Thematic Working Group on Mathematics for Work, Society and Personal Development: Lifelong Learning, TWG7

This article introduces CERME’s Thematic Working Group 7, Mathematics for Work, Society and Personal Development: Lifelong Learning. The group investigates how mathematics is encountered, learned, and used across the life course, including adult education, workplaces, communities, homes, and informal contexts. Moving beyond a school-centred view of mathematics, the article highlights mathematics as a socially situated practice that can support participation, employability, citizenship, dignity, and well-being. Three main research areas structure the work of TWG7: adults learning mathematics, mathematical literacy and numeracy, and vocational and workplace mathematics. Across these areas, the group explores how mathematical practices are connected to personal experiences, social inequalities, professional identities, and everyday decision-making. The article also outlines cross-cutting theoretical and methodological perspectives, including critical mathematics education, socio-cultural approaches, design-based research, and action research. Finally, it identifies future directions for the field, such as developing inclusive approaches to adult mathematics education, integrating numeracy into vocational and professional contexts, and strengthening collaboration among researchers, educators, industry professionals, and policymakers.