Unveiling the latent curriculum incidental mathematics through digital task integration in secondary education

The secondary education curriculum often explicitly focuses on formal mathematical concepts, potentially overlooking the inherent mathematical learning embedded within digital tasks students engage with daily. This "latent curriculum" of mathematics, though pervasive, remains largely unexamined. This review aims to consolidate existing research on the incidental mathematics present in digital tasks used within secondary education. Specifically, it seeks to identify the types of mathematical concepts encountered, the cognitive processes involved in their implicit application, and the potential for leveraging these experiences for enhanced mathematical understanding. A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted. Databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC were searched using keywords related to digital tasks, incidental learning, latent curriculum, mathematics education, and secondary school. Studies focusing on students aged 12–18 (encompassing grades 7 through 12) engaging with digital tools and activities were included. Our findings indicate that a significant range of mathematical concepts, including proportional reasoning, spatial awareness, data interpretation, and algorithmic thinking, are implicitly engaged with through various digital tasks such as gaming, coding, data visualization, and online collaborative platforms. Studies highlight the role of problem-solving, pattern recognition, and logical deduction as key cognitive mechanisms. However, consistent pedagogical integration to capitalize on this latent curriculum is largely absent. Digital tasks offer a rich, albeit often unrecognized, avenue for incidental mathematical learning in secondary education. Further research is needed to explore explicit strategies for educators to identify, acknowledge, and build upon these latent mathematical experiences to foster deeper and more connected mathematical understanding among students.