Teaching Mathematics for Sustainable Development in Official Educational Institutions: Theoretical and Argumentative Contributions Based on the Key Competence of Problem Solving

Abstract

This article aimed to formulate a theoretical construct that articulates mathematics teaching, sustainable development, and the key competence of problem-solving, within the framework of a doctoral research project conducted in public educational institutions in the municipality of Soledad, Atlántico (Colombia). The research was structured using a qualitative approach and a hermeneutic-dialectical method based on the postulates of grounded theory, which allowed for the integration of empirical findings with theoretical and normative references. Semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and documentary analysis were used for data triangulation. The results revealed tensions between educational regulations, teaching practice, and contextual conditions, which required the construction of a theoretical corpus that recognized mathematics teaching as a contextualized, ethical, and sustainable process. The resulting construct is composed of three interdependent sections: (1) the relationship between context, regulations, and pedagogical practices; (2) the articulation between educational policies, teacher training, and community networks; and (3) the epistemic guidelines for curricular and didactic innovation. Overall, the results established that problem-solving is consolidated as an integrative competence for linking sustainability with mathematics teaching. It is concluded that this construct constitutes a theoretical framework for guiding educational transformation toward the development of critical, reflective citizens committed to sustainable development.