the educators in the field have about the learning and teaching of mathematics in the preschool classes? How do the teachers understand their own work with mathematics in preschool classes in relation to multilingual students? A qualitative interview method was applied. It is based on interviews with teachers who convey math skills in different ways to children in preschool classes. Theories and previous research have been applied to analyze the informants? answers and to find out the aspirations of the teachers in their mathematics teaching. The results of my investigation show that all teachers in preschool classes agree that mathematics is an important part in preschool classes? activities. Moreover, the interviews show that the preschool -class teacher's aspirations aims at mathematics learning taking place when children practice math in an enjoyable way, in the preschool classes, and later, during the school years.Some teachers believe that the way of working with mathematics in preschool classes provides even more opportunities for multilingual students to develop their mathematical vocabulary and to be prepared to consolidate what they learned in ?playing? with math before starting the first school year. This is why they think that preschool classes should be mandatory for all six-year-old children and especially multilingual students. Many teachers stressed the need for more working hours in preschool classes in order to stimulate children's learning and concretize math in other school subjects. For they think that children can learn mathematics in different activities and operations, as well as through playing, games, outdoor education and during meals, without working with math books. Other educators are working with math books just because the children in preschool classes prefer to work with a book and want to have homework.