The 27th ICMI Study Conference: Mathematics Education and the Socio-Ecological

The 27th ICMI Study 'Mathematics Education and the Socio-Ecological' will bring together, in a Study Conference and culminating in a ICMI Study volume based on the Conference activities, an expert reference group comprising scholars, with diverse representation within the ICMI community, and across mathematics education sites and contexts. As a named topic, the ‘socio-ecological' is relatively new compared to many others in the field. Yet there is wide recognition of the urgent need for thought leadership to consider what is and might be the role of mathematics and mathematics education in multiple, intersecting, social, political, and ecological issues such as climate change, poverty, inequality, health crises, discrimination, and marginalization. The task of this Study is to reflect on ‘the state of the art' by analysing the growing research and practice in the areas of mathematics education and the socio-ecological, offered from diverse traditions including, and not limited to: critical mathematics education; decoloniality; ethnomathematics; feminist thought, Indigenous ways of knowing; and mathematical modelling. Furthermore, the Study hopes to harness such contributions and anticipate new possibilities, questions, and recommendations for research, innovation and action for mathematics education located in the complexity of social and ecological interdependencies. The Study will build community (including interdisciplinary relations) and open space towards new directions in mathematics education, as it relates to the socio-ecological across local and international levels. In the conference, substantial time will be allocated for collective work and discussion on significant problems within the four topics and the related themes. Outcomes from the conference activity will provide the foundations for the Study volume. The Study Conference will be organized around working groups on the topics presented in the Discussion Document (see 27th ICMI Study page). The working groups will meet in parallel during the conference. It is the work of these groups that will be captured as chapters in the ICMI Study volume. Authors should nominate the theme (one of four) and sub-theme in which they would like their paper considered, by examining the content and questions outlined in the Discussion Document. We encourage papers that are analytical and innovative rather than papers that are merely descriptive in nature. It may be the case that interconnections between sub-theme will emerge and warrant attention; consequently, papers may be re-allocated by the IPC if needed.