The purpose of this study is to gain increased knowledge of Year K-3 students’ perception of mathematics. The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of how Year K-3 students perceive mathematics in terms of what it is, what it can be used for and who they perceive use mathematics. The study provides an overview of previous research on children’s perception of mathematics in terms of what impact teachers and classroom settings have on these perceptions. Furthermore, it includes an overview of the theoretical frameworks of ethnomathematics and phenomenography, with regards to children’s perceptions of mathematics. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 66 Year K – 3 students. The results of the study show that Year K – 3 students have a very school focused perception of mathematics, including who they perceive as users of mathematics and what mathematics can be used for. Most of the participants associates mathematics with arithmetic. Their perceptions seem to change slightly as they grow older, with a slightly broader perception of what mathematics is and an awareness of future usefulness of mathematics in terms of further education or work. Almost all participants perceived mathematics as important to know, and most could elaborate on their reasoning why.

Vi vill i denna studie lyfta barns perspektiv genom att undersöka barns uppfattningar av inkludering och exkludering i förhållande till kamratrelationer på förskolan samt dilemmat ”alla får vara med”. Studien bygger på gruppintervjuer med förskolebarn. För att undersöka och få svar på studiens frågeställningar genomfördes 15 gruppintervjuer med totalt 50 barn i 4 - 6 års ålder på tre olika förskolor i Halland. Studien tar sin teoretiska utgångspunkt i dilemmaperspektivet, vilket innebär att dilemman diskuteras utifrån flertalet synvinklar utan att fastställa en rätt eller fel sanning. Resultat och analys visar att barnen satte inkludering och exkludering i relation till att få vara med eller inte få vara med och hur det kan kännas. Barnen uttryckte sig verbalt om detta i relation till ett filmavsnitt från serien ”Djuren på Djuris”, men även i förhållande till kamratrelationer. Slutsatsen visar att barnen verbalt uttryckte att det fanns ett dilemma gällande att få vara med eller inte i lek med andra. Detta framgick då barnen nämnde att det var lika viktigt att inkludera kamrater i lek som att få sin röst hörd i att vilja att alla inte alltid måste vara med i alla lekar. / In this study we want to highlight children’s perspective by examining children’s perceptions of inclusion and exclusion connected to peer relationships in preschool and the dilemma of “everyone gets to join”. The study is based on interviews with preschool children. We interviewed a total of 15 groups with a total of 50 children in the ages 4 – 6 years old in 3 different preschools in Halland, to answer the questions posed in this study. The study takes its theoretical starting point from the dilemmaperspective which means that dilemmas are discussed based on the majority of points of views without establishing a right or wrong truth. The results and analysis show that the children mainly expressed themselves verbally about inclusion or exclusion in relation to being allowed to participate or not and how that can feel. The children verbally expressed this both in relation to the characters in the episode in the series “Djuren på djuris”, but also in connection to peer relationships. The conclusion shows a dilemma regarding being allowed to participate in play with others as the children mentioned that it was just as important to include peers in play as to having their voices heard in wanting that everyone does not always have to join.