Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review

Ismael Gaanya; Marjorie Sarah Kabuye Batiibwe; Bettina Dahl; John Magero Mango; Godfrey Mayende

doi:10.29333/ejosdr/16624

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Ismael Gaanya ¹ ^* , Marjorie Sarah Kabuye Batiibwe ¹ , Bettina Dahl ² , John Magero Mango ¹ , Godfrey Mayende ¹

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¹ Makerere University, UGANDA² University of Bergen, NORWAY^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Mathematics for sustainable development (MSD) is an intervention to strengthen the teaching of mathematics using the cross-cutting issues reflected in Uganda’s secondary mathematics curriculum. MSD aims to develop values, skills, attitudes, and knowledge using the three educations for sustainable development (ESD) domains- environment, social, and economic to achieve the 17 global sustainable development goals (SDGs). It is significant to understand the MSD phenomenon and its related attributes for it to be successfully implemented. However, there is a paucity of literature on MSD pedagogies at the secondary school level in Africa. This scoping review aims to offer concrete examples and approaches that enhance the successful implementation of MSD from reviewed articles published about the lower secondary level from 2005 to 2022. The findings identified four key aspects that promote MSD learning, i.e. MSD-based curriculum reforms, CPD for in-service teachers, interdisciplinary teaching, and assessment.

Keywords

education for sustainable development
mathematics for sustainable development
secondary school
sustainable competencies
scoping review

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Review Article

EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES, Volume 9, Issue 4, 2025, Article No: em0321

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

Publication date: 01 Oct 2025

Online publication date: 18 Jul 2025

Article Views: 23

Article Downloads: 20

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How to cite this article

APA

Gaanya, I., Batiibwe, M. S. K., Dahl, B., Mango, J. M., & Mayende, G. (2025). Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 9(4), em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

Vancouver

Gaanya I, Batiibwe MSK, Dahl B, Mango JM, Mayende G. Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2025;9(4):em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

AMA

Gaanya I, Batiibwe MSK, Dahl B, Mango JM, Mayende G. Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2025;9(4), em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

Chicago

Gaanya, Ismael, Marjorie Sarah Kabuye Batiibwe, Bettina Dahl, John Magero Mango, and Godfrey Mayende. "Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 2025 9 no. 4 (2025): em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

Harvard

Gaanya, I., Batiibwe, M. S. K., Dahl, B., Mango, J. M., and Mayende, G. (2025). Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 9(4), em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624

MLA

Gaanya, Ismael et al. "Mathematics for sustainable development implementation at secondary school level: A scoping review". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, vol. 9, no. 4, 2025, em0321. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/16624