The governing of inclusion. Policy in Swedish school regulations and mathematics education

Abstract

In this study Swedish school regulations are investigated concerning inclusion and mathematics education. The texts are seen as socially produced written language. Discourse analysis is used focusing social interaction in the texts. The research question is, what in the regulation texts denotes and connotes inclusion, and how does this influence and govern inclusion in the case of mathematics education? Four Discourses were construed: the discourses of democracy and citizenship, of equity, of possibilities for participation and access, and of knowledge and assessment in mathematics. These Discourses make governing functions of inclusion visible. The functions are mostly ideological, and there appears to be a gap to how to actually do inclusion in the education. How this gap can be bridged needs to be considered by principals and teachers in their work for inclusion. Also, there are contradictions in the regulations. This implies that how in(ex)clusion in mathematics education is produced needs to be reconsidered by policy makers.