The students are usually eager to develop their mathematical learning. However, the Skolverket can see that this eagerness passes in the early years of school. A study shows that a varied mathematical education creates enthusiasm to learn, which can decrease the negative view of mathematics. The purpose of this study is to see how five pedagogues use laboratory mathematics, their approaches to laboratory mathematics as well as to find out their role in the laboratory education. The result of the study is based on interviews with the pedagogues, who are all teachers for students in year F-3. All of the pedagogues work in a laboratory way, but to different extents. The study shows that the pedagogues aim to make the mathematics as concrete and everyday as possible. The pedagogues use the laboratory way of working and materials in different ways and have slightly different views of what counts as laboratory material. Further, the study shows that there are more possibilities than obstacles with the laboratory way of working. The five pedagogues all agree that this way of working is beneficial for the pupils, especially for the students who are poor achievers. The possible obstacles raised by the pedagogues were lack of time and to some extend shortage of material. Two important factors within this way of working are communication and briefings.

<p>The purpose of the study is, through some aspects, to make it visible and compare the education in mathematics in classes 1-3 in Sweden and Turkey. I have also studied the mathematic lessons, textbook and teaching aids, examinations and the use of calculator, on the basis of steering documents in curriculum and syllabi. The method used in this study contains of qualitative interviews and have an unstructured character but also observations noted continuously. The result is a comparison between my own experiences and the observations connected to relevant theories and the questions.</p>

The objective of this research is to unveil how respective teacher consider about the laboratory working methods in mathematics. The research even includes answers to questions such as, what approaches and attitudes the teachers have and the methods they use when instructing their students when teaching mathematics, what the materials used by the teachers are and how important working creatively is to help the students develop their logical thinking. I also looked into issues that can help understand how and why teachers use laboratory mathematics for students in young ages. As a conclusion the research showed that the teachers aim to the goal that includes helping the students understand mathematics, strengthen their logical thinking and creativity. In the method section qualitative data was used, which contained four interviews with different pedagogues that daily interact with students in elementary school. The reasons for using the method of qualitative data was to help me deeper understand and answer the specific questions I had to the pedagogues and to even compare how different pedagogues differ in their approaches and methods. The theoretical framework I used throughout the research was based on and connected to the literature and theories provided during my studies and which showed that the majority of the teachers share similar views and thoughts about the laboratory working methods. During the research, the pedagogues concluded that the basis for increasing the students’ development and knowledge, creative methods of working by the teachers are needed. Working creatively provides the students a wider path of freedom of thinking logically and thereby solving problems. Summarizing the research, it is based on theories concerning laboratory mathematics and the attitudes and approaches taken by the teachers in this subject. In the research, the fact that the teachers use a wide spectrum of laboratory material, is studied and proven. My conclusion is that all the teachers concerned find it crucial to use the creative thinking as a basic approach of teaching in order to increase the interest for mathematics among the students.

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. Data has been collected in a 3rd grade in Stockholm.  I interviewed a teacher and 17 students.  Results show that the teacher uses laboratory materials to ease the learning of mathematics and to concretize the content of mathematics. By using the phenomenographic method, I got five different preconceptions that students have about the purpose of laboratory education: Laboratory mathematics is for students who have difficulty with mathematics, laboratory mathematics allows more concentration in the classroom, using laboratory materials makes it easier to calculate, laboratory mathematics will help me when I calculate mathematics in every day situations and, finally when I use laboratory mathematics, I work with my hands. The study reaches the conclusion that teachers need to a highlight better the pedagogic purpose for the pupils to use laboratory mathematics.  Laboratory mathematics is in need of a higher status so that more students want to work with laboratory materials.

The purpose of the study is, through some aspects, to make it visible and compare the education in mathematics in classes 1-3 in Sweden and Turkey. I have also studied the mathematic lessons, textbook and teaching aids, examinations and the use of calculator, on the basis of steering documents in curriculum and syllabi. The method used in this study contains of qualitative interviews and have an unstructured character but also observations noted continuously. The result is a comparison between my own experiences and the observations connected to relevant theories and the questions.