Biography

I am presently the Senior Advisor on Strategic Academic Initiatives in the Office of the Provost, and a Professor in the Faculty of Education. From 2020 to 2023 I was the Vice-Provost, Academic and from 2016 to 2020 I served as the Dean of the Faculty of Education. Before coming to York in 2009 I held three previous academic appointments: Kingston University (UK); University of British Columbia; University of East Anglia (UK). I also worked as a Research Associate at Oxford University and as a high school teacher of mathematics.

Scholarly Interests

My research is broadly situated in the field of mathematical thinking, learning, and teaching. More specifically I am interested in the notion of mathematical understanding - driven by the main question of what it might mean to understand a mathematical concept in different situations, and of how we might improve mathematics teaching to promote mathematical understanding.

Current and recent projects include: the potential for theoretical frameworks of understanding as pedagogical tools; the nature of collective understanding (especially as an improvisational process); workplace mathematical learning and understanding; students’ lived experiences of learning mathematics in schools; and teachers’ evolving understanding of mathematics embedded in social justice context problems.

Faculty & School/Dept

• Faculty of Education - Bachelor of Education - Graduate Studies

• Faculty of Graduate Studies, Education - Mathematics education

Selected Publications

• Towers, J., Takeuichi, M., & Martin, L.C. (2018). Examining Contextual Influences on Early Years Students' Emotional Relationships with mathematics. Research in Mathematics Education, 20 (2), 146-165.
• Towers, J., Hall, J., & Martin, L.C. (2018). Using I Poems to Illuminate the Complexity of Students' Mathematical Identities. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 99 (2), 181-196.
• Towers, J., Hall, J., Rapke, T., Martin, L.C. & Andrews, H. (2017). Autobiographical accounts of students' experiences learning mathematics: A review. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 17 (3), 152-164.
• Towers, J., Takeuchi, M., Hall, J., & Martin, L. C. (2017). Students' emotional experiences learning mathematics in Canadian schools. In U. Xolocotzil (Ed.), Understanding emotions in mathematical thinking and learning (pp. 163-186).
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2016). Folding back and growing understanding: A longitudinal study of learning. International Journal for Lesson and Learning Studies, 5 (4), 281-294.
• Takeuichi, M., Towers, J., & Martin, L.C. (2016). What contributes to positive feelings towards mathematics?: Examining mathematics autobiographies. (Wood, M. B., Turner, E. E., Civil, M., & Eli, J. A. , Eds.) Proceedings of the 38th annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Pyschology of Mathematics Education, 1119-11122.
• Towers, J., Takeuichi, M., & Martin, L.C. (2016). Images of mathematics learning revealed through students' experiences of collaboration. (Csíkos, C., Rausch, A., & Szitányi, J. , Eds.) Proceedings of the 40th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 4, 267-276.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2016). Folding back, thickening and mathematical met-befores. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 43, 89-97.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. ( (2016). Teaching for understanding: Folding back and working with prior knowledge. (Csíkos, C., Rausch, A., & Szitányi, J. , Eds.) Proceedings of the 40th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 3, 267-274.
• Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2015). ). Enactivism and the study of collectivity. ZDM: Mathematics Education, 47 (2), 247-256.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2015). Growing mathematical understanding through Collective Image Making, Collective Image Having, and Collective Property Noticing. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 88 (1).
• McGarvey, L., Davis, B., Glanfield, F., Martin, L.C., Mgombelo, J., Proulx, J., Simmt, E., Thom, J., & Towers, J. (2015). Collective learning: Conceptualizing the possibilities in the mathematics classroom.. (In Bartell, T.G., Bieda, K.N., Putnam, R.T., Bradfield, K., & Dominguez, H. , Eds.) Proceedings of the thirty-seventh annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1333-1342.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2014). Growing mathematical understanding through Collective Image Making, Collective Image Having, and Collective Property Noticing. Educational Studies in Mathematics.
• Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2014). Building Mathematical Understanding Through Collective Property Noticing. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 14 (1), 58-75.
• Mamolo, A. & Martin, L.C. (2013). Mathematical understanding in a social justice context. (M. Martinez, & A. Castro Superfine, Eds.) Proceedings of the thirty-fifth annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 821-824.
• Towers, J., Martin, L.C., & Heater, B. (2013). Teaching and learning mathematics in the collective. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 32 (3), 424-433. doi:10.1016/j.jmathb.2013.04.005.
• Martin, L.C., Towers, J., & Ruttenberg, R. (2012). Expanding the Dynamical Theory for the Growth of Mathematical Understanding to the collective. (L.R. Van Zoest, J.J. Lo, & J.L. Kratky, Eds.) Proceedings of the thirty-fourth annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1182-1185.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2012). "Some guys wouldn't use three-eighths on anything...": Improvisational coaction in an apprenticeship training classroom. .7 (1), 8-19.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2011). Improvisational understanding in the mathematics classroom. In Sawyer, K. (Ed.), Structure and Improvisation in Creative Teaching. Cambridge University Press
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2010). Distinguishing interaction and improvisational coaction. (P. Brosnan, D.B. Erchick, & L. Flevares, Eds.) Proceedings of the thirty-second annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 6, 386-392.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2009). Improvisational coactions and the growth of collective mathematical understanding. Research in Mathematics Education, 11 (1), 1-19.
• Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2009). The emergence of a 'better' idea: Pre-service teachers' growing understanding of mathematics-for-teaching. For the Learning of Mathematics, 29 (2), 37-41.
• Glanfield, F., Martin, L.C., Murphy, S., & Towers, J. (2009). Co-emergence and collective mathematical knowing. (M. Tzekaki, M. Kaldrimidou, & H. Sakonidis , Eds.) Proceedings of the thirty-third annual meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1, 257-261.
• Martin, L.C. (2008). Folding back and the growth of mathematical understanding: Extending the Pirie-Kieren Theory. Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 27 (1), 64-85.
• Martin, L.C. & LaCroix, L. (2008). Images and the growth of understanding of mathematics-for-working. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 8 (2), 121-139.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2007). Improvisational etiquette and the growth of mathematical understanding. (T. Lamberg, & L. R. Wiest , Eds.) Proceedings of the twenty-ninth annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 457-464.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2006). Improvisational co-actions and the growth of collective mathematical understanding. (S. Alatorre, J.L. Cortina, M. Saiz & A. Mendez , Eds.) Proceedings of the twenty-eighth annual meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 2, 631-638.
• Martin, L.C., Towers, J. & Pirie, S.E.B. (2006). Collective mathematical understanding as improvisation. Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 8 (2), 149-183.
• Martin, L.C., LaCroix, L. & Fownes, L. (2005). Folding back and the growth of mathematical understanding in workplace training. Adults Learning Mathematics, 1 (1), 19-35.
• Martin, L.C. & Pirie, S.E.B. (2003). Making images and noticing properties: The role of the computer in Mathematical Generalisation. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 15 (2), 171-186.

Selected Presentations

• Allan, A., Rapke, T. & Martin, L.C. (2017, July). Setting aside: How teachers can support students to build on prior knowledge. Presented at: Paper presentation at the thirteenth International Congress on Mathematical Education. Hamburg, Germany.
• Martin, L.C., Towers, J., & Ruttenberg, R. (2014, April 1). The role of collective folding back in the growth of mathematical understanding. Presented at: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2012). The nature and growth of collective mathematical understanding. . Presented at: Paper presented at at the Annual meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education
• Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2011). Improvisational coactions in the workplace training classroom. Presented at: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
• Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2007). The emergence of a better idea: Pre-service teachers growing understanding of mathematics-for-teaching. Presented at: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL
• Martin, L.C. & LaCroix, L. (2004). Images and the growth of mathematical understanding in workplace training. Presented at: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
• Manu, S. & Martin, L.C. (2004). Bilingual students language switching and their growth of mathematical understanding: A study of Tongan school students. Presented at: Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA

Research Projects

Transforming Mathematical Identities: The Potential for Collective Learning to Create Free Spaces for Mathematics

Advancing research methodology in mathematics education for collective learning systems’

Teaching for Mathematical Understanding: The potential of folding back as a research tool

Mathematics Experiences, Images and Identities

Exploring teacher knowledge of mathematics in issues of social justice

The Nature of Collective Mathematical Understanding

The Growth of Mathematical Understanding in Workplace Training

Developing Numeracy in the Workplace

The Nature and Potential Power of Mathematical Problem Posing as a Classroom Activity