Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study

Rita Borromeo Ferri; Neslihan Bulut

doi:10.29333/ejmste/18071

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Rita Borromeo Ferri ¹ , Neslihan Bulut ¹ ^*

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¹ Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Mathematics, University of Kassel, Kassel, Hessen, GERMANY^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

This systematic review analyzed 68 studies indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases to investigate how education for sustainable development is integrated into mathematics education across different contexts and levels. The analysis focused on study characteristics, methodologies, alignment with sustainable development goals (SDGs), and research gaps. Results show a growing interest in the field, especially in the past five years, though further development is needed. Most studies were conducted in European countries which have relatively high environmental performance index scores. Many adopted qualitative methods and included in-service and pre-service teachers as participants, while studies involving students were comparatively limited. Over half of the studies did not explicitly reference specific SDGs. Findings highlight the transformative potential of mathematics education for sustainability: participants showed greater understanding of real-world issues and stronger engagement. This review offers valuable insights for educators and policymakers to strengthen mathematics education’s role in achieving the SDGs globally.

Keywords

sustainable development
mathematics education
systematic review
SDG
Education for Sustainable Development

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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

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 22, Issue 3, March 2026, Article No: em2796

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

Publication date: 11 Mar 2026

Article Views: 12

Article Downloads: 4

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How to cite this article

APA

Borromeo Ferri, R., & Bulut, N. (2026). Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(3), em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

Vancouver

Borromeo Ferri R, Bulut N. Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(3):em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

AMA

Borromeo Ferri R, Bulut N. Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2026;22(3), em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

Chicago

Borromeo Ferri, Rita, and Neslihan Bulut. "Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2026 22 no. 3 (2026): em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

Harvard

Borromeo Ferri, R., and Bulut, N. (2026). Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 22(3), em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071

MLA

Borromeo Ferri, Rita et al. "Fostering education for sustainable development through mathematics education: A systematic review study". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 22, no. 3, 2026, em2796. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/18071