Join our Lab

We welcome prospective Masters and PhD students. Prospective Masters students and prospective PhD students should marta.kobiela [at] mcgill.ca (email) Marta to see what opportunities might be available to work with her as a supervisor. Each supervisor has their strengths and weaknesses. Finding the right supervisor is important for ensuring that there is a good fit in terms of interest and working style so that you have the support you need to successfully complete your program. Here are a few things to consider:

1. You will benefit most if your research topic aligns with my current research. For this reason, I am currently only accepting students who are interested in research on the following topics: a) teaching, learning, and teacher education within the areas of geometry and spatial reasoning; b) student authorship and agency in mathematics, particularly in relation to mathematical practice.
2. To help you determine if your interests align with mine, I strongly encourage you to read my research to see if it is of interest to you (if it is, then that is a good sign!). To find out what research our lab is currently engaged in, please visit the page: Research. I also encourage you to read my profile page. The following pieces are representative of my research: 
   • Kobiela, M., & Lehrer, R. (2019). Supporting dynamic conceptions of area and its measure. Mathematical Thinking and Learning. 21(3), 178-206.
   • 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.
   • 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.
3. A key aspect of my supervision is to involve my students in my own research so that they can learn from engaging in research alongside myself and other members of the research lab. Because of this, I seek to hire my students as Research Assistants, and, when available, I expect that they participate in those opportunities.
4. My research is qualitative in nature. If you are interested in quantitative research, I will not be the best supervisor for you. I am best suited to support design-based research studies, case study research, clinical interview studies of mathematical thinking, microgenetic studies, and analytic methods of thematic analysis and fine-grained analyses of interaction.
5. If you have a related topic, you are welcome to inquire to see if it might be aligned.
6. On the following websites, you will find the requirements for acceptance to our programs. Please carefully read the instructions for applying on the Department of Integrated Studies Website:
   • PhD students
   • MA students

We welcome prospective visiting graduate students. Please note that I do not have funding for visiting students, so you will need to obtain your own funding. Prospective visiting graduate students should marta.kobiela [at] mcgill.ca (email) Marta to see what opportunities might be available to work with her as a supervisor. Before contacting me, please read the information under “Prospective Graduate Students” above to determine whether I would be a good fit for supervising your research.

We welcome undergraduate students who are interested in gaining research experience. Interested undergraduate students should marta.kobiela [at] mcgill.ca (email) Marta. Opportunities for undergraduate students are currently limited to volunteer opportunities. Opportunities for undergraduate research volunteers will vary depending on the stage the research project is in and how long the volunteer joins for. Examples of activities include: a) Helping to read research and summarize research, b) Helping with transcription of data, c) Helping with analysis of data (e.g., qualitative coding), d) Helping with data collection, e) Helping with dissemination of research results (e.g., presenting at local conferences, writing research papers, creating resources for teachers, participating in webinars for teachers).

We welcome prospective postdoctoral research fellows. Please note that I do not have funding to support postdoctoral research fellows, so you will need to obtain your own funding. Prospective postdoctoral fellows should marta.kobiela [at] mcgill.ca (email) Marta to see what opportunities might be available to work with her as a supervisor. Before contacting me, please read the information under “Prospective Graduate Students” above to determine whether I would be a good fit for supervising your research.

1. I expect all lab members to treat each other with respect, kindness, and support. Each member of the lab has important ideas to contribute, no matter where they are in their graduate trajectories. Demeaning attitudes toward others are not tolerated.
2. I expect all lab members to bring the following qualities to their work: a strong desire to learn (this is critical!), an ability and eagerness to learn from feedback, passion about education and making the world a better place, curiosity, open-mindedness to new ideas and people, willingness to ask questions, initiative and independence to solve problems, and eagerness to learn with and from others.

1. I believe in a community-based approach to supervision in which you learn from and with others in the research lab. As such, I will ask that you participate in activities of our lab and departmental math and science communities. At a minimum, this will entail: attending weekly research meetings, attending bi-weekly meetings for our grammar/style club, observing our elementary math methods courses, and participating in our Science and Mathematics Education Research Group (SMERG).
2. Masters and PhD students will have a one-on-one supervision meeting once a month to check in on your thesis work. In advance of the meeting, I will ask you to draft an agenda for the meeting and send something that you are currently working on plus questions you have to discuss.
3. I will encourage you to do quality work and to approach writing and dissemination with the goals of supporting and contributing to researcher and practitioner communities. Because of this, it may take time to publish, disseminate, and complete your thesis.
4. Completing a Masters or PhD thesis is very exciting, but also comes with challenges. Anticipate that everything you do will take at least twice as long as you expect. Each person requires different amounts of time and types of support. I will do my best to support you with your specific needs.