Teachers’ instructional practices reflecting Mathematics for Sustainable Development implementation in secondary schools in Uganda

Abstract

This paper explores the mathematics teachers’ practices during the implementation ofMathematics for Sustainable Development (Math4SD) in lower secondary schools inUganda. The study used a qualitative case study research design with an embeddedprofessional development intervention. Data was collected using lesson observationfield notes, interviews, and students’ focus group discussions. The study adopted thetheory of learning levels of accommodation, reformation, and transformation to evalu-ate teachers’ knowledge of SDGs integration in modelling Math4SD tasks when teach-ing business mathematics. In addition, 21st-century skills such as critical thinking,creative thinking, communication, and collaboration, associated with Math4SD teach-ing, were analysed. The study findings revealed that collaboration skill was the mostexercised skill during the Math4SD teaching and learning process. Considering teach-ers’ Math4SD modelling practices, the transformation level was the most challengingfor teachers to apply. The findings further revealed that teachers’ Math4SD tasks werehighly related to the social and economic SD domains, possibly due to the businessmathematics-related topics teachers used. The study therefore recommends furtherresearch on integrating the SDGS in Mathematics at the secondary school level, usingtopics unrelated to business mathematics.