Professor PhD - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign   Department of Mathematics 617 N. Santa Rita The University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 - 0089

[Click here for other pictures]

Interests                                                                                                                                                                        

My research in mathematics education spreads over two areas: teacher education and equity in mathematics education. In particular my focus is on a socio-cultural approach to the mathematics education of ethnic and language minority students (school age and adults).

My overall research interest in teacher education is in the area of elementary teachers' (preservice and practicing) understanding of and beliefs about mathematics, its teaching and its learning. Four of my current / recent research projects are:

1. CEMELA (Center for the Mathematics Education of Latinos/as) is a NSF-funded Center for Learning and Teaching. It is an interdisciplinary, multi-university consortium (The University of Arizona, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Illinois at Chicago, The University of New Mexico) focused on the research and practice of the teaching of mathematics to Latino/a students in the United States. CEMELA brings together together experts in mathematics education, mathematics, language, and culture to collaboratively work on improving the mathematics education of low-income Latino/a students.
2. MAPPS (Math and Parent Partnerships in the Southwest) is a NSF-funded project on parental involvement in mathematics education.The project activities involve leadership development for teams of parents and teachers/administrators, Math for Parents mini courses and Math Awareness Workshops open to all parents / family members in the district community.
3. Girls in the SYSTEM (Sustaining Youth in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is a NSF-funded project that seeks to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for girls in grades 3 - 8, especially Mexican American, Native American and economically underprivileged girls in southern Arizona.
4. Project Bridge (Linking home and school: A bridge to the many faces of mathematicsis a research endeavor that combines professional development for a small number of teachers/researchers and the development of teaching innovations in mathematics instruction. A basic premise in project Bridge is a rejection of the deficit model for the education of minority and working-class students(i.e. a model that assumes these students lack adequate experiences and background for formal schooling). Instead we capitalize on the knowledge that these students bring to the classroom (uncovered through ethnographic household visits) and work on developing mathematically rich learning experiences that build on these children's experiences. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of Education/OERI.

I have taught precalculus, mathematics courses for business majors, and mathematics courses for elementary and secondary education majors, and for practicing teachers. My most frequent teaching assignment is mathematics teacher education courses. I have developed and taught several courses for practicing elementary and middle school teachers (algebra, geometry, and technology in mathematics teaching and learning). I also teach graduate level courses on research in mathematics education. I am particularly interested in participatory approaches to the teaching of mathematics. My teaching approach involves small group discussions, hands on activities, and use of technology.

Teaching Page

• Civil, M. (1993). Prospective elementary teachers' thinking about teaching mathematics. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 12(1), 79-109.
• Civil, M. (1995). Listening to students' ideas: Teachers interviewing in mathematics. Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Conference of the International Group for PME, Recife, Brazil, July 1995.
• Civil,M. (1998). Mathematical communication through small group discussions. In M. Bartolini-Bussi, A. Sierpinska, and H. Steinbrig (Eds.), Language and Communication in the Mathematics Classroom, (pp. 207-222). Reston, VA: NCTM.
• Civil, M. (1999). Parents as resources for mathematical instruction. In M. van Groenestijn & D. Coben (Eds.), Mathematics as part of lifelong learning (Proceedings of the fifth international conference of 'Adults Learning Maths - A research forum', Utrecht, Netherlands, July 1998) (pp.216-222). London, UK: Goldsmiths College.           
  
• Civil, M., Planas, N., & Fonseca, J.D. (2000). La atención a la diversidad en el aula de matemáticas: haci una participación pedagógica y matemática [Paying attention to diversity in the mathematics classroom: Towards pedagogical and mathematical participation]. Uno: Revista de Didáctica de las Matemáticas, 23, 29-42.
  
• Civil, M., Andrade, R., & Anhalt, C. (2000). Parents as learners of mathematics: A different look at parental involvement. In M.L. Fernández (Ed.), Proceedings of the Twenty Second Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 2, 421-426). Columbus, OH: ERIC Clearinghouse. 
• Civil, M. (2000). Parents as Learners of Mathematics. In S. Johnson & D. Coben (Eds.) (2000), Proceedings of the sixth international conference of Adults Learning Mathematics - A Research Conference, Sheffield Hallam University, England, July 1999, (pp. 141-147).  Nottingham, UK: CEP, University of Nottingham. 
• Civil, M. & Kahn, L. (2001) Mathematics instruction developed from a garden theme. Teaching Children Mathematics, 7, 400-405
• Kahn, L. & Civil, M. (2001). Unearthing the mathematics of a classroom garden. In E. McIntyre, A. Rosebery, & N. González (Eds.) Classroom Diversity: Connecting School to Students' Lives (pp. 37-50). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann:.
• González, N., Andrade, R., Civil, M., & Moll, L.C. (2001). Bridging funds of distributed knowledge: Creating zones of practices in mathematics. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 6, 115-132.
• Civil, M. (2001). Adult learners of mathematics: Working with parents. In G. E. FitzSimons, J. O'Donoghue, D. Coben (Eds.), Adult and Lifelong Education in Mathematics (pp. 201-210 ). Melbourne, Vic. Australia: Language Australia.
• Civil, M. (2001). Redefining Parental Involvement: Parents as Learners of Mathematics. Paper presented at the NCTM Research Presession.  Orlando, FL, April 2001.  
• Civil, M. (2001). Mathematics for Parents: Issues of Pedagogy and Content.  In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference of Adults Learning Maths – A Research Forum. Roskilde University, Denmark, June 2001.  
• Civil, M.& Andrade, R. (2002). Transitions between home and school mathematics: rays of hope amidst the passing clouds. In G. de Abreu, A.J. Bishop, N.C. Presmeg (Eds.), Transitions between contexts of mathematical practices (pp. 149-169). Dordrecht: Kluwer.
• Civil, M. (2002). Everyday Mathematics, Mathematicians' Mathematics, and School Mathematics: Can We Bring Them Together? In M. Brenner and J. Moschkovich (Eds.), Everyday and academic mathematics in the classroom. Journal of Research in Mathematics Education Monograph #11 (pp. 40-62). Reston, VA: NCTM.
• Anhalt, C., Allexsaht-Snider, M. & Civil, M. (2002). Middle School Mathematics Classrooms: A Place for Latina Parents’ Involvement. Journal of Latinos and Education, 1(4), 255-262.
• Planas, N. & Civil, M. (2002) Understanding interruptions in the mathematics classroom: Implications for equity. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 14(3), 169-189.
• Civil, M. (2002). Culture and mathematics: A community approach. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 23, 133-148.
• Civil, M., Quintos, B., & Bernier, E. (2003, April). Parents as Observers in the Mathematics Classroom: Establishing a Dialogue Between School and Community. Paper presented at the NCTM research presession, San Antonio, TX.
• Civil, M. (2003). Adult learners of mathematics: A look at issues of class and culture. In J. Evans, P. Healy, D. Kaye, V. Seabright, & A. Tomlin (Eds.), Policies and practices for adults learning mathematics: opportunities and risks. Proceedings of the 9th International Conference of Adults Learning Mathematics (ALM9) - A Research Forum (pp. 13-23) (invited plenary lecture). Stevenage, UK: Avanti Books.
• Civil, M. & Andrade, R. (2003). Collaborative practice with parents: The role of the researcher as mediator. In A. Peter-Koop, V. Santos-Wagner, C. Breen, & A. Begg (Eds.), Collaboration in teacher education: Examples from the context of mathematics education, (pp. 153-168). Boston, MA: Kluwer.
• Bratton, J., Quintos, B., & Civil, M. (2004, March). Collaboration between researchers and parents for the improvement of mathematics education. Paper presented at the 1st Annual Binational Symposium of Education Researchers, Mexico City, Mexico.
• Civil, M. & Planas, N. (2004). Participation in the mathematics classroom: Does every student have a voice? For the Learning of Mathematics, 24 (1), 7-12.
• Civil, M., Planas, N., & Quintos, B. (2005). Immigrant parents' perspectives on their children's mathematics. Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik (ZDM), 37 (2), 81-89.
• Quintos, B., Bratton, J., & Civil, M. (2005, February). Engaging with Parents on a Critical Dialogue About Mathematics Education. Paper presented at the Fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education, February 17-21, 2005, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain.
• Civil, M., Bratton, J., & Quintos, B. (2005). Parents and mathematics education in a Latino community: Redefining parental participation. Multicultural Education, 13(2),60-64.
• Civil, M. & Quintos, B. (2006). Engaging families in children’s mathematical learning: Classroom visits with Latina mothers. New Horizons for Learning Online Journal, XII,(1).
• Civil, M. & Bernier, E. (2006). Exploring images of parental participation in mathematics education: Challenges and possibilities. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 8(3),309-330.
• Civil, M. (2006, May). Working towards reform in mathematics education: Parents’, teachers’, and students’ views of “different.” Invited Keynote talk at the Third ACCLAIM Research Symposium, Cherry Valley Lodge, OH, May 18-20, 2006.
• Civil, M. (2006). Working towards equity in mathematics education: A focus on learners, teachers, and parents. In S. Alatorre, J.L. Cortina, M. Sáiz, & A. Méndez (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty Eighth Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 1, 30-50). Mérida, Mexico: Universidad Pedagógica Nacional.
• Civil, M. (2007). Building on community knowledge: An avenue to equity in mathematics education. In N. Nassir & P. Cobb (Eds.), Improving access to mathematics: Diversity and equity in the classroom. (pp. 105-117). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
• Civil, M., Planas, N., & Díez-Palomar, J. (2007, September). The Mathematics Education of Immigrant Students From Their Parents’ Perspective (La Educación Matemática de los Alumnos Inmigrantes Desde la Perspectiva de sus Padres). Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Ethnography and Education: Migrations and Citizenships, Barcelona, Spain.(in Spanish)
• Quintos, B. & Civil, M. (2007, September). Parental engagement as a boundary practice in a classroom community of practice: Implications for Latina/o students’ mathematical learning. Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Ethnography and Education: Migrations and Citizenships, Barcelona, Spain.
• Civil, M., Díez-Palomar, J., Menéndez-Gómez, J. M., Acosta-Iriqui, J. (2008, March). Parents’ interactions with their children when doing mathematics. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), New York, NY.

Email:   Marta Civil

This page was last updated on:
April 2008