Directions of intentionalities in education for sustainable development in mathematics education: a systematic literature review

Abstract

In response to disruptive events, an urgent need for sustainable development (SD) has emerged worldwide. Education is an important driver in promoting sustainability by highlighting and generating an understanding of the complex interrelationships in today’s world, such as consumption and environmental impact. The question, therefore, arises: To what extent and in what manner is education for sustainable development (ESD) addressed in conjunction with mathematics education in research articles? This inquiry is explored through a systematic literature review, aiming to present the current state of research on ESD and mathematics in a school context. Through our search based on four publication databases (Web of Science, ERIC, EBSCO Teacher Referral Center, and SCOPUS), 106 of the initial 888 eligible documents were identified. The analysis indicates that empirical research within ESD, and mathematics has been increasing over the last 5 years with current research being characterized by theoretical and qualitative approaches. In the analysis of the research topics, five directions of intentionalities (DoIs) were identified within the education of mathematics and sustainability: towards the teacher and teacher competence, towards affect, towards enhanced capabilities and knowledge, towards learning opportunities, and towards curriculum development and policy. The DoI towards teachers and teacher competence is the most prevalent. As a result, we conclude that research in ESD and mathematics should be strengthened, particularly in the other four DoIs. Collectively, these findings highlight significant research gaps within ESD and mathematics.