19. January 2026 | Press releases:

Mathematics also enables sustainable action Joint study by TU Braunschweig and the University of Würzburg

Researchers at the Universities of Braunschweig and Würzburg have empirically proven for the first time that mathematics lessons are a suitable place to promote skills for sustainable development. The scientists have now published the results of their study in the journal ‘Environmental Education Research’.

Although education for sustainable development (ESD) is a core objective in the German school system, its implementation remains a challenge – especially in a subject that is often considered abstract: mathematics. ESD aims to enable young people to understand the United Nations’ 17 global sustainability goals and to actively participate in shaping a future worth living.

A new study has now empirically investigated for the first time the extent to which these skills are already being promoted in mathematics lessons today. The study was conducted by Professor Katrin Vorhölter, head of the Institute for Didactics of Mathematics and Elementary Mathematics at TU Braunschweig, and Professor Hans-Stefan Siller, holder of the Chair of Mathematics V (Didactics of Mathematics) at the University of Würzburg.

Three key areas of competence

“In order to make education for sustainable development tangible in the classroom, Germany uses a framework that distinguishes between three key areas of competence,” says Hans-Stefan Siller, explaining the background to the study.

Recognition is one area. For example, pupils should obtain and analyse information on global issues such as climate change or poverty and understand the connections between them.

Recognition is followed by evaluation: pupils must learn to consider different perspectives, critically question arguments and form their own well-founded opinions.

Finally, there is action. Pupils should use the knowledge they have gained to derive options for action and develop a willingness to commit to sustainable development.

From calculation to responsible action

To examine the extent to which these skills are applied in mathematics lessons, the research team analysed the work processes of 116 pupils in grades 9 to 11. In small groups, the young people solved realistic, open-ended tasks on topics such as climate change, poverty reduction and corporate responsibility.

One example was a task on the topic of ‘protecting the rainforest’: here, the young people analysed the advertising campaign of a brewery that promised to protect one square metre of rainforest for every crate of beer sold. Using publicly available data on beer consumption and deforestation rates, the groups calculated that the actual effect of the campaign was almost negligible. “Mathematics thus became a tool for exposing greenwashing and critically evaluating the effectiveness of advertising promises,” says Katrin Vorhölter.

The evaluation of the recorded discussions provides the first empirical evidence that students demonstrate skills in all three sustainability competencies in mathematics lessons:

  • The area of recognition was the most pronounced, accounting for 78 to 95 per cent of the observed time. The young people researched facts, analysed data from diagrams and made reasoned assumptions to solve the tasks.
  • Evaluation skills came in second place, accounting for 4 to 12 per cent of the time. Here, the groups evaluated the significance of models, questioned the effectiveness of measures and discussed different points of view.
  • The aspect of action accounted for 1.5 per cent of the observed time. The students recognised their shared responsibility and discussed possible solutions to the problems presented.

Shaping the future of mathematics education

“Our study shows that mathematics can be much more than the application of abstract formulas. It enables young people to understand complex problems, develop data-supported arguments and make informed decisions as responsible citizens,” says Katrin Vorhölter, summarising the key finding. For teachers and curriculum developers, this means that they should make even greater use of the potential offered by socially relevant tasks.

“The results, especially the lowest score of only around 1.5 per cent for the ‘action’ competence area, clearly show where future research and development is needed,” adds Hans-Stefan Siller. Research must therefore focus on developing targeted teaching materials that encourage pupils to come up with their own solutions and engage in responsible action.