College of Education and Human Development

Department of Educational Psychology

Martin Van Boekel

  • Pronouns: they, them, theirs

  • Teaching assistant professor

Martin Van Boekel

Areas of interest

  • Supporting transgender and non-binary students
  • Academic feedback, including developing feedback literacy
  • Classroom-based research in partnership with teachers, students, and administrators
Degrees

Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaign, 2016-17
PhD, University of Minnesota, 2016
MA, University of Victoria, BC, 2011
BEd, Lakehead University, ON, 2003
BSc University of Toronto, ON, 2001

Biography

My role as an instructor

My primary role here is the teaching and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students. I’m here because I truly believe that education is important. Do I believe that the systems surrounding education are perfect? Absolutely not, and if I am lucky enough to see you in one of my classes we will work through that together.

When you take one of my classes, I want you to know and feel that I care about you - and not just you as a student. I hope you see that I forefront relationships, and the efforts I put into this are genuine. I aim to create an environment where everyone feels as though they belong and have ownership in the learning process.

I spend a lot of time thinking about learning and all that surrounds that. I think about how the decisions I make in the classroom serve to reinforce or dismantle different values within the larger educational system. That means my classes are always evolving as I grow and as students’ tell me their needs. It also means that I am very open with my students about decisions I am making, and we work through the goods and the bads of the decisions I make together.

As a first generation student and an international student (here during my PhD), there were so many things that I missed or didn’t understand about the university experience. Therefore, it is important for me to help make the hidden curriculum visible.

Happiness in the Closet

I am non-binary. It took me a while to “come out” and that had repercussions throughout my life. I made it a commitment to myself to find ways to support trans and/or gender non-conforming through my work, hence the research collaborative “Happiness in the Closet.” Together we attempt to elevate the voices of TGNC people. Learn more about our work at Happiness in the Closet.

Feedback in the wild lab

The feedback lab is a collaborative pursuit in trying to understand the conditions that improve students’ uptake and use of feedback. Our work investigates the cognitive and social factors that constrain the feedback process, and explore ways to boost feedback literacy in teachers and students.

Research interests

Research Lab: Martin Van Boekel

My position as a Teaching Assistant Professor has me focused on all things learning. All my classes effectively explore how people learn, approaching this topic from cognitive, educational, and social psychological perspectives. My program of research reflects this. The feedback lab’s main goal is to better understand the feedback process, but ultimately my research focuses on a variety of factors that support or interfere with student learning. Take a look at my vita (linked above) to get a better understanding of the scope of my research program. I’d suggest paying particular attention to the conference presentations, as they best represent what I am currently doing.

Publications

Van Boekel, M., *Hufnagle, A., *Weisen, S., & *Troy, A. (2023). The feedback I want versus the feedback I need: Investigating students’ perceptions of feedback. Psychology in Schools.

Presentations

Van Boekel, M., Chavarria, T., *Bruton, A., *Steadman, C., & *Weisen, S. (2024). Finding happiness inside the closet: Exploring the intersection of gender, fashion, and well-being. Paper presented at the 2nd International Trans Studies Conference. Evanston, Illinois.

*Lundquist, H., *Weisen, S., *Steadman, C., & Van Boekel, M. (2024). More than a feeling: Using portraiture to explore undergraduate students’ emotional responses to feedback. Paper presented at International Society of the Learning Sciences Conference.

*Byun, C., *Steadman, C., *Hufnagle, A. S., *Weisen, S., *Christianti, D., *Troy, A., *Wahyuni, I., Stweart, J., & Van Boekel. M. (2023). Examining students’ strategies for processing and using feedback: A think-aloud study. Paper presentation at American Education Research Association Conference, Chicago, IL, United States.
 
*Christianti, D. & Van Boekel, M. (2023). Supporting students’ uptake and use of feedback: A feedback literacy intervention. Poster presented at American Psychological Association Annual Meeting 2023, Washington D.C.
 
*Christianti, D., *Troy, A., & Van Boekel, M. (2023). I want it that way: A cross-cultural investigation of primary school students' perceptions of feedback. Poster presentation at American Education Research Association Conference, Chicago, IL, United States.
 
*Steadman, C., *Weisen, S., *Hufnagle, A. S., *Wahyuni, I., Bye, J., Rios, J. & Van Boekel, M. (2022, April). Exploring the effect of feedback type on students’ working memory” A preliminary investigation. American Psychological Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN, United States. [Nominated for top student paper award]

*Wahyuni, I., *Hufnagle, A. S., *Weisen, S., *Steadman, C., & Van Boekel, M. (2022, April). Exploring the effects of contrasting cases and use of rubrics for students’ self-assessment: A preliminary investigation. American Psychological Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

*Ristani, G., Varma, K., Van Boekel, M., & Varma, S. (2022, July). Understanding the factors influencing persistence: What can novices learn from experts? Paper presentation at the International Society of the Learning Sciences Conference, Japan.

*Weisen, S., *Hufnagle, A., & Van Boekel, M. (2022, July). Investigating students’ memory for feedback in a naturalistic classroom. Paper presentation at the International Society of the  Learning Sciences Conference, Japan.