A Critical Analysis of Education for Sustainable Development Integration in Vietnamese Mathematics Textbooks

This study examines how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is integrated into four current mathematics textbook series for Grades 1–12 in Vietnam: Creative Horizon, Connecting Knowledge with Life, Kite, and Discovering Together. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed ninety-four textbooks. The results show that ESD content appears throughout, mainly in the areas of number, algebra, and some elements of analysis, and statistics and probability, with a strong focus on the economic dimension, especially market economic mechanisms. This points to a shift toward financial education. At the microlevel, most activities use ESD as a fixed context for math procedures, offering few chances for deep reflection or practical solutions. The study also finds a lack of geometry content in safety and survival education and almost no mention of gender equality. Based on these findings, we suggest strategies for educators and textbook authors to move from teaching mathematics “about” sustainable development to teaching mathematics “for” sustainable development.