Teaching mathematics and climate justice: Reflections from reading group meeting

Contributors: Ela Bryson, Anne Kagoya, Manjinder K. Jagdev, Pete Wright

The reading group is for those wishing to engage with research literature on TMSJ and discuss its relevance to practice. The ninth online reading group meeting took place on 29^th January 2026. We chose to discuss the 2023 paper titled Conceptualising one mathematics teacher’s process of becoming in relation to teaching mathematics and climate justice: The story of Karl (available via open access).

The following questions were used to prompt discussion in relation to the paper:

• How do the findings of the paper relate to your own experiences and classroom practice?
• Would you do anything different in future having read this article?
• From your previous reading and/or teaching experience, is there anything missing from the ‘emergent framework’ that you might like to add?

We were joined for the second half of the meeting by the article’s first and second authors, Tracy Helliwell and Lauren (Loz) Hennessy, who helped facilitate a thought-provoking discussion of the issues raised in the paper, prompted by questions and comments from the groups.

Here are some reflections on the paper and the meeting from those who attended …

Ela Bryson, University of Stirling

Our recent TMSJN meeting offered a rich opportunity to engage with the paper Conceptualising one mathematics teacher’s process of becoming in relation to teaching mathematics and climate justice: The story of Karl by Tracy Helliwell, Lauren (Loz) Hennessy, and Karl Bushnell.

The session, organised by Pete Wright, created a thoughtful and supportive space for discussing the paper and exploring the ideas it raises for our work in teaching mathematics for social justice, and climate justice in particular.

We began in small breakout groups, where we discussed the paper and developed questions for the authors. This format gave us a chance to reflect on how the paper connects to our own contexts as teachers, educators and researchers, and how it resonates with our experiences.

In the second part of the session, we returned to the main room and were joined by Tracy and Loz, who responded to our questions and offered insights into the collaborative process behind the paper and the development of their ideas. They were wonderfully approachable and open, genuinely interested in our perspectives and in hearing how their work connected with our own contexts. It was an invaluable opportunity to consider the complexities of teaching mathematics in ways that address the social and political dimensions of climate justice. There was a great sense of shared purpose throughout the session.

Thank you, Pete, for organising such a fantastic event and for bringing us together to explore ideas and broaden our collective understanding of what teaching mathematics for climate justice can look like in practice.

Anne Kagoya, Primary Teacher and doctoral research student, Walthamstow, London

Reading and discussing the paper ‘Conceptualising one mathematics teacher’s process of becoming in relation to teaching mathematics and climate justice: The story of Karl’ related to my own experience in a number of ways. It helped me to reconsider how I restore cross-curricular elements of climate justice ( and social justice) to my mathematics lessons. Table 1 of the paper was also extremely heartening as it helped me to clarify theories behind how I teach and why and that strengthens the spirit to continue to do ensure my mathematics lessons never become the nightmare as described in Lockhart’s Lament. The discussion with other members of the network reminded me of how good it is to be reminded how differently we all see and experience the world and although we may be connected through the network, trying to share these ideas wider, in our workplaces and communities, still remains challenging, frustrating and even at times isolating – but always worthwhile.

I really appreciated hearing the reflections of Loz and Tracy in terms of their methodology and recruiting teachers to the research.  As a first-year research student with the Open University,  their discussion of the need to develop theories alongside the community of mathematics teachers’  and valuing relationships as key, was very heartening and encouraging.

I think a particular joy was coming together as educators from all sectors from primary to university.

Manjinder K. Jagdev, York St. John University

The findings of ‘The story of Karl’ related to my own experiences and classroom practice. For example, when teaching my PGCE Secondary mathematics student teachers about climate justice, they discussed the impact of global warming, climate change, and rising sea levels. I was privileged to observe one student teacher teach a Year 10 lesson about the island of Tuvalu which is sinking. The pupils worked in groups to analyse data and statistics, feeding back their ideas for solutions and reflections. Moving forward, I have already begun to share the article with student teachers (including primary). I will encourage my student teachers to engage with the democratic practices outlined in the paper, in relation to teaching mathematics topics, in their placement schools; this will be supported by lesson planning during the next subject day in March, followed by a review of teaching in April. The authors of the paper, Loz and Tracy, as well as colleagues who were present in the Reading group meeting, identified pockets of opportunity to do this work despite the rigidity of the national curriculum, to make learning and teaching more meaningful, relevant, engaging and contextual for learners and teachers.