Transforming Powers in a Magic Pill that Makes Anyone Good at Mathematics

We asked students to propose three ingredients for a magic pill to make anyone “very good at mathematics” in our Swedish context. This chapter engages both what students perceive as values in mathematics, and what they put up as characteristics for persons who know mathematics. We include a political dimension on the processes of inclusion and exclusion to understand the transforming powers in a pill for making anyone “very good at mathematics”. 735 Swedish students in grade five and eight answered the question. The results show how students put mathematical facts about numbers and calculations in their pills, together with ingredients to make you fast and intelligent, but also magic, such as unicorns. Ingredients transforming the person taking the pill were more common for girls. The suggested ingredients are reminders of the importance of reducing the emphasis on exclusionary practices, based on ability or being fast when doing mathematics. Instead, the recommendation for teachers is to include “an ounce of joy and happiness”, as one girl puts in her pill.