Mathematics education in Sweden has during the last decade been under consideration in varied ways. Reports from PISA and TIMSS indicating that the results in mathematics goes from bad to worse has started a rescue-army departing from the Ministry of Education. Money has been investigated, addressed to further education of mathematics teachers and to increase the time in mathematics during the years in compulsory school. In line with this also the Swedish National Agency for Education has taken initiatives to develop mathematics education. Here the development of quality of mathematics education and the learning outcomes are at focus.

To investigate this further our research group has followed two schools supported by the Agency initiative during 2010-2012. All together 120 students and 8 teachers were interviewed twice, in groups. The aim of this ongoing research project is to analyse and discuss students and teachers construction of mathematics and mathematics education and to carry out a radical discussion in relation to theories of modernity and political documents. In this presentation the ambition is to communicate the first preliminary results.

Discursive psychology and discourse theory, both founded in social constructionist and poststructuralist theories are used to analyse the extensive empirical material. The combination opens up for a two-sided analysis where the interesting relationship between agency and structure may be analysed with a trustworthy methodology. In relation to mathematics education we find this approach useful as it opens up for a critical discussion.

Four categories have emerged from the empirical material. The students are constructing mathematics and mathematics education as a resource, as an effort, as boredom and as pending. Our research group find those results interesting to discuss per se, but also in relation to the national initiatives where the approach to find solutions in mathematics itself appears to be governing. It could be considered as important to discuss and problematize the political solution “more of the same” as a way to develop mathematics education in the 21st century. The ambition in this presentation is to contribute to the debate about mathematics education by transforming the problem into a concern of society.