This week on Womanity, Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Emeritus Professor Jill Adler from Wits University, an internationally acclaimed mathematics education scholar whose career has been shaped by teaching, research, activism and a deep commitment to social justice. From studying mathematics and psychology at Wits and seeing herself first as a teacher, to becoming an A-rated researcher, academic leader and international voice in mathematics education, Prof Adler’s journey shows how education can become a powerful instrument for transformation.

From Classroom Teacher to Social Activist

Prof Adler reflects on the formative experiences that shaped her early commitment to education and social good. A year in the United States during the Vietnam War and student protest movements changed how she understood politics, race and justice. Returning to South Africa, during her university vacations, she became involved in voluntary service work in rural communities, building schools and clinics and beginning what she describes as a life of social activism.

Breaking Barriers in Mathematics Education

Her career unfolded in a landscape marked by apartheid, gender inequality and entrenched assumptions about what counted as serious academic work. As a woman mathematics educator working in a science faculty, she had to challenge scepticism about education as a research field. One defining moment came when she applied for a professorship to develop mathematics education at Wits, deciding that she was “as good as these guys” and stepping into a role that would help build the field.

Creating Pathways for the Teachers We Have

A prominent theme in the conversation is Prof Adler’s insistence that systems must respond to real people and real conditions. She describes establishing a new honours programme for mathematics teachers who had come through colleges of education and needed a different route into postgraduate study. Her goal was not to design for an idealised system, but to develop leadership among the teachers already working in South African schools.

Maths Is for Everyone

Speaking to stereotypes that discourage girls from seeing themselves as mathematicians, scientists or engineers, Prof Adler argues that the problem begins with wider perceptions of mathematics itself. Mathematics is abstract, but it is not a closed world reserved for a few. It can and should be made meaningful for all learners through better teaching, richer classroom activity and a shift away from memorising rules towards understanding mathematics as a way of thinking, proving and acting.

Opening Doors for Girls in STEM

Prof Adler acknowledges that gendered barriers remain, where women still encounter invisible ceilings. Yet she also offers an encouraging message: mathematics opens doors. For girls who enjoy mathematics, she urges them to push further, ignore limiting noise and recognise that strong mathematical capability can create opportunities not only for themselves, but for others who follow.

Language as a Resource, Not a Problem

One of the most compelling sections explores Prof Adler’s influential work on teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms. Her research challenged deficit views of bilingual learners and showed that the languages learners bring are resources for learning. Teachers constantly manage tensions between English, home languages, everyday experience and the specialised language of mathematics. The challenge is not multilingualism itself, but how language is harnessed to make mathematical meaning accessible.

Building Bridges Between South Africa and the World

Prof Adler’s career also demonstrates the importance of intellectual exchange between the Global South and Global North. Through her joint appointment with King’s College London and her leadership in international mathematics education, she worked to ensure that South African research entered global conversations on its own terms. She argues for bidirectionality: knowledge should not simply flow from North to South, but should move both ways, shaped by the realities and insights of different contexts.

Recognition That Changed a Field

Her A-rating from the National Research Foundation was personally meaningful, but Prof Adler frames it as something larger than individual recognition. Becoming the first A-rated researcher in education in South Africa helped affirm that educational research could meet international standards and make a global contribution. For her, the achievement broke a barrier for the field itself.

Legacy, Mentorship and the Work That Follows

Looking back over 45 years of teaching, research, leadership and mentoring, Prof Adler hopes her legacy is twofold: knowledge and people. She points to the postgraduate students, postdoctoral fellows and colleagues who continue the work, as well as the impact of research on language, resources and teacher professional development. Her story suggests that lasting influence is created not only through ideas, but through the people equipped to carry them forward.

Doing It All, But Not All at Once

The interview also turns to ambition, family and the choices women are often required to make. Prof Adler’s advice is clear and generous: you can do it all, but not all at the same time. She reflects on working part-time while her children were young, sharing priorities with her husband, relying on support networks and making deliberate career choices. Her perspective reframes balance as pacing, selection and recognising that every path has trade-offs.

A Message to Girls and Young Women

The conversation closes with a message of possibility and perseverance: dream big, believe in yourself and act on your ambitions. Prof Adler encourages girls and young women to find mentors, build communities, nurture their networks and do the work. Meaningful careers are not built alone, but through courage, discipline, support and the willingness to keep going.

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