Abstract/Notes: Special Issue; excerpted from The Montessori Way; with introduction by Joyce St. Giermaine

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Abstract/Notes: The aim of this study is to adapt The Early Childhood Curricular Beliefs Inventory ECCBI questionnaire into Turkish. The ECCBI is a tool designed for exploring curricular beliefs of pre-service teachers in the area of early childhood education. A subscale named “behavioural approach” is not in the Turkish adaptation of the scale according to expert opinions, three subtests meaning 54 items out of 72 items have been included in the adapted version of scale. After the equivalence test of Turkish form, instrument has been applied to 30 preschool teachers and 200 preservice preschool teachers and total 230 person. In order to test construct validity of Turkish instrument, confirmatory and exploratory factor analysis have been applied; to identify reliability, Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient, Sperman-Brown formula and Guttmann split-half reliability formula have been employed and corrected itemtotal correlation has been examined. Results show that this scale is a suitable assessment tool for the pre-service teachers to determine their related beliefs about early childhood approaches. / Bu çalışmanın amacı, Erken Çocukluk Yaklaşımlarına İlişkin Görüşler The Early Childhood Curricular Beliefs Inventory ECCBI Ölçeği’ni Türkçe’ye uyarlamaktır. Ölçek, okul öncesi eğitimi alanında öğrenim gören öğretmen adaylarının erken çocukluk yaklaşımları ile ilgili görüşlerini belirlemek amacıyla geliştirilmiştir. Türkçe’ye uyarlanan ölçekte, uzman görüşleri doğrultusunda “Davranışçı yaklaşım” olarak adlandırılan alt boyut yer almamış, 72 maddelik ölçeğin 54 maddesi yani üç boyutu yer almıştır. Türkçe form eşdeğerlik sınamasının ardından geçerlik, güvenirlik çalışması için 30 okul öncesi öğretmeni ve 200 okul öncesi öğretmen adayı olmak üzere toplam 230 kişiye uygulanmıştır. Türkçe ölçeğin yapı geçerliğini incelemek için açımlayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizi yapılmış, güvenirliğin belirlenmesi için Cronbach alpha güvenirlik katsayısı, Sperman-Brown formülü ve Guttmann split-half güvenirlik formülü kullanılmış ve düzeltilmiş madde-toplam korelasyonu incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar, erken çocukluk eğitimi alanında öğrenim gören öğretmen adaylarının erken çocukluk yaklaşımları ile ilgili görüşlerini belirlemek için uygun bir değerlendirme aracı olduğunu göstermektedir.

Language: Turkish

ISSN: 2147-1037

Abstract/Notes: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh metode Montessori dalam meningkatkan pemahaman konsep matematika bagi anak usia dini khususnya usia 4-6 tahun di kota Banjarmasin. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode quasi eksperimen. Pengenalan matematika di kelas eksperimen menggunakan metode Montessori,sedangkan di kelas kontrol menggunakan metode konvensional. Hasil uji hipotesis menunjukkan implementasi metode Montessori berpengaruh signifikan dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar anak pada materi data dan grafik di kelas eksperimen. Nilai rata-rata N-Gain di kelas eksperimen adalah 95.61. Nilai rata-rata N-Gain kelas kontrol adalah 34.56. Metode Montessori 61.05% lebih efektif dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar anak pada materi data dan grafik daripada metode konvensional. Begitu pula hasil uji hipotesis pada materi pola ABCDE-ABCDE, implementasi metode Montessori berpengaruh signifikan untuk meningkatkan hasil belajar anak kelas eksperimen. Rata-rata N-Gain kelas eksperimen adalah 87.50. Nilai rata-rata N-Gain kelas kontrol adalah 31.24. Metode Montessori 56.26% lebih efektif dalam meningkatkan hasil belajar anak pada materi pola dari pada metode konvensional. [This study aims to determine the effect of the Montessori method in improving understanding of mathematical concepts for early childhood especially ages 4-6 years in the city of Banjarmasin. This study uses a quasi-experimental method. Introduction to mathematics in the experimental class uses the Montessori method, while the control class uses conventional methods. Hypothesis test results show that the implementation of the Montessori method has significant effects in improving children's learning outcomes in data and graphic material in the experimental class. The average value of N-Gain in the experimental class was 95.61. The average value of the N-Gain control class is 34.56. The Montessori method is 61.05% more effective in improving children's learning outcomes in material data and graphics than the conventional method. Similar to the results of hypothesis testing on the ABCDE-ABCDE pattern material, the implementation of the Montessori method has a significant effect on improving the learning outcomes of children in the experimental class. The average N-Gain of the experimental class is 87.50. The average value of the control class N-Gain is 31.24. The Montessori Method 56.26% is more effective in improving children's learning outcomes on material patterns than conventional methods.]

Language: Indonesian

DOI: 10.14421/al-athfal.2020.61-02

ISSN: 2477-4189, 2477-4715

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to determine if daily lessons in yoga, mindfulness, and transition skills positively affect the transition from lunch to recess in a Montessori environment. The seven‐week study involved 17 children between two and a half to five years old. Data collection included a pre-and post‐assessment and observations which documented the type of disruptions, amount of disruptions, and the resolution to the disruptions. Results of the pre-and post‐assessments revealed that practice of the skills needed in a transition resulted in more independence. The mindfulness exercises resulted in less distractions while waiting in line during a transition. Observation data showed there was little decrease in the amount of disruptions during a transition, but an overall increase in the children’s independent and child assisted resolutions to disruption. Suggestions for further research include a longer length of time for a study, more clarified data collection, a video recording for observing, and further study concerning needed and unneeded adult interventions.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: This study investigated the viability and implications of technology-assisted story writing with kinder year students. Seven kinder year students at a private Montessori school participated in the study. Pre- and post-study conferences and Likert scales determined story writing skills and attitudes. These were followed by one-on-one storywriting sessions using a variety of story-writing tools. Students were given the choice of story-writing method at each session. Individual sessions were evaluated and completed stories compared to a rubric of fundamental story-writing elements. Stories written by the students improved with the use of computer and iPad programs, but independent story writing was not achieved. Individual phonetic abilities proved pivotal to any success with technology-assisted story writing. The results of the study suggest introducing technology-assisted story writing when a child can successfully build words phonetically.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017

Abstract/Notes: The researcher examined how Nonviolent Communication (NVC) incorporated into a Montessori primary classroom would impact student’s social-emotional learning. The students participating in this research came from multiple ethnic groups and nine were non-English speakers. Some showed evidence of trauma that resulted from living in home environments that experienced instability. The researcher modeled NVC communication in her interactions with students whenever possible and then observed and documented their reactions and behaviors during lessons on social skills in 15-minute intervals over 3 weeks. She observed students engaged in describing their feelings and concluded that NVC can be effective with consistency and guidance from the educator in a culturally competent classroom. Further research is needed to determine if NVC can be useful in enriching SEL competencies in early childhood classrooms with ELL students and students with varying degrees of trauma. This research aimed to fill the gap.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research was to explore how a social justice-oriented mindfulness practice would impact the self-efficacy of an early childhood educator. This self-study, with the researcher as the sole participant, took place over a six-week period while the researcher was working in a private Montessori school in the Northeastern United States in a classroom of 20 students aged 3-5. The intervention included breathwork; both walking and seated meditation paired with articles, essays, interviews, and poetry relevant to social justice; meditation; and mindfulness. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through reflective journaling, a record of feelings scale, an attitude scale, and a pre- and post-intervention survey. While the data did not reflect any substantial impact with regards to teacher self-efficacy, the study was transformative in many ways. The intervention resulted in a deeper understanding of social inequities and a heightened sense of self-reflection. A more focused and comprehensive selection of content relevant to equity in the educational setting would likely have allowed for a more guided learning experience. Additionally, community organized events and workshops relevant to this work could play a crucial role in encouraging the need and responsibility to take action in establishing more equitable schools.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research study was to determine how community building music would affect the transition time in a primary Montessori classroom. The researchers were two female preschool teachers in public Montessori schools. The participants, aged three to six years old, were involved in a daily clean-up time, which took place before the study began. The teachers added a music intervention for four weeks to see if the dynamics of clean-up time would change. The teachers documented the research study using qualitative and quantitative data tools. The data tools included student surveys, teacher journals, a timer log, and a classroom tracker sheet. The intervention findings showed an overall decrease in the amount of time students took to clean up and an increase in happiness and community involvement in the classroom. Future researchers should consider the pre and post student survey be completed on an individual basis. Additionally, increase the length of baseline data collection and intervention.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020