A major activity of ICMI is to plan and supervise the organization of ICMI Studies. The first ICMI Studies were launched in the mid-80s under the presidency of Jean-Pierre Kahane, with Geoffrey Howson as Secretary-General. They have a great importance and influence on the field and contribute to a better understanding and resolution of the challenges that face multidisciplinary and culturally diverse research and development in mathematics education.

Each Study focuses on a topic or issue of prominent current interest in mathematics education. Built around an international conference, it is directed towards the preparation of a published volume intended to promote and assist discussion and action at the international, regional or institutional level. The main emphasis of a given Study may be on analytical or action-oriented aspects, but some analytical component will always be present.

The goals of an ICMI Studies are:

1. To bring together international scholars (representative of diverse cultural contexts, perspectives, and backgrounds) to exchange knowledge, collectively reflect and discuss a specific theme, topic or issues in mathematics education;
2. To produce a substantial critical review, a meta-analysis or a synthesis of a particular domain;
3. To integrate and/or to contrast multiple theoretical, methodological, empirical and contextual perspectives on the same theme;
4. To enhance state of the art knowledge, understanding and resolution of challenges faced by a certain domain of mathematics education in diverse contexts and cultures;
5. To consider and facilitate multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to advance research and development in mathematics education on a certain area;
6. To envision, identify and anticipate future trends, challenges and needs in a certain domain;
7. To establish agendas for discussion and action at the international, regional or institutional level;
8. To provide a high quality resource for researchers, curriculum developers, teacher educators, policy makers and practitioners of mathematics education;
9. To disseminate scholarship in mathematics education – research, methodologies, theories, findings and results, practices, and curricula.