The aim of this study is to investigate Norwegian primary school students' multimodal mathematical reasoning when solving combinatorial problems. The data collection took place in four small groups of altogether thirteen 8-9 years old third-graders. Our study shows a variety of approaches used to solve the given combinatorial problems, such as…

This study introduces a framework for analyzing opportunities for mathematical reasoning (MR) in school mathematics, using MR-relevant claims and their derivation as the unit of analysis. We contend that this approach can effectively capture a broad range of opportunities for MR across various teaching situations. The framework, rooted in…

This article explores the integration of digital tools in Norwegian primary school mathematics classrooms, focusing on teachers' experiences. With the increasing use of technology in education, digital tools have the potential to enhance mathematics instruction by enabling personalised learning, increasing student engagement, and offering dynamic…

This study continues an investigation of how spherical units, compared to cubical units, can facilitate students' units-locating and organizing units in composites. We analyze how Norwegian grade 3 students enumerate 3D arrays with cubical and spherical units. Our results show how spherical units can act as perceptual clues that facilitate…

The aim of this study is to explore how aspects of dialogic teaching are concretized in classrooms to fill the gap between educational rhetoric and classroom practices. A central competency needed in our time is the ability to participate in democratic dialogue. Education for democratic citizenship can be connected to the notion of "becoming…

We focus on how democratic practices occur during the modeling activity "The Candy Bag of Dreams." With democratic practices, we refer to approaches supporting inclusivity and active participation aimed at empowering students. We investigated one group of preservice teachers implementing an optimizing modeling activity during practicum…

This study examined third-grade students' reasoning and discussions on multiplication when they initially encounter it in the classroom. The aim of the study was to analyse the data from teaching and learning multiplication in 24 classrooms and, thus make a contribution to the research and conceptualisations about students' reasoning and strategy…

There is a substantial body of knowledge on the importance of language for learning mathematics and the importance of attending to the pupils' strategies in the meaning-making process. In this Norwegian case study, I investigate a skilled teacher's communication while scaffolding 18 pupils' work in Year 2-4 while working in small groups with…

Today's schools are faced with increasingly complex demands of juggling their core educational tasks alongside multi-dimensional policy bids for reform, development and change. In this paper, we conceptualize our own RCT research on small-group tuition in mathematics in Norwegian lower elementary schools as a policy-relevant measure and part of a…

Recent research suggests that using additional teachers to provide small-group instruction or tutoring substantially improves student learning. However, treatment effects on test scores can fade over time, and less is known about the lasting effects of such interventions. We leverage data from a Norwegian large-scale field experiment to examine…

In Norway, children are encouraged to pose a problem that they can solve using an arithmetical calculation. This is known as 'regnefortelling'. During a larger project, we became interested in a small group of "regnefortelling" which used unusual contexts, contexts that made us uneasy and invoked a feeling of uncertainty about how we…

There is a substantial body of knowledge on the importance of language for learning in general, and for learning mathematics in particular. Hence, language skills and collaborative learning are emphasised in the Norwegian curriculum. Even so, we have few studies on what supports and what impedes mathematical progress in authentic learning…

This article develops three different types of student explanations and studies how teachers respond to these. The data come from five classrooms at upper grade 5-7 (ages from eleven to thirteen) where all mathematics teaching for one week was filmed. These films were transcribed and student explanations identified. Through a close inspection of…

This paper presents a case study of how a teacher and nine-year-old students deal with mathematics in a practical technology project. By analysing videotaped dialogues between teacher and a pair of students working on constructing a house model, we identify challenges of meaningful inclusion of mathematics in the project. The dialogues are…

Introduction: The study presented here investigated the ways in which students who read braille were able to complete geometric tasks and how they constructed mental representations of the shapes of objects. Methods: Data were collected in an educational experiment conducted as a geometry course for students who read braille. A case study approach…