Sonya N. Martin PhD
Department of Science Education
Seoul National University, Republic of Korea
SONYA N. MARTIN (산야 마틴 / 馬山野)
Professor in the College of Education, Seoul National University
Biography
I am a teacher educator and researcher dedicated to addressing equity and social justice issues in science education. Since 2011, I have been at Seoul National University (SNU), where I initially joined as an assistant professor and worked through the academic ranks to become a tenured full professor in 2020. My research focuses on expanding opportunities for historically marginalized students—including culturally and linguistically diverse learners and students with special education needs—to participate meaningfully in science learning.
Prior to joining SNU, I was a tenured Associate Professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia, where I led a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded study examining how gender, ethnicity, and language intersect in middle school science classrooms. This work deepened my interest in collaborative teaching between science and ESL educators and in exploring the science education experiences of newly arrived immigrant students, particularly those from Asian countries.
My research draws on qualitative methods and sociocultural theories to investigate how culture and language shape science teaching and learning. I frequently collaborate with colleagues across Asia and Australia and use tools such as video analysis, co-teaching, and cogenerative dialogues to engage teachers and students in classroom-based research. These partnerships aim to transform science education practices and promote professional growth for science teachers to better support diverse learners. I am also actively involved in international efforts to address language hegemony in academic publishing, working to reduce barriers for non-native English-speaking scholars in science education.
At SNU, I teach courses on sociocultural theory, multicultural education, science instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students and students with special education needs (SEN), and qualitative research methodologies.
I welcome inquiries from prospective graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and collaborators who are interested in advancing equity in science education through innovative research and practice.