Sustainable Mathematics in Higher Education: Insights from Action Research

Liene Briede (), Oksana Labanova, Natalja Maksimova, Inna Samuilik and Olga Kozlovska
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Liene Briede: UNESCO Chair on Teacher Education and Continuing Education: Interplay of Tradition and Innovation in Education for Sustainable Development, Daugavpils University, Parades Street 1, LV-5401 Daugavpils, Latvia
Oksana Labanova: Centre for Sciences, TTK University of Applied Sciences, Pärnu mnt 62, 10135 Tallinn, Estonia
Natalja Maksimova: Centre for Sciences, TTK University of Applied Sciences, Pärnu mnt 62, 10135 Tallinn, Estonia
Inna Samuilik: Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Parades Street 1, LV-5401 Daugavpils, Latvia
Olga Kozlovska: Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies, Daugavpils University, Parades Street 1, LV-5401 Daugavpils, Latvia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 21, 1-15

Abstract: This study explores how higher mathematics education can be reoriented towards greater sustainability, thereby better preparing students to meet the challenges of the future and supporting their sustainable employability. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was conducted to explore the lived experiences of university mathematics teachers (N = 6) integrating sustainability principles into their teaching practice. Data were collected through interviews, which revealed five thematic areas: responsibility for contributing to a sustainable future, pedagogical contradictions, ways of promoting sustainability, finding community and transdisciplinarity. These themes formed the basis of strategic principles including multi-level integration, methodological and content support, professional community development and transdisciplinarity embedded in a non-linear, cyclical implementation model. Results show that effective integration requires a combination of individual motivation with systemic institutional support, access to structured resources, and collaboration across institutions and disciplines. The proposed framework not only aligns mathematics education with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but also enhances students’ ability to apply mathematical tools to solve complex real-world problems, contributing to their long-term professional sustainability and adaptation to different educational contexts.

Keywords: mathematics education; sustainability; higher education; action research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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