This study explored changes in relative achievement over time. It also investigated differences in how two groups of students activate mathematical competencies. The aim of the study was to investigate students’ relative achievement in mathematics over time, and how mathematical competencies can be used to explore differences between groups of students on a non-curriculum based test in mathematics. The study was divided in two parts. Study 1 compared students’ (n=568) relative achievement in two national tests in mathematics (years 3 and 6). Study 1 explored changes in relative achievement between the two national tests as well as differences in relative achievement between the national test in year 6 and the mathematical kangaroo in year 7 (age 13). The study identified, from a sample (n=264) of study 1, two groups of students with high achievements in only one of the tests, the national test in year 6 or the mathematical kangaroo. Study 2 explored how differences between those students relative achievement on the mathematical kangaroo could be explained through activation of mathematical competencies. The results in study 1 show that students undergo large changes, both increases and decreases, in relative achievement between the national tests in years 3 and 6. Study 2 shows how the two identified groups activate the mathematical competencies differently on the mathematical kangaroo. 9% of the students achieve highly in the mathematical kangaroo although they do not in the national test. The study implicates the importance of using non-curriculum bounded tests to identify strength in mathematical competencies among students that not are able to show them through the national test.

The construction of tasks is important to challenge pupils, but the exploration of pupils’ perceptions connected to their work with tasks, is rare. This paper presents the results of a study using a tool aimed at measuring pupils’ perception of joy and interest connected to ‘rich learning tasks’ by comparing the views of mathematically promising pupils and others. Two tasks were pre- and postevaluated, the first by 139 and the second by 106 pupils from grade 4-9. The results indicate that the tool is suited for the exploration of pupils’ views, especially as it can be deduced from the comparison that mathematically promising pupils perceived both tasks more positively than the other pupils, and that the non-identified pupils became more positive after working especially with one of the tasks.

Studies on high ability in mathematics rarely take a teacher’s perspective. The purpose of our study is to add such a perspective, which we will do by using positioning theory to analyze elementary teachers’ discussions on mathematical tasks, aiming to challenge all pupils, including the highly able. The study is conducted in the context of a two-year long teacher professional development program on high ability. Teachers expressed both their teaching and the mathematical tasks as helpful in orchestrating teaching suitable for highly able pupils. They highlight the opportunities given by some tasks as well as the importance of guiding highly able pupils to go further in such tasks. However, they expressed their own limited mathematical knowledge and time needed for pupils with learning difficulties as obstacles to orchestrate teaching for the highly able. The results show that it is important to, in close cooperation with teachers, further explore how to orchestrate teaching that challenges highly able pupils.

Aiming to bring teachers' perspectives to research, teachers' (N = 12) discussions are explored in the context of a professional development program on teaching highly able pupils (HAPs) mathematics. The findings show that the teachers perceive they have the competence to recognize HAPs, for example through continuous assessment. However, they express that collaboration with colleagues is necessary and that they would like their principals' acknowledgement for their competence. They connect and verbalize their practical expertise with theories of teaching HAPs and demonstrate several criteria for teaching that successfully meet pupils' learning needs in heterogeneous classrooms. Thus, they feel confident in how to orchestrate teaching that is inclusive of HAPs in heterogeneous mathematics classrooms.