Syftet med arbetet var att åskådliggöra innebörden av att vara i matematiksvårigheter och elevers syn på hur de hanterar sin vardag. Undersökningen utgår från ett elevperspektiv och ambitionen var att elevens egna tankar och känslor skulle komma fram. Jag har använt mig av en kvalitativ ansats med observationer och semistandardiserade intervjuer. För alla eleverna i studien påverkas vardagen och skolan av att de har svårigheter i matematik. Det är allt från att planera sina fritidsaktiviteter till att veta när ett arbete i skolan ska vara inlämnat. Detta gör att föräldrar måste hjälpa till i denna planering i stor utsträckning även nu när barnen är tonåringar och borde klara sig själva lite mer. Eleverna själva är ofta inte medvetna om sina strategier för att klara de svårigheter som uppstår på grund av matematiksvårigheterna. Föräldrarna kan dock berätta mer om hur dessa strategier tar sig ut. Känslorna inför matematiklektionerna är ofta en uppgivenhet, ska de misslyckas idag igen och de känner sig stressade inför att kanske inte uppnå målen. Lärarens bemötande spelar här en stor roll och ett icke positivt bemötande gör att eleverna upplever att de är till besvär för läraren. Det leder till att eleverna får ett svagt självförtroende och olustkänslor inför matematiken. I jämförelse med andra studier så upplever eleverna i min studie inte att de blir stämplade till följd av att de får särskilt stöd, utan tvärtom så är det en lättnad att gå till stödgruppen. / This study focuses on pupil’s view how they handle mathematics learning disabilities in their daily life. The study is from pupil’s point of view and the ambition was to capture the pupil’s own thoughts and feelings. Observations and interviews were carried out with three pupils, in the age of 13, and their parents. The results show that all three of the pupils have difficulty in their daily life due to the mathematics learning disabilities. They have different problems from to plan their free time to plan when schoolwork should be submitted. The result of this is that the parents have to plan for them, even now when they are teenager’s and should be able to handle things like this by themselves. The pupils are not aware of the strategies they use to cope with the difficulties in mathematics. However, their parents are able to explain the strategies their children have developed. The emotions the pupils feel when they think about math class are that they feel dejected and they are under stress with thoughts as “will I fail again today”. It is very important how the teacher do talk to the pupils and this will affect the pupil’s self-confidence and they develop discomfort to mathematics. This study, unlike some other studies, does not show that pupils feel uncomfortable because they have special support. Instead they feel relief in visiting the support group.

Much of the everyday work of teachers in pre-schools, schools and youth centers is based on experience. This study is a qualitative interview study intended to make visible the experiences of pre-school teachers in situations when children are considered to be in need of special support. I have looked at pre-school teachers’ descriptions of the kinds of situations in which a child is estimated to be in need of special support, what teachers look for in a child to identify it as a child in need of special support in a specific situation, and how the teachers define special support.   Both this study and previous research show that children’s estimated need of support depends on the situation and context the child is in. The pre-school teachers in this study identify common situations where children are estimated to be in need of special support, namely: in interaction with others, in structured situations, during changes of activities and during free play. The study found that the pre-school teachers saw all children as requiring more or less support during certain periods of time. They didn’t identify a particular, generalizable group of “special needs” children that requires special support more frequently. The pre-school teachers in this study struggled to define special support, stating that the definition depends on the individual that is in need of support and the situation in which support is seen to be necessary. Two of three informants in this study said that if special support needs a definition, they consider it to be support from outside the pre-school, such as provision of competencies the pre-school teachers do not possess, or reorganization. / Många delar av lärarnas dagliga arbete och agerande på förskola, skola och fritidshem grundar sig i erfarenhet. Denna studie är en kvalitativ intervjustudie med syfte att göra förskollärares erfarenheter av situationer där barn bedöms vara i behov av särskilt stöd mer synliga. Jag har studerat förskollärares erfarenheter av vilka situationer barn bedöms vara i behov av särskilt stöd, vilka barn som är i behov av särskilt stöd i en specifik situation och på vilket sätt definierar förskollärarna vad som är särskilt stöd.   Både denna studie och tidigare forskning visar att barns bedömda behov av stöd beror på situationen och sammanhanget barnet är i. Förskollärarna i denna studie menar att vanliga situationer där barn bedöms vara i behov av någon form av stöd är i samspelet med andra, i strukturerade situationer, i skiftet mellan aktiviteter och i den fria leken. I studien framkommer att förskollärarna anser att barn kan vara i mer eller mindre behov av någon form av stöd under en längre eller kortare tid och de kan inte säga att det är någon generaliserbar grupp barn som oftare bedöms vara i behov av särskilt stöd. Det var svårt för förskollärarna i denna studie att definiera särskilt stöd, de menar att det beror på vilken individ som är i behov av stödet och i vilken situation stödet bedöms behövas. Två av tre informanter i denna studie uttrycker att om det särskilda stödet måste definieras handlar det om stöd utifrån i form av kompetens förskollärarna inte har, omorganisation eller liknande.

Inkludering är ett världsomspännande koncept att sträva efter i skolundervisningen men kan detta uppnås när undervisningen inte kan göras lika för alla? För att få en bättre bild över var dagens forskning är på väg angående specialpedagogiska behov och inkludering har vi studerat en mängd artiklar, rapporter och avhandlingar, nationella som internationella. Utmaningen för dagens och morgondagens lärare är att förutom att kraven på att en likvärdig utbildning ska uppnås förväntas lärarna även ta hänsyn till allas unika förutsättningar och behov. Detta då lärarna ska möta ett ökat antal elever med inlärningsproblem och dilemmat hur de ska inkluderas eller exkluderas från klassrummet. Den här studien ger läsaren en idé om det dilemma skolor runt världen försöker lösa och resultaten pekar på att ytterligare forskning är nödvändig eftersom vi inte kan lösa dagens och morgondagens problem med gårdagens metoder. / Inclusion is a worldwide concept to thrive for but is this possible when education is impossible to make equal for everybody? To get a better look on where the contemporary research is heading about special pedagogical needs and inclusion we have studied a range of articles, reports and dissertations, national as well as international. The challenge of the teachers of today and tomorrow apart from the demand to achieve equal education is to take into consideration every pupil individual differences and needs. This when teachers are facing an increasing number of pupils with learning disabilities and the dilemma is how to include or exclude them from the classroom. This study gives the reader an idea about the dilemma schools around the world are trying to solve and the results are pointing at that further research is necessary as we cannot solve the problems of today and the future with the methods of yesterday.

<p>Syftet med arbetet var att åskådliggöra innebörden av att vara i matematiksvårigheter och elevers syn på hur de hanterar sin vardag. Undersökningen utgår från ett elevperspektiv och ambitionen var att elevens egna tankar och känslor skulle komma fram. Jag har använt mig av en kvalitativ ansats med observationer och semistandardiserade intervjuer. För alla eleverna i studien påverkas vardagen och skolan av att de har svårigheter i matematik. Det är allt från att planera sina fritidsaktiviteter till att veta när ett arbete i skolan ska vara inlämnat. Detta gör att föräldrar måste hjälpa till i denna planering i stor utsträckning även nu när barnen är tonåringar och borde klara sig själva lite mer. Eleverna själva är ofta inte medvetna om sina strategier för att klara de svårigheter som uppstår på grund av matematiksvårigheterna. Föräldrarna kan dock berätta mer om hur dessa strategier tar sig ut. Känslorna inför matematiklektionerna är ofta en uppgivenhet, ska de misslyckas idag igen och de känner sig stressade inför att kanske inte uppnå målen. Lärarens bemötande spelar här en stor roll och ett icke positivt bemötande gör att eleverna upplever att de är till besvär för läraren. Det leder till att eleverna får ett svagt självförtroende och olustkänslor inför matematiken. I jämförelse med andra studier så upplever eleverna i min studie inte att de blir stämplade till följd av att de får särskilt stöd, utan tvärtom så är det en lättnad att gå till stödgruppen.</p> / <p>This study focuses on pupil’s view how they handle mathematics learning disabilities in their daily life. The study is from pupil’s point of view and the ambition was to capture the pupil’s own thoughts and feelings. Observations and interviews were carried out with three pupils, in the age of 13, and their parents. The results show that all three of the pupils have difficulty in their daily life due to the mathematics learning disabilities. They have different problems from to plan their free time to plan when schoolwork should be submitted. The result of this is that the parents have to plan for them, even now when they are teenager’s and should be able to handle things like this by themselves. The pupils are not aware of the strategies they use to cope with the difficulties in mathematics. However, their parents are able to explain the strategies their children have developed. The emotions the pupils feel when they think about math class are that they feel dejected and they are under stress with thoughts as “will I fail again today”. It is very important how the teacher do talk to the pupils and this will affect the pupil’s self-confidence and they develop discomfort to mathematics. This study, unlike some other studies, does not show that pupils feel uncomfortable because they have special support. Instead they feel relief in visiting the support group.</p>

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyses educators’ experiences of reflective conversations in their teams and part of teams in relation to their work with pupils in need of special support. Ten educators representing ten different teams have been interviewed since all had experiences of working in teams and working with pupils in need of special support. Focus has been on the educators’ experiences of the organisation, the effects of the reflections and the need to develop the reflective conversations in their teams and part of teams. The result showed that only a few of the educators described an organisation of the reflective conversations in their teams that met the conditions recent research point out as a way to use reflective conversations as a tool for development. These educators reached a deeper level of analysis and critical approach than the other teams which led to an improvement of their work with pupils in need of special support. The majority of the educators described reflective conversations with parts of their teams that content analysis and critical reflection. These reflective conversations led to development of their work with pupils in need of special support despite the fact that these reflective conversations showed a lack of organisation. All of the educators were aware of the need to improve the reflective conversations to achieve development of the educational practice, especially those in their teams. A conclusion was that reflective conversations in teams or part of teams can be a tool in the process of developed the work with pupils in need of special support provided that the conditions for the organisation were met and that there was a systematic reflection on high level.

This is a qualitative study whit purpose of showing how teachers work whit students in need of special support in school. The purpose has been to study what teachers mean whit special aid, and if the support is individually adapted for each students needs. I have trougt interviews, observations and examinations of diverse documents found paradoxes where teachers and the scool leaders claim that they work whit the integration of all the students at school, while the teality shows a different picture. I have found a clear segregation of students, where they have on repeated occasions had to leave the classroom to receive tuition. The school stuff has a wide iiew of wich students are included in the term "students in need of special tuition". The interviews also show that it is often students who have an action plan in place who are included in the target group. The action plan is to clarify the difficulties and in lighten the measures to facilitate the student´s situation at school. The goal is that all students can fulfill their educational needs in a satisfactory manner. The educationists emphaize that is not only about the lack of knowledge that shows the need of special assistance. Many time it is the students whit social and emotional difficulties who need extra support occasionally, or sometimes longer periods. One group of students that all the teachers agree need help are those with reading and writing problems. Studies show that students do not need to be diagnosed to receive extra help. Teachers recognize the need of individual assessment of very individual case, so all students can receive the support they are entitled to. The teachers aim is to satisy the needs for special support for those students who need it as quickly as possible. There are no particular directives as to how those specific should be, that judgment should be made by the teacher in the class.

This report is going to discuss the relatively new and in schools, frequently debated concept of inclusion. The concept inclusion, easily explained means that all children, regardless of special needs or other conditions should be involved in the schools ordinary environment. In the democratic school of today, the education is supposed to be adapted to every individual and its special needs. The dilemma of the special need education is described as giving all children the same, but at the same time adapt to each and everyone’s differences. This study describes the teachers approach to the concept of inclusion and especially the inclusion of children in need of special support. And the teachers experience of possible advantages and disadvantages in their work to include all children. The method’s that were used to collect the empirical information to this report were qualitative interviews. The questions at issue were: How do the teachers include children in need of special support in the education? The teachers experiences of advantages and disadvantages in the way they work whit inclusion Partly for the children in need of special support Partly for the teachers Partly for the rest of the class

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

The overall aim of this thesis is to increase our knowledge of different occupational groups´ views on work with children in need of special support. This is explored in four separate studies. The first study investigates the views of occupational groups in preschools and schools in one municipality. A questionnaire was handed out to all personnel (N=1297) in the municipality in 2008 (72.5 % response rate). The second study explores the views of educational leaders (N=45) in the same municipality. Questionnaire # 2 was distributed in 2009. All the educational leaders responded to the questionnaire. The third study describes the views of different occupational groups concerning special educational needs coordinators´ (SENCOs) role and work. This was highlighted by comparing responses from questionnaire #1 and # 2. Responses concerning SENCOs´ work were also added using a third questionnaire. This questionnaire was handed out in 2006 to chief education officers (N=290) in all municipalities in Sweden. The response rate was 90.3%. Finally, the fourth study presents five head teachers´ descriptions of their work with special needs issues. Study four was a follow-up study of questionnaire # 2. These head teachers were selected because of their inclusive values and because they seemed to be effective according to certain criteria. They were interviewed in January 2012. The results reveal a number of interesting findings. For example, there are both similar and different views among the occupational groups concerning work with children in need of special support. A majority of the respondents in all groups state that children´s individual deficiencies is one common reason why children need special support in preschools/schools. Differences between the occupational groups become especially visible regarding their views of SENCOs‟ work. Critical pragmatism (Cherryholmes, 1988) is applied as a theoretical point of departure. Skrtic´s (1991) critical reading and analysis of special education relative to general education is specifically used to interpret and discuss the outcome of the studies. Additionally, Abbott´s (1988) reasoning concerning the “division of expert labor” is used to discuss the occupational groups´ replies concerning “who should do what to whom”. The findings in the studies are contextualized and theoretically interpreted in the separate articles. However in the first part of this thesis (in Swedish: Kappa), the theoretical interpretations of the empirical outcome are discussed in more detail and the results are further contextualized and synthesised. Inclusion and premises for inclusive education are also discussed in more depth in the first part of the present thesis.

Inclusion enable children with special needs pursue their education or activities with their peers who are not disabled. Participation of children can be promoted by inclusion. Teachers are key for developing inclusive schools and improve the participation of children with special needs. The aim of this study is to describe strategies teachers use to facilitate participation of children in need of special supports in three ‘inclusive schools’ in Finland. To study this issue, interviews were conducted with eight participants from these three schools. The ICF-CY model was used to analyze the interview data. Results show that teachers’ strategies of promoting children’s participation in these Finnish ‘inclusive’ schools are diverse, teachers use strategies that focus on children’s environmental factors as well as factors that relate to children themselves. Most of teachers believe strategies that make changes on children environmental factors can help children participate in classroom tasks and activities. Some factors to influence difference of the strategies in different schools were found, different school situations and seems to be a decisive role on teachers’ strategies of improving the participation of the children. This study gives a promising view of the actions that teachers take to promote participation of children in need of special support.