UofA Mathematics Professor Marta Civil Elected to National Academy of Education - Among Other Honors
photo by Chris Richards
Congratulations to Mathematics Professor Marta Civil on receiving 2 highly distinguished honors this year so far in the world of mathematics education. Most notably, she was among a small number of education leaders elected to the National Academy of Education.
Carol Lee, president of the National Academy of Education said: “Our distinguished colleagues now joining the National Academy of Education bring the range of expertise and commitments needed for our field to update itself and wrestle with these complexities continuously. We are delighted and honored that this cohort of scholars will join us in tackling these complexities.” (press release)
In addition, Marta also received the Distinguished Scholar Award of the Special Interest Group for Research in Mathematics Education (SIG/RME) in the American Educational Research Association. (separate from the National Academy of Education) This award “recognizes and celebrates the programmatic research of a distinguished scholar within the field of mathematics education”. (SIG/RME call for nominations)
“These awards signify a recognition of my journey, which builds on the work of great mentors I had and is also reflected in the work of those I have mentored over the years,” Marta shared, “It is also a tribute to the many teachers, students, and families with whom I have had the honor to work over my career. I have learned so much from them!”
Marta’s mathematics education research has led to improved learning opportunities for teachers, students, and their families. It seeks to turn language and cultural diversity into educational assets for the mathematics education of all students. With a goal of improving learning opportunities for not only teachers but also students and their families, Marta argues that all students, independently of their backgrounds, have rich mathematics experiences and it is our duty to understand and build on these experiences. The sociocultural aspect of Marta’s work is grounded in the concept of Funds of Knowledge, which capitalizes on the knowledge and experiences that students and their families bring to the classroom.
Working mainly in immigrant communities with the premise of understanding students’ lives in the classroom, Marta notes that it is important to take a closer look at both the micro and macro aspects. Her most well-known area of research relates to the development of a scholarly agenda centered on parental engagement in mathematics.
“A key concept from my research is that of parents as intellectual resources for their children’s [and their own] mathematics education,” Marta explained, “I address issues of valorization of knowledge that are pervasive in the education of immigrant and minoritized children and that relate to issues of participation in classroom mathematical discussions, which I am studying in linguistically and culturally diverse settings.”
The Department of Mathematics here at the University of Arizona works to give faculty like Marta the freedom to pursue research that interests them most. “It is quite unique to think of a mathematics department as a setting where one can pursue a sociocultural, community-based mathematics education research agenda,” Marta said when asked how the department helped her achieve such exceptional honors.
When asked about advice for those new to research in mathematics education, Marta shared that it is important to focus on what you think is best for the students, families, and teachers that you work with, listening and learning from them.
“Follow what you are passionate about and not necessarily what is ‘trendy’. You have to enjoy what you are doing. For me, that joy comes from the work I have done with the children, their families, and teachers over the years.”
Congratulations once again on these extraordinary honors Marta.