A child's perspective on being in difficulty in mathematics

This paper is part of a study that explores learning difficulties in mathematics from the children's point of view. An interview with a group of ten to eleven year old students is analysed with respect to their making sense of and ascribing meaning to their learning or non-learning of school mathematics. The analysis uses a three level procedure for analysing interviews adopted from (Kvale, 1984) that is coherent with the methodology and conducive to sensitivity towards the notion of children's perspectives as an analytical construct. The students' sense making seamlessly integrated into coherent wholes their immediate experiences in their mathematics classroom with the prospect of their future lives. It was also found that children in difficulties with learning mathematics can be reflective about the norms and expectations at play in school mathematics.