Melissa A. Navarro Martell, Ph.D.

Melissa Navarro

Pronouns: (ella/she/her(s))
Associate Professor
Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education

SDSU

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Building/Location

Lamden Hall - 219
Mail Code: 1152

Files

Website Links

Bio

Melissa A. Navarro Martell, Ph.D. (ella/ella/ella(s)), es una investigadora y profesora asistente en el Departamento de Bilingüismo y Educación para Aprendices de Inglés (DLE) en la Universidad Estatal de San Diego. Su investigación y enseñanza han avanzado el campo de la educación científica bilingüe con numerosas publicaciones que detallan cómo preparar educadores multilingües con conciencia crítica sobre las consideraciones sociopolíticas, ideológicas, culturales y lingüísticas para la enseñanza STEM equitativa, específicamente en la educación bilingüe.

El portafolio de investigación del Dr. Navarro Martell es un claro llamado a la acción colectiva frente a la necesidad de descolonizar la educación en matemáticas y ciencias para abordarla desde una perspectiva antirracista. Tiene una credencial de enseñanza de California y fue maestra bilingüe (español/inglés) de justicia social en matemáticas y ciencias de cuarto y octavo grado. Sus experiencias como estudiante inmigrante de sexto grado de Tijuana, México, inspiraron su camino como educadora que comprende a los estudiantes multilingües.

Melissa A. Navarro Martell, Ph.D. (ella/she/her(s)), is an award-winning researcher and assistant professor in the Department of Dual Language and English Learner Education at San Diego State University. Her research and teaching have advanced the field of bilingual science education with numerous publications detailing how to prepare critically conscious multilingual educators on the sociopolitical, ideological, cultural, and linguistic considerations for equitable STEM teaching, specifically in dual-language education.

Dr. Navarro Martell's research portfolio is a clear call to collective action regarding the need to decolonize math and science education to approach it from an anti-racist perspective. She holds a California teaching credential and is a former 4th and 8th-grade social-justice math and science Spanish/English dual-language teacher. Her experiences as an immigrant 6th-grade student from Tijuana, México, inspired her path as an educator who understands multilingual learners.

Education

  • Ph.D. Education, San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate School
  • Master of Education, University of California, Los Angeles
  • B.A. Spanish Literature, University of California, San Diego

Areas of Specialization

  • Dual language
  • Critically conscious bilingual teacher preparation
  • Decolonizing STEM Education
  • Multilingual Learners

Certifications

California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with Spanish bilingual authorization

Languages

  • Spanish
  • English
  • Translanguaging

Awards & Honors

Scholarly Awards

Faculty-Professional Awards

2023 National Latina Woman of the Year Award
Recipient of the prestigious Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF) Board of Directors Award to recognize my outstanding accomplishments and dedication as a professional.

2022 Early Career Researcher Best Paper Award
Selected sole recipient of the Early Career Researcher Best Paper Award in the
Science Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group with the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Faculty-Professional Competitive Fellowships and Programs

2023 Selected Awardee-3-Unit Assigned Time
SDSU College of Education
Assigned Time for Exceptional Service

2022 Grants Research and Enterprise Writing Fellowship (GREW) Fellow
SDSU Research & Innovation
Selected participant of the 2022 cohort

2022 Selected Awardee-3-Unit Assigned Time
SDSU Division of Research and Innovation
Research/Scholarship/Creative Activity (RSCA)

2022 Faculty Scholar
Multi-Campus Transformation and Equity Network
Selected faculty for a program that centers diversity and excellence in STEM

2022 Faculty Fellow
Institute For Teachers Of Color Committed To Racial Justice

2021 Faculty Fellow
American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education
National fellowship that only selects 15 fellows per academic year

2020 Scholar
Quantitative Research Methods for STEM Education
Twenty scholars are selected for a 2-year, NSF-funded project offered by the University of Maryland, College Park, to build capacity in STEM Education research.

2019 Whisenton Public Scholar
Kettering Foundation & Joffre T. Whisenton and Associates
Ten scholars are selected every two years to serve in this role, which encourages scholars to try out elements of citizen-centered democracy in the context of teaching, research, and service.

2019 Selected Attendee
Pre-Conference Early Career Faculty Seminar, Division K (Teaching and Teacher Education), American Educational Research Association (AERA). Selected as an attendee for the competitive pre-conference seminar.

2018 Selected Participant
CSU Dominguez Hills Grants for My Research Program. Selected participant for a
competitive program that builds faculty capacity in applying for major external grants. Participant Amount: $1,500

Courses

  • DLE 910: Teaching Mathematics to Bilingual Students
  • DLE 912: Teaching Science to Bilingual Students
  • ED 808: Academic Research and Publishing in Education

Research

Refereed Presentations- Professional Conferences

International and National Presentations

  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2023, April). Challenging dominant science ideologies: A 7th-grade dual-language teacher. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Science Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group. Chicago, IL.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. & Esquinca, A. (2023, April). Preparing ideologically clear dual-language science educators. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group. Chicago, IL.
  • Alfaro, C., Hernández, S.J., & Navarro Martell, M.A. (2023, February). En Busca de equity: recognizing tensions in curriculum and practice for multilingual learners: Escuchando las voces de docentes. Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, Portland, OR.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2023, February). Preparing ideologically clear science dual language educators in session “Integrando STEAM: A guide for elementary bilingual and dual language programs.” Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, Portland, OR.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2023, January). Challenging dominant science and language ideologies and practices as a 7th grade dual language teacher. Presented at the Hawaii International Conference in Education. Honolulu, HI.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2022, November). Electronic science notebooks: Affordances and constraints beyond virtual learning. Presented at La Cosecha. Santa Fe, NM.
  • Alfaro, C., Hernández, S.J., & Navarro Martell, M.A. (2022, November). Recognizing tensions in curriculum and practice for multilingual learners: Escuchando las voces de docentes. La Cosecha. Santa Fe, NM.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A., *Yanga-Peña, J., & Barrett, G. (2022, April). Documenting two dual language maestras’ pedagogical approaches to teaching science: Growing globally conscious citizens. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Science Teaching and Learning Special Interest Group. San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A., Alvarez-Clark, P., Howell Gastelum, K., Ayala-Cortez, S, & Hernández, S.J. (2022, April). STEM “sin fronteras” in the Cali-Baja region. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Bilingual Education Research Special Interest Group. San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2022, March). Challenging dominant science and language ideologies and practices as a 7th-grade dual language teacher. Presented at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching as part of the Symposium: Multi-faceted and Emerging Approaches towards Transforming STEM Teaching, Learning, and Research. Vancouver, Canada (presented virtually).
  • Navarro Martell, M.A., Alvarez-Clark, P., Howell Gastelum, K., Ayala-Cortez, S. & Hernández, S.J. (2022, February). Mathematics “sin fronteras” in the Cali-Baja Region. Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, New York City, NY.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2022, February). Ciencias criticas: Decolonizing science education with dual language learners and teachers. Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, New York City, NY.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A.   (2021, April). Critical Science: Decolonizing Science Education with Dual Language Learners and Teachers. Pre-recorded presentation at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators. Houston, TX.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2021, April). Bilingual science: How K-8 dual language teachers cultivate language and content equity in their classrooms. American Educational Research Association. Second Language Research SIG. (virtual conference)
  • Navarro Martell, M.A., *Yanga-Peña, J., & Barrett, G. (2021, April). Growing Globally Conscious Citizen in a 4th/7th grade Dual-Language Science Classroom: Documenting Teacher Pedagogies. American Educational Research Association. Bilingual Education Research SIG. (virtual conference)
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2020, July). Equitable Spaces for Bilingual Learners in Spanish/English Dual-Language Science Classrooms. Presented at the annual meeting of The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Conference canceled-COVID)
  • Cho, W., Navarro Martell, M.A., *Barton, R., & Blevins, D. (2020, June). Decolonizing Therapy Speak through Translanguaging. American Family Therapy Academy annual meeting, Alexandria, Virginia. (Conference canceled-COVID)
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. & *Martinez, C. (2020, February). Creating Equitable Spaces for Bilingual Learners in Dual-Language Science Classrooms. Presented at the annual meeting of the National Association of Bilingual Educators, Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2020, January). Decolonizing science education: Lifting language and culture. Presented at the annual Creating Balance Conference, Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2019, November). Decolonizing Science Education for Bilingual Learners. Presented at La Cosecha, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
  • Fernandez, Y., Curammeng, E., McGovern, E., *Lugo, J.C., & Navarro Martell, M.A. (2019, August).  The Role of Justice and Equity in Education: New Knowledges, Pedagogies, and Pathways in an Everchanging World. Accepted at the annual meeting of the World Education Research Association, Tokyo, Japan.
  • Stacy, J., Fernandez, Y., *Rueda, X., Navarro Martell, M.A., McGovern, E., & Sarmiento, L. (2019, August). El Pregonero: un proceso transformador para la preparación de maestros bilingües. Presented at IV Congreso Internacional “Formación en Educación y Docencia Intercultural en América Latina” at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2019, April). Equitable Spaces for Bilingual Learners in Dual-Language Science Classrooms. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2018, November). Ciencias: Demostración y discusión de una lección de ciencias por medio de circuitos de nivel primaria/secundaria. Presented at La Cosecha, Santa Fe, NM.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, November). Ciencias: Demostración y discusión de una lección de ciencias por medio de circuitos de nivel primaria/secundaria. Presented at La Cosecha, Albuquerque, NM.
  • Herrera Villareal, F., Navarro Martell, M.A., Kovats Sánchez, G., & Villarreal, A. (2017, April). Advancing underrepresented students’ STEM career pathways within diverse institutional contexts. Presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Antonio, TX.
  • Herrera Villarreal, F., Navarro Martell, M.A., Kovats Sánchez, G., Villarreal, A., & Zeldon, M. J. (2017, March). Advancing Latinx college students in STEM college pathways within HSIs. Presented at the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Conference, Irvine, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2016, November). Ciencias: Demostración y discusión de una lección de ciencias por medio de circuitos de nivel primaria/secundaria. Presented at La Cosecha, Santa Fe, NM.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A., Luschei, T., Santibañez, L., & Soto-Peña, M. (2016, October). Dual language teachers’ narrative: A checklist for success. Presented at the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Herrera Villareal, F., Kovats Sánchez, G., Navarro Martell, M.A., Villareal, A., & Zeldon, M. J. (2016, October). Diverse STEM pathways: A closer look at Latino students and the role of HSIs. Presented at the Society for the Advancement of Chicano/Latinos and Native Americans in Science Conference, Long Beach, CA.

State and Local Presentations

  • Navarro Martell, M. A. (2022, April). Equity in science education for racialized learners. Presented at the annual meeting of the California Association of Bilingual Educators. (virtual conference).
  • Navarro Martell, M. A. & *Yanga-Peña, J. (2022, April). Interactive science notebooks: Digitizing beyond the pandemic. Presented at the annual meeting of the California Association of Bilingual Educators. (virtual conference).
  • Navarro Martell, M.A.  & *Martínez, C.  (2021, March). Equitable Science: Supporting Critically Conscious Dual Language Science teachers. Presented at the annual meeting of the California Association of Bilingual Educators. (virtual conference)
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2021, January). Pedagogía crítica durante ciencias en las escuelas de doble inmersión. Presented twice virtually at the annual San Diego Dual Language Conference. Hosted by the San Diego County Office of Education and San Diego State University. San Diego, California.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. & *Martínez, C. (2020, April). Ciencias: ¡Es solo ciencia espacial!. California Association of Bilingual Education Conference, San Francisco, CA. (Conference canceled-COVID)
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2019, March). Circuitos: Demonstración y discusión de una unidad de circuitos eléctricos. Presented at the California Association of Bilingual Education Conference, Long Beach, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2019, March). Creating access to the Next Generation Science Standards for Bilingual Learners. Presented at the California Association of Bilingual Education Conference, Long Beach, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A.  (2019, January). Critical science in the dual language classroom-Critical science con estudiantes bilingües. Presented at the Dual Language and English Learner Conference at San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, June). Next Generation Science Standards demonstration and discussion from K-8th grade. Presented at the Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education, Palm Springs, CA. 
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, June). Circuitos: Demonstración y discusión de una lección de ciencias. Presented at the Association of Two-Way & Dual Language Education, Palm Springs, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, March). Kindergarten students: Predictors of teachers’ perceptions on student science knowledge and skills in classrooms with English learners. Presented at the San Diego State University Student Research Symposium, San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, March). Circuitos: Demonstración y discusión de una lección de ciencias. Presented at the California Association of Bilingual Education Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2017, January). Circuitos: Demonstración y discusión de una lección de ciencias. Presented at the Dual Language English Learner Institute, San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2016, November). Introduction to the Next Generation Science Standards. Presented at the South Regional California Association for Bilingual Educators Conference, Chula Vista, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2016, November). Demostración y discusión de una lección de ciencias por medio de circuitos. Presented at the South Regional California Association for Bilingual Educators Conference, Chula Vista, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2016, March). Circuitos: Demostración y discusión de una lección de ciencias. Presented at the Dual Language English Learner Institute, San Diego, CA.
  • Navarro Martell, M.A. (2015, November). Introduction of the Next Generation Science Standards. Presented at the South Regional California Association for Bilingual Educators Conference, San Diego, CA.
  • Alfaro, C., & Navarro Martell, M.A. (2015, October). Teacher preparation collaborative: Making rigorous standard accessible to emergent bilinguals. Presented at the California Council of Teacher Educators Conference, San Diego, CA.

Invited Keynote and Speaker Series

  • 2023 “Café: Mujeres STEAM.” Invited panelist to engage in a conversation in Spanish around
    women’s personal experiences and research in STEAM. At Benemérita Escuela Normal
    Urbana Federal Fronteriza in conjunction with Benemérita Escuela Normal Rosaura Zapata. Mexicali, BC, México.
  • 2023 Invited panelist for the opening keynote at the Mexican American Opportunity
    Foundation’s 42nd Annual National Latina Women’s Conference.
  • 2022 “Translenguando: Learning and Teaching en dos Idiomas en la Frontera.” Invited speaker
    for the 2022 virtual lecture series Talking Race in the Borderlands. SDSU Imperial Valley Campus, CA.
  • 2021 “Past and present plurilingual teacher preparation programs: Educating and learning in
    translanguaging spaces.” Invited speaker for the CSU Chancellor’s Office webcast focused on highlighting three teacher preparation programs and former students to discuss inclusive pedagogy.
  • 2021 “Critical Science: Valuing multilingual students and communities.” Invited speaker for
    Youth of Color Critical Mentorship Summit organized by the leadership team of Code
    Switch: Restorative Justice for Girls of Color. Las Vegas, Nevada.
  • 2021 “Ideological Perspectives in STEM with Latinx Students at HSIs.” Invited speaker for
    the CSU Chancellor’s Office webinar titled Culturally Sensitive Teaching in STEM.
  • 2020 “Las ciencias y pedagogía crítica en las escuelas de doble inmersión.” Invited Keynote
    for the third annual Conferencia Anual para Maestrxs Bilingües. CSU Dominguez Hills,
    Carson, CA.

Grants

External Awards

$1,202,028 – Co-Principal Investigator, Support partnership for new bilingual science and engineering maestres, National Science Foundation, Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL: 2300927) (2023-2027).

$111,850 – Researcher and Curriculum Developer, Ethnic Studies Together and Now, Hacienda/La Puente Unified School District, La Puente, CA (2021-2024).

$318,000 – Senior Researcher, “SDSU-ELSF Classroom Research Study.” English Learner Success Forum, Invited Proposal, January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2022.

$500,000 – Researcher, Project ACCESS, Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, 2021.

$30,000 - Researcher, Educational Excellence for the Educator Workforce Investment Grant Program: English Learner Roadmap. A partnership between SDSU and the California Association of Bilingual Educators, 2020.

Internal Awards

$5,000–Principal Investigator- “Developing an HSI research agenda.” Faculty Mentoring Grant, Dean of College of Education, San Diego State University, 2022-2023.

$5,000 –Principal Investigator- “Presenting and formalizing a pilot project for an NSF CAREER grant.” Faculty Mentoring Grant, Dean of College of Education, San Diego State University, 2021-2022.

$7,500 – Principal Investigator- “Critical STEM sin Fronteras in the Cali-Baja Region: preparing K-6 teachers to teach STEM inclusive of transnational migrant students.” SDSU Seed Grant, San Diego State University, 2021-2022.

Media

Media Appearances 

Klitzing, M. (2023, May 12). Navarro Martell garners National Latina Woman of the Year award. San Diego State University News Center. Retrieved from
https://education.sdsu.edu/news/2023/navarro-martell-nets-orgs-national-latina-woman-of-the-year-award

Klitzing, M. (2022, March 21). Navarro Martell shows the write stuff in winning AERA honor. San Diego State University News Center. Retrieved from
https://education.sdsu.edu/news/2022/navarro-martell-shows-write-stuff-in

Browning, Paul. (2020, March 10). CSUDH awarded nearly $1.3 million to develop faculty learning communities. CSUDH Campus News Center. Retried from
https://news.csudh.edu/faculty-learning-communities/

Klitzing, M. (2019, November 19). Ask an alumn: Melissa Navarro Martell ‘18. San Diego State University News Center. Retrieved from
http://sdsucoenews.blogspot.com/2019/11/ask-alum-melissa-navarro-martell-18.html

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

Navarro Martell, M. A., *Yanga-Peña, J., *Vásquez, S., & *Huerta, V. C. (in press). Going paperless: How digital science notebooks are changing the future of science education and language learning. Science and Children.

Zahner, W., Hernández, S., Navarro Martell, M. A., Alfaro, C., (2023). Teaching multilingual learners during COVID-19: Lessons shared from teachers. Multilingual Educator. California Association for Bilingual Education (p. 17-19).
https://www.gocabe.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023onlineME.pdf

Hernández, S. J., Alfaro, C., & Navarro Martell, M. A. (2022). Bilingual teacher educators as language policy agents: A critical language policy perspective of the Castañeda v. Pickard Case and the bilingual teacher shortage. Language Policy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-021-09607-y

Navarro Martell, M. A. (2021). Learning and teaching en dos idiomas: Critical autoethnography, translenguaje, y rechazando English Learner. Centering Translanguaging in Critical Teacher Education: Cultivando Nuevos Conocimientos de Translenguaje en la Educación de Futuros Docentes. Association of Mexican American Educators (AMAE) Journal, 15(3), 11-29. https://doi.org/10.24974/amae.15.3.443

Navarro Martell, M.A. (2021) Ciencias bilingües: How Dual Language Teachers Cultivate Equity in Dual Language Classrooms. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13670050.2020.1870925

Refereed Book Chapters

Navarro Martell, M. A. & *Yanga-Peña, J. (accepted). Supporting multilingual student sensemaking in science through translanguaging. In S. Ibarra Johnson, M. Armijo-Romero, & M. Jurado (Eds.), Cultivating the pedagogy of translanguaging for K-12 transformative education: Approaches, activities, and strategies for students and teachers. Velasquez Press.

Navarro Martell, M.A., & Zahner, W. (2024) Research on the equitable use of language(s) and discourses in dual language and multilingual mathematics and science classrooms. In J. Freire, C. Alfaro and E. DeJong (Eds.). The Handbook of dual Language and bilingual education, (pp. 536-555). Routledge.

Navarro Martell, M.A., & Esquinca, A. (2023). Preparing ideologically clear science bilingual and dual language educators. In M. Di Stefano, I. Villanueva & A. Esquinca (Eds.). Integrando STEAM: A guide for elementary bilingual and dual language programs (pp. 158-169). El Monte, CA: Velasquez Press.

Navarro Martell, M. A., *Yanga-Peña, J., & *Barrett, G. (2022). Growing globally conscious citizens: Documenting two dual language maestras’ pedagogical approaches to teaching science. In M. Y. Medina & M. Machado-Casas (Eds.), Encyclopedia of critical understandings of Latinx and global education (pp. 195-221). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.

Herrera F., Kovats Sánchez, G., Navarro Martell, M.A., & Zeldón, M. J. (2018). Latinx students in STEM college pathways: A closer look at the role of Hispanic serving institutions. In T. T. Yuen, E. Bonner, & M. G. Arreguín-Anderson (Eds.), (Under)represented Latin@s in STEM: Increasing participation throughout education and the workplace (pp. 3-18). New York, NY: Peter Lang.

PODCASTS

Haine-Schlagel, R. (Host). (2022-Present). COE Connections Podcast. Episode 1: Dr. Melissa A. Navarro Martell [Audio podcast episode]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-1-dr-melissa-a-navarro-martell/id1650452683?i=1000583062256

Educational Reports

Zahner, W., Alfaro, C., Hernández, S., Navarro Martell, M.A., Ochoa, E., & Perez, L. (2021). Teachers’ voices on instructional materials and multilingual learners. English Learner Success Forum.

Luschei, T., Santibañez, L., Soto-Peña, M., Navarro Martell, M.A. (2016). Evaluation of one district’s Spanish dual language immersion program. Claremont Graduate University.

Non-Refered Policy Brief

Navarro Martell, M.A. (2023). Urgencia: apoyando a docentes de K-8o para enseñar ciencias bilingües.
https://education2.sdsu.edu/ceber/research