Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Montessori is one of the most fascinating and controversial pedagogues of all time. On the one hand, the naturalists reproached her for the rigidity and artificiality of her method, as well as her rejection of productive imagination and fantasy. On the other hand, progressive educators reproached the individualist and prescriptive character of her method. The modernists reproached her for her religiosity. Some criticized her for accelerating learning or for not respecting the freedom of the child, others for the contrary. Christians branded her a secularist, positivist, naturalist, and theosophist, while theosophists defined her as Catholic. These paradoxical criticisms are due, among other reasons, to the context of the antimodernist frenzy in which she developed her method, to her network of friends in Freemason circles, to the numerous nuances of her method, to her resistance to fitting in with existing educational currents, to the instrumentalization of her method by third party interests, to her sometimes entangled and not very clear language and to the lack of knowledge of her method in action. / Montessori es una de las pedagogas más fascinantes y controvertidas de la historia. Resulta curioso que todos le reprochasen tantos aspectos tan contradictorios. Los naturalistas, la rigidez y la artificialidad de su método, así como su rechazo a la imaginación productiva y a la fantasía; los progresistas, la individualidad y el carácter coercitivo del método; los modernistas, su religiosidad; algunos la criticaban por adelantar los aprendizajes o por no respetar la libertad del alumno, otros, por lo contrario; los cristianos la tildaron de laicista, naturalista, positivista y teósofa, mientras que los teósofos la definieron como católica. Esas críticas tan paradójicas se deben, entre otras razones, al contexto de persecución antimodernista en el que desarrolló su método, a su red de amistades en los ambientes masones, a los numerosos matices de su método, a su resistencia a encajar en las corrientes educativas existentes, a la instrumentalización de su método por intereses ajenos, a su lenguaje a veces enredado y poco divulgativo y al desconocimiento de su método en acción.

Language: English, Spanish

DOI: 10.22550/REP81-2-2023-01

ISSN: 0034-9461, 2174-0909

Abstract/Notes: Lo scopo dell’articolo è di mettere in evidenza quale ruolo educativo assegni la Montessori ad alcune tipologie di gioco. In particolare si cerca di mettere in evidenza la sua mancata comprensione del ruolo del gioco simbolico nei primi anni di vita dei bambini, dando vita ad un vero e proprio paradosso per cui nonostante l’osservazione dei bambini in contesti scolastici e naturali, che la Montessori ha preconizzato al fine di proporre una pedagogia con basi di natura scientifica, ella non è riuscita a integrare il gioco simbolico nella sua proposta pedagogica. Si mette anche in luce la sua sua sostanziale concordanza con Dewey nella descrizione di un tipo di attività intelligente che origina da un interesse del bambino nei confronti di uno stimolo ambientale su cui egli riesce a mantenere una concentrazione sostenuta, tuttavia la Montessori mantiene una profonda distanza terminologica da Dewey, che chiama questa attività “gioco”, mentre lei, invece, “lavoro”. Si dà conto infine del ruolo positivo che hanno l’attività giocosa e l’attitudine giocosa (playfulness) nel metodo montessoriano e anche dell’importanza dei giochi sensomotori e dei giochi di regole nell’applicazione didattica ed educativa del metodo stesso. Dall’analisi emerge che la Montessori ha saputo integrare la dimensione giocosa dell’attività umana nel processo di insegnamento/apprendimento attraverso il riconoscimento dell’attività ludiforme, pur con incomprensioni e paradossi in merito al gioco simbolico e in merito alla definizione stessa di gioco. / El propósito de este artículo es analizar el papel educativo que Montessori otorga a ciertos tipos de juego. En particular, se pretende poner de relieve su falta de comprensión del papel del juego simbólico en los primeros años de vida de los niños, creando una verdadera paradoja, ya que a pesar de la observación de los niños en contextos escolares y naturales, método propuesto por Montessori con el fin de conseguir una pedagogía con base científica, no ha sido capaz de integrar el juego simbólico en su propuesta pedagógica. En el artículo también se evidencia la concordancia sustancial con Dewey en la descripción de un tipo de actividad inteligente que se origina en el interés del niño por un estímulo ambiental a partir del que es capaz de mantener una concentración sostenida, sin embargo, Montessori mantiene una profunda distancia terminología con relación a Dewey, quien llama a esta actividad “juego”, mientras que para Montessori es “trabajo”. Finalmente, se aborda el papel positivo que tienen las actividades y actitudes lúdicas (playfulness) en el método Montessori y también la importancia del juego sensoriomotor y el juego de reglas en la aplicación didáctica y educativa del propio método. El análisis muestra que Montessori ha sido capaz de integrar la dimensión lúdica de la actividad humana en el proceso de enseñanza/aprendizaje a través del reconocimiento de este tipo de actividad, a pesar de la incomprensión y las paradojas sobre el juego simbólico y de la propio definición de juego. / The purpose of the article is to highlight the role played by certain types of game in Montessori. In particular, it seeks to highlight the lack of understanding of the role of symbolic play in the early years of children’s lives, creating a real paradox in the Montessori system despite her observation of children in school and natural contexts. Montessori has advocated a view to proposing a pedagogy with scientific bases, but she has been unable to integrate the symbolic play in its pedagogical proposal. I also try to outline her substantial correlation with Dewey in the description of a type of intelligent activity that originates from a child’s interest in respect of an environmental stimulus on which he is able to maintain a sustained concentration, however Montessori maintains a deep distance from Dewey in terminology, who calls this activity “game”, while she, instead, “work.” I give an account of the positive role that have the playful activities and the playful attitude (playfulness) in the Montessori method and of the importance of sensorimotor games and rulegames. The analysis shows that Montessori has been able to integrate the playful dimension of human activity in the teaching/learning process through a general recognition of the playful activity, despite misunderstandings and paradoxes about the symbolic play and on the very definition of play.

Language: Italian

ISSN: 2255-0666

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: German

ISSN: 0944-2537

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Problem Statement: Further studies on Montessori teachers are required on the grounds that the Montessori approach, which, having been applied throughout the world, holds an important place in the alternative education field. Yet it is novel for Turkey, and there are only a limited number of studies on Montessori teachers in Turkey. Purpose of Study: The aim was to investigate views on the Montessori approach by the teachers who serve at the schools applying the Montessori approach. Methods: Research data was collected by the basic qualitative research, one of the qualitative research methods. Descriptive analysis method was used in analysis of the qualitative data. Nine teachers serving at three different schools in Ankara province applying Montessori approach were interviewed. Findings and Results: Eight main themes were determined upon data analysis; namely, education on Montessori approach, basic qualities required for teachers applying Montessori approach, adequacy of education on Montessori approach, in-service training on the challenges experienced by Montessori teachers, plans of teachers for self-development, following existing studies in Turkey on Montessori approach, views on studies on Montessori approach, and views on the criticisms towards Montessori approach. Conclusions and Recommendations: All teachers confirmed that they internalized the approach upon training in line with Montessori philosophy. They emphasized that they received training covering all the educational fields, yet the implementation dimension was inadequate due to training without the involvement of children. Furthermore, they suggested that all the schools in Turkey were opened by commercial motives, and as such these schools failed to comply with the standards of the institutions providing education on the basis of Montessori approach. They asserted that all criticisms towards Montessori approach would be proved to be groundless upon implementation of the approach. It was seen that experienced supervisors, in-service training, and scientific studies on Montessori approach were required.

Language: English

ISSN: 1302-597X, 2528-8911

Language: German

Published: Berlin, Germany: Hensel and Co. Verlag, 1926

Language: Italian

ISSN: 0042-7241

Language: German