Inclusive mathematics education remains a significant challenge, particularly for students whose learning needs are not well supported by conventional classroom settings. This includes neurodivergent students, diagnosed with ADHD, autism, or language-based learning disorders, who may struggle with instruction that is abstract, verbally driven, and results-oriented. In response, this study explores whether a mathematics exhibition in a science center could serve as a complementary, neurodiversity-inclusive learning environment.

The empirical setting is Mathrix, a prize-winning interactive mathematics exhibition at Universeum, Sweden’s national science center. The exhibition invites hands-on, collaborative engagement with mathematical concepts through large-scale games, AR experiences, and tactile problem-solving stations. This immersive, playful environment presents an alternative to traditional schooling that may benefit students who find classroom mathematics challenging.

The study involved 14 students aged 8–15 and their five mathematics teachers from four Swedish schools. Teachers were invited through a network of mathematics teachers to participate with a few students, resulting in 5 teacher-student groups from 2nd to 8th grade. Students were selected by their teacher as individuals who, due to neurodiversity or other reasons, did not thrive in the classroom. The research design was exploratory and qualitative, using classroom-informed pre-, mid-, and post-interviews with teachers comparing the student’s learning behaviours, together with on-site observations by 4 researchers during two visits to Mathrix.

Interview transcripts and observation field notes were thematically analysed informed by theories of social constructivism (Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and scaffolding), self-efficacy (Bandura), and flow theory (Csíkszentmihályi).

Three overarching findings emerged:
1. Teaching Organisation Matters: Small group size and carefully composed student groups enabled teachers to provide more targeted scaffolding. Students showed increased initiative and confidence in these intimate settings, often displaying courage to speak, collaborate, and engage in ways not seen in the classroom.
2. Exhibition as Inclusive Pedagogical Space: The Mathrix environment facilitated embodied, dialogic, and exploratory mathematical engagement. Students benefitted from verbal, practical, hands-on exhibits and allowed them to demonstrate mathematical abilities previously unknown to their teachers. Teachers noted increased engagement, focus, and persistence, indicating alignment with students' ZPD and triggers for flow.
3. Impact Beyond the Science center: Several teachers observed increased confidence and verbal participation in subsequent classroom sessions. Some adapted their instruction to include more practical materials after witnessing how their students learned in Mathrix. These shifts reflect new pedagogical insights.

This study contributes to inclusive education by highlighting the potential of informal science settings as supportive arenas for mathematics learning among neurodiverse students. It underscores the value of adaptive pedagogical structures, multisensory learning environments, and experiential scaffolding in bridging gaps in traditional schooling. The results support future work on sustained or scaled use of science centers as pedagogical extensions for underserved learners.

Keywords: Inclusive Education, neurodiversity, mathematics, science center, out-of-school learning.