Marta Kobiela
Associate Professor
Ph.D., Teaching & Learning (Math & Science Education), Vanderbilt University
M.S., B.S., Mathematics, Texas A&M University
- Mathematics learning and teaching, especially geometry and spatial mathematics
- Learning of disciplinary and professional practice and reasoning
- Teacher education and teacher educator practice and learning
- Design-based research methodology
My research focuses broadly on understanding how individuals learn disciplinary and professional practices and the environments that support their learning. I am particularly interested in the learning of visual practices through interactions with materials and people.
In one line of work, I investigate how to develop students’ reasoning and “seeing” to cultivate authorship and agency in mathematics. I am especially drawn to contexts involving geometry and spatial mathematics, because I believe they have particular material and bodily affordances for supporting students’ reasoning and visualization. Moreover, space and geometry are foundational to other STEM disciplines, so that reasoning about space makes other forms of STEM more accessible to students of all ages.
In another line of work, I investigate how to support the development of pre-service teachers, teachers, and teacher educators in engaging in the professional practices of teaching and facilitation, in the context of mathematics education. Part of my research in this area seeks to characterize the interactional practices that support professional learning. A second part of this research focuses on characterizing professional noticing within moments of interaction.
My research projects are housed within the Visualization, Interaction, & Reasoning Lab. If you would like to learn more about my research or if you are a prospective Master's or PhD student interested in working with me, please visit my lab website.
I am currently finishing up the research projects below. My future research will be focused on spatial reasoning within geometry.
Partnering to Support Cross-School Coherency: Examining Students' Transitions from Elementary to Secondary Mathematics
Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Engage Grant
Research Team: Marta Kobiela (PI), Alain Breuleux (Co-PI), Scosha Merovitz (Collaborator), Cheryl Cantin (Collaborator), Maria-Josée Bran Lopez, Emma Slobodzian
Funding: Fonds de Recherche Québec Société et Culture
Research Team: Marta Kobiela (PI), Vandana Chandrasekhar, Hailey Iacono
Examining Facilitation Practices and Professional Vision of Coaches of Prospective Teachers / Examining the Development of Facilitation Practices and Noticing of Coaches of Prospective Mathematics Teachers
Funding: Internal McGill Development Grant (completed); Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant
Research Team: Marta Kobiela (PI), Vandana Chandrasekhar, Saba Din, Ashley Cameron
Projet ARIM: Processus de Rapprochement des Pratiques D'enseignement de Mathématiques pour Favoriser un Passage plus Harmonieux pour les Élèves lors de Transitions Scolaires
Funding: Fonds de Recherche Québec Société et Culture
Research Team: Claudia Corriveau (PI), Izabella Oliveira (Co-PI), Alain Breuleux (Co-PI), Marta Kobiela (Co-PI), Gyeong-Mi Heo, Scosha Merovitz, Cheryl Cantin, Sophie Pinard, Stephanie Beck, Nilou Baradaran Rahmani, Chao Zhang, Azadeh Javaherpour
Kobiela, M., Iacono, H., Cho, S., & Chandrasekhar, V. (2022). Examining the potential of rehearsal interjections to support the teaching of mathematical practice: The case of mathematical defining. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education. Published online.
Kobiela, M., & Lehrer, R. (2019). Supporting dynamic conceptions of area and its measure. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 21(3), 178-206.
Kobiela, M., Jackson, K. J., Shahan, E., & Savard, A. (2018). Sorting to develop definitional reasoning. Teaching Children Mathematics. 24(4). 250-257.
Kobiela, M., & Lehrer, R. (2015). The codevelopment of mathematical concepts and the practice of defining. Journal of Research in Mathematics Education. 46(4), 423-454.
Click here to listen to an interview about this article.
Lehrer, R., Kobiela, M., & Weinberg, P. J. (2013). Cultivating inquiry about space in a middle school mathematics classroom. The International Journal on Mathematics Education (ZDM), 45(3), 365-376.
Bolger, M., Kobiela, M., Weinberg, P. J., & Lehrer, R. (2012). Children's mechanistic reasoning. Cognition & Instruction, 30(2), 170-206.
Kobiela, M., Iacono, H. Chandrasekhar, V., & Cho, S. (April, 2019). Orchestrating discussions about mathematical definitions: Characterizing opportunities for learning during rehearsals of teaching. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), Toronto, Ontario.
Kobiela, M., Chandrasekhar, V., Cameron, A., & Din, S. (April, 2019). Examining rehearsals of teaching: How interactions contribute to different opportunities for learning. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), Toronto, Ontario.
Lehrer, R. & Kobiela, M. (April, 2019). Supporting dynamic conceptions of multiplication. Paper presented within symposium “Multiplicative models of situations across disciplines” at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), Toronto, Ontario.
Kobiela, M., Iacono, H., Lin, T., Merovitz, S., & Chandrasekhar, V. (April, 2018). Designing to support collective understanding of facilitation practice within a video club context. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), New York, New York.
Breuleux, A., Kobiela, M., Heo, G.M., Oliveira, I., Corriveau, C., Baradaran, N., & Beck, S. (April, 2018). Listening to students: A cultural historical perspective on teacher development. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association (AERA), New York, New York.
Kobiela, M., Merovitz, S., Cantin, C., Lin, T., & Iacono, H. (August, 2017). Examining the development of collective understanding between researcher and facilitator communities through Article Unpacking. Presentation at the meeting of the International Society for Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (ISCAR), Quebec City, Quebec.
Kobiela, M., Merovitz, S., & Chandrasekhar, V. (April, 2017). Video clubs to support facilitator noticing and reflection of practice. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Research Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
Lin, T., Kobiela, M., Jackson, K. (April, 2017). Developing facilitation practices for leading mathematics teacher learning communities. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Research Conference, San Antonio, Texas.
Din, S., Clark, P., Lin, T., & Kobiela, M. (April, 2017). Coaching with a camera lens: Using teachers’ own classroom videos as a tool for professional learning. Presentation at the annual meeting of National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), San Antonio, Texas.
Lin, T., Din, S., Clark, P., Cantin, C., & Kobiela, M. (April, 2017). Coaching coaches for the development of facilitation practices: Impactful structure, support and learning opportunities. Presentation at the annual meeting of National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), San Antonio, Texas.
Kobiela, M., Savard, A., Merovitz, S., & Chandrasekhar, V. (July, 2016). Opportunities for learning in a secondary math teacher leaders in the context of a video club. Presentation at the 13th International Congress on Mathematics Education, Hamburg, Germany.
Lin, T., Jackson, K., Kobiela, M., & Parker, Z. (July, 2016). Developing facilitation practices to support secondary math teacher learning. Presentation at the 13th International Congress on Mathematics Education, Hamburg, Germany.
Lin, T., Jackson, K., Kobiela, M., & Parker, Z. (April 2016). Developing facilitation practices in a secondary math teacher learning community. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Research Conference, San Francisco, California.
Kobiela, M., Jackson, K., Lin, T., Clarke, P., Din, S., & Parker, Z. (April, 2016). Who coaches the coach? Supporting coaches in developing teachers' ambitious mathematics teaching practices. Presentation at the annual meeting of National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), San Francisco, California.
Kobiela, M., & Lehrer, R. (April 2014). Teacher practices for orchestrating discussions about mathematical definitions. Presentation at the annual meeting of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – Research Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Kobiela, M. & Lehrer, R. (June 2013). The co-development of mathematical knowledge and the practice of defining in a middle school classroom. Presentation at the annual meeting of the Jean Piaget Society, Chicago, Illinois.
Kobiela, M. & Lehrer, R. (May 2013). Investigating the co-development of mathematical knowledge and the practice of defining in one middle school classroom. Presentation at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, San Francisco, California.
