Challenges at the border of normality : Students in special educational needs in an inclusive mathematics classroom

This research describes how students perceived as being in special educational needs in mathematics (SEM), either as students in access to mathematics, or as students in struggle to get access, are challenged in their participation in mathematics education. Discourse analysis is used as a tool and a theory to construe discourses from students own stories of participation in an inclusive mathematics classroom. Distinguishing between (d)iscourse as stories in texts, and (D)iscourses as social and political recognisable units, the result shows the same, yet different, discourses; tasks, the importance of the teacher, to be (un)valued and math is boring, all indicating a Discourse of accessibility in mathematics education. The accessibility is challenged in two ways, the students are challenged in their participation since they do not fit into the ‘normal’ education, and the mathematics education is challenged to meet every students’ need to promote equity