Lyndon Martin
Dr Lyndon Martin is a Senior Lecturer. He is also the Director of Research and the Chair of the School Ethics Committee His main area of academic research concerns the notion of mathematical understanding, and how this phenomenon might be described and characterised. One particular area of interest with this field includes the growth of mathematical understanding during workplace training, and in particular how adults working in construction trades understand and use mathematical concepts. This research was carried out in Vancouver, (where Dr Martin is an Adjunct Professor at the University of British Columbia) and was funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council, in partnership with the SkillPlan workplace education organisation. A second ongoing research project explores the idea of collective mathematical understanding, and how this relates to groups and whole classes of learners working together to understand a mathematical concept. In particular he is interested in how collective understanding can be described and characterised as a collaborative act of improvisation, similar to that observed in jazz and theatre performances. This research is in collaboration with Dr. Jo Towers of the University of Calgary, and is carried out in Canada and the UK. Underpinning this ongoing research is an expertise in qualitative research, with the extensive use of video ethnography, video case study, digital video and the associated methods of analysis, and also the ethical issues of such research.
Major Funded Research Projects include:
2003 - 2007 The Growth of Mathematical Understanding in Workplace Training. SSHRC, Canada – Initiative on the New Economy Program.
This project sought to explore and explain the nature and growth of mathematical understanding of adults during workplace training. The study consisted of a series of case studies of individuals and groups of individuals working towards professional certification in a number of construction trades. Through observing and analysing the cognitive mathematical actions and understandings of the trainees as they engaged with a number of mathematically rich tasks, we sought to more fully understand the ways in which adults learn and understand mathematics during their training course.
2003 - 2006 Developing Numeracy in the Workplace. SSHRC, Canada – Valuing Literacy in Canada Program.
This project explored the largely unresearched nature of numeracy of Canadian adults in the workplace. In particular we sought to more fully understand the situated nature of numeracy, and the relationship between workplace mathematical knowledge and the context in which it is created and used.
Selected Publications:
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Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2007). Improvisational Etiquette and the Growth of Mathematical Understanding. In 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/ (pp. 457-464). Reno, NV: University of Nevada.
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Martin, L.C., LaCroix, L. & Fownes, L. (2006). Flexible Mathematical Understanding in an Ironworkers Apprenticeship Classroom. Literacy & Numeracy Studies, 15(1), 43-58.
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Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2003). Collective Mathematical Understanding as Improvisation. In L. Bragg, C. Campbell, G. Herbert & J. Mousley (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia, 1 (p.831). Geelong, Australia.
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Martin, L.C. & Towers, J. (2003). Collective Mathematical Understanding as an Improvisational Process. In N. Pateman, B.J. Dougherty & J. Zilliox (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh Annual Meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 3 (pp.245-252). Honolulu, HI.
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Martin, L.C. (2001). Growing Mathematical Understanding: Teaching and learning as listening and sharing. In R. Speiser, C.A. Maher & C.N. Walter (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1 (pp.245-254). Snowbird, UT.
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Martin, L.C. (2001). Understanding as a Dynamical Process: How do they get to where they are? In R. Speiser, C.A. Maher & C.N. Walter (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1 (pp.372-376). Snowbird, UT.
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Martin, L.C., Towers, J. & Pirie, S.E.B. (2000). Growing mathematical understanding: Three Layered observations. In M.L. Fernandez (Ed.), Proceedings of the Twenty-Second Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 1 (pp. 225-230). Tucson, AZ.
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Pirie, S.E.B. & Martin, L.C. (2000). The role of collecting in the growth of mathematical understanding. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 12(2), 1-20.
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Pirie, S.E.B. & Martin, L.C. (2000). The equation, the whole equation and nothing but the equation: One approach to the teaching of linear equations. In J. Leach & B. Moon (Eds.), Learners and Pedagogy (pp.158-170). New York: Paul Chapman.
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Martin, L.C. & Pirie, S.E.B. (1998). She says we've got to think back: Effective folding back for growth in mathematical understanding. In A. Olivier & K. Newstead (Eds.), Proceedings of the Twenty-second Annual Meeting of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, 4 (pp.255-262). Stellenbosch, South Africa.
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Pirie, S.E.B. & Martin, L.C. (1997). The equation, the whole equation and nothing but the equation. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 34(2), 159-181.
Refereed Conference Presentations (not already listed above):
- Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2008). Improvisational theory as a framework for analysing collaborative problem-solving. Paper Presentation at the 9th Advances in Qualitative Methods Conference. Banff, AB.
- Towers, J. & Martin, L.C. (2007). The Emergence of a ‘Better’ Idea: Preservice Teachers’ Growing Understanding of Mathematics-for-Teaching. Paper Presentation at the 2007 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. Paper Presentation at the 2004 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. Paper Presentation at the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Diego, CA.
- Martin, L.C. (2002). Folding Back and Growing Understanding. Paper Presentation at the 2002 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
- Martin, L.C. & Pirie, S.E.B. (2001). The role of the computer in exploring quadratic equations and occasioning growing understanding. Poster Presentation at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.
- Pirie, S.E.B. & Martin, L.C. (2001). What use is a theory? 5 views on effective ways to analyse children’s mathematical thinking. Structured Poster Session at the 2001 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Seattle, WA.
- Martin, L.C., Towers, J. & Pirie, S.E.B. (2000). Layering observations of growing mathematical understanding. Paper presentation at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education, Edmonton, AB.
- Martin, L.C., Towers, J. & Ashfield, J. (2000). Growing understanding in a whole class environment: The place of teacher as shepherd. Roundtable presentation at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.
- Martin, L.C. & Ashfield, J. (1999). The growth of mathematical understanding within the interactive whole class environment. Poster presentation at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, QB.
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