Language: English

Published: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori Pierson Publishing Company, 2017

ISBN: 978-90-79506-28-6

Series: The Montessori Series , 13

Volume: 2 of 2

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Montessori English Teaching Model (METM) is a unique way of instruction that uses specifically designed learning settings and approaches to nurture students' intrinsic desire to learn. English achievements for Saudi students have been for long very low. The current study aimed to investigate the real challenges of implementing Montessori English Teaching Model in Saudi Arabian elementary schools. Qualitative method, namely focus group discussion, was used. Four purposive focus groups with different educational positions and experiences were formulated, namely school supervisors (SS), school principals (SP), English teachers (ET), and English curriculum specialists (ES). The major findings of the study were that1) major challenges existed for implementing the METM in Saudi elementary schools, 2) the challenges concentrated on four categories: educational context, work ethics and environment, nature of teachers and students, and social aspects, and 3) agreements on some of the sub-themes fluctuated. Recommendations for further investigations are made for interested and educational personnel.

Language: Arabic

DOI: 10.21608/mjat.2019.101825

ISSN: 2535-213X

Abstract/Notes: Public Montessori elementary schools have two challenges: They strive to achieve a child-centered Montessori environment and must also address the demands of state and federal requirements developed for more traditional educational settings. This study analyzes how schools were operating on both fronts. On the one hand, the study measured the degree to which schools reported they were living up to the ideals of establishing truly Montessori environments within public schools (based on characteristics identified by the American Montessori Society as essential for the success of Montessori schools in the public sector). On the other hand, the study also gauged public Montessori elementary school leaders' perceptions of the greatest challenges facing their schools. This study incorporates public Montessori elementary school leaders' descriptions of their schools on several dimensions. First, participants provided basic school characteristics, such as admission criteria, enrollment information, and enrollment trends. They followed with Montessori practices and attitudes, outlining teacher background and classroom structure. Next, testing practices and attitudes toward standardized testing were described. Finally, they enumerated the greatest challenges facing their schools. (Contains 5 tables and 3 figures.)

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Did the work of Maria Montessori have an influence on the educational methods used in the infant and elementary school classrooms in England and Wales between 1910, when her work was first publicized in England, and 1933, when the Consultative Committee of the Board of Education published its report on Infant and Nursery Schools? To answer this principal question the following factors are considered: the effect on educational practices of the slow development of government provided education, the characteristics of the British Infant School, the social and political circumstances which were effecting education in 1910, the nature of Montessori's fame, and the official reaction to Maria Montessori and her work. For information concerning the methods actually being used in the classrooms from 1928 to 1933, the primary sources are memoranda submitted during that period to the Consultative Committee on the Primary School and to the Consultative Committee on Infant and Nursery Schools. The documents were analyzed for references to Montessori, for evidence of teachers having attended Montessori training courses, and for descriptions and advocacy of classroom methods which, according to a definition given by the Consultative Committee in its published report, reflect a Montessori influence. Eleven of thirteen Junior School Inspectors, six of thirteen Infant School Inspectors, and eleven of sixteen Heads of Infant Schools, according to the criteria used, advocate Montessori methods for more than half of the curriculum areas which they discuss. This evidence from the memoranda submitted to the Consultative Committees, combined with conclusions drawn from historical evidence, indicate that Maria Montessori did have considerable influence on the schools of England and Wales.

Language: English

Published: Mansfield, Connecticut, 1981

Abstract/Notes: This study uses qualitative research methods to examine the role of school counselors in three public Montessori elementary schools. Through the process of interviews and site visits, the data collected are compared against the American School Counseling Association's guidelines for a balanced and comprehensive guidance program. Data are also evaluated to see if philosophical and pedagogical elements of Montessori are integrated into each school's guidance program. The findings show that all three schools have programs that provide intervention services at a much higher rate than preventative services, and they have difficulty integrating Montessori pedagogy into their counseling programs. However, the opinions of the counselors at all three schools are favorable toward Montessori, and there seem to be possibilities for Montessori/counseling integration that could provide a very strong balanced and comprehensive guidance program.

Language: English

Published: Raleigh, North Carolina, 2003

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Language: English

Published: Eagan, Minnesota, 2007

Abstract/Notes: Based on an online survey with 85 principals and other leaders in public Montessori elementary schools, this study provides an update on the characteristics of Montessori education in public elementary schools as they begin facing the new challenges of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Despite the lack of emphasis on traditional testing practices in Montessori education, the study finds that many schools have participated in standardized testing programs for many years and that support for testing practices does not differ between those with and those without Montessori certification. Even though they struggle with budget cuts, stricter state and federal requirements and teacher shortages, public Montessori elementary schools strive to maintain a unique educational environment through certified teachers, ongoing professional support for teachers and well-equipped classrooms.

Language: English

Published: Lawrence, Kansas, 2005

Abstract/Notes: Improving academic achievement for students of color has long been the subject of debate among advocates of education reform (Anyon, 2013; Breitborde & Swiniarski, 2006; Payne, 2008). Some scholars have advocated for the Montessori method as an alternative educational approach to address some chronic problems in public education (Lillard, 2005; Murray, 2011, 2015; Torrance, 2012). Montessori programs are expanding in public schools (National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, 2014c) at a time when the American public school population is more racially diverse than ever before (Maxwell, 2014). A review of the literature reflects a lack of consensus about the efficacy of Montessori elementary instruction for students of color in general, and lack of attention to outcomes for African American students specifically (Dawson, 1987; Dohrmann, Nishisda, Gartner, Lipsky, & Grimm, 2007; Lopata, Wallace, & Finn, 2005; Mallet & Schroeder, 2015). The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of reading and math instruction for third grade African American students in public Montessori, traditional, and other school choice settings, using end-of-grade standardized test scores from a large, urban district in North Carolina. Stratified sampling was used to select demographically similar traditional and magnet schools for comparison. Group mean reading and math test scores were compared using factorial MANCOVA and MANOVA procedures. African American students at grade three were found to perform at significantly higher levels in both reading and math in public Montessori schools than in traditional schools. No statistically significant difference was found in math achievement between African American third grade students in public Montessori and other magnet programs, although the Montessori group did achieve at significantly higher levels in reading. This suggests that the Montessori method can be an effective pedagogy for African American students, particularly in reading. Based on these results, recommendations are provided for policy, practice, and future research.

Language: English

Published: Charlotte, North Carolina, 2016