Abstract/Notes: The Ontario Human Rights Commission's inquiry into how reading (an essential human right) is taught in Ontario schools revealed that Ontario’s public education system is “failing students...by not using evidence-based approaches to teach them to read.” This thesis aimed to address this failure by proposing Montessori language curriculum as a viable alternative to the current (ineffective) practices. The validity of both the new Ontario language curriculum and the Montessori language curriculum were assessed through the use of The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines (CEG) and their associated workbook.
The Ontario language curriculum was found to be lacking, particularly in terms of its lack of clarity, and guidance with regards to practical implementation. The Montessori language curriculum on the other hand was found to meet or surpass the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s recommendations, and in a way that can tangibly be understood and implemented.
In light of these findings, Ontario school boards should seriously consider adopting Montessori language curriculum, in whole or in part, to address the systemic reading crisis. All educational stakeholders have a role to play in safeguarding children’s right to read.
Language: English
Published: Tampere, Finland, 2024
Master's Thesis
MuistiMontessorin Muistojen kirja hoivakumppanin kokemana / Care Partners' Experience of the Memory Book Uses in Montessori Philosophy.
Abstract/Notes: The purpose of my thesis was to examine how care partners (elderly care worker, family member or close friend) experience the Memory Book used in Montessori Philosophy.
My aim was to bring forth these experiences and find out the book´s significance in an intensive elderly care home as part of the care. Based on gathered experiences the views can be built on possibilities and usefulness of the Memory Book in everyday care. My Bachelor´s thesis was about the experience of the Book by care partners.
As for methods the thesis was conducted by qualitative research methods and the data was collected by theme intervies. The Memory Book was adopted in the elderly care home only quite recently and because of the short history, the interviews were done by individually. I wanted to interview different care partners which in Montessori Philosophy means either elderly care worker, family member or close friend but in this case care partners consisted of elderly care workers only. The interview material was analyzed by data-oriented content analysis.
The result indicated that the Memory Book used in Montessori Philosophy is useful as it is. One picture on a page with a descriptive sentence is exactly adequate. The Memory Book has increased communication amongst individuals living with dementia. Communication has been an understandable word or words or a sound. Individuals living with dementia had progressed severely. Care partners experienced that the Memory Book brings a lot of joy and pleasure which the creates a pleasant care atmosphere. That atmosphere helps care partners especially during the most challenging care giving situations. Care partners see that the Memory Book brings them closer to the individuals they take care of daily. The time and togetherness that they share with the help of the Book adds safety and trust to the individuals with dementia.
The results lead to the conclusion that the Memory Book according to Montessori Philosophy has its possibilities and is useful in everyday care in an elderly care home. I wish this increased awareness of the Memory Book and interest in the Montessori Memory method in elderly and dementia care. There are still many fields in the Montessori Memory method which would be meaningful to study when working with the elderly and individual within person-centered best practice in nursing homes with elder and individuals with dementia / Opinnäytetyöni aiheena oli MuistiMontessorimenetelmässä käytetty Muistojen kirja. Tavoitteena oli selvittää hoivakumppaneiden (hoitaja, omainen, läheinen) kokemuksia Muistojen kirjan käyttämisestä muistisairaan kanssa. Opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tuoda esille hoivakumppaneiden kokemuksia ja selvittää, millaisena Muistojen kirja nähdään osana muistisairaan ympärivuorokautista hoivaa. Saatujen kokemusten perusteella muodostuu näkemys Muistojen kirjan mahdollisuuksista ja käytettävyydestä hoitotyön arjessa. Tutkimuskysymykseni oli, miten hoivakumppani kokee MuistiMontessorimenetelmässä käytetyn Muistojen kirjan muistisairautta sairastavan kanssa ympärivuorokautisen hoitokodin arjessa.
Opinnäytetyöni toteutin laadullisen tutkimusmenetelmän keinoin ja aineiston keräsin teemahaastatteluna. MuistiMontessorimenetelmässä käytetty Muistojen kirja on otettu hoivakodissa käyttöön aika hiljattain, joten toteutin haastattelut yksilöhaastatteluina lyhyen kokemuksen takia. Tarkoituksena oli haastatella eri hoivakumppaneita (hoitajaa, omaista tai läheistä), mutta hoivakumppanit haastatteluihin muodostuivat hoitajista. Aineiston analysoin sisällönanalyysin mukaan teorialähtöisesti.
Aineistosta esiin tulleiden tulosten mukaan MuistiMontessorin Muistojen kirja oli sellaisenaan käyttökelpoinen. Sivulla yksi kuva ja sitä kuvaava lause oli juuri sopiva, eikä yhtään liikaa. Muistojen kirja oli lisännyt muistisairaan kommunikointia, joko ymmärrettävästi sanan tai sanojen avulla tai äännähdyksinä. Muistisairas on kuitenkin selvästi reagoinut Muistojen kirjaan silloinkin, vaikka muistisairaus oli edennyt jo pitkälle. Hoivakumppanit kokivat, että Muistojen kirja toi muistisairaalle asukkaalle iloa ja mielihyvää, mikä loi miellyttävän hoitoilmapiirin. Se oli avuksi hoitajille etenkin haasteellisten hoitotoimenpiteiden aikana. Hoivakumppanit kokivat, että Muistojen kirja lähensi heitä hoidettaviinsa. Muistojen kirjan avulla yhteisen ajan jakaminen ja yhdessäolo lisäsi hoidettavien turvallisuuden tunnetta ja luottamusta hoitajiinsa.
Saatujen kokemusten perusteella muodostui näkemys Muistojen kirjan mahdollisuuksista ja käytettävyydestä hoitotyön arjessa. Opinnäytetyön toivoisi lisäävän tietoutta MuistiMontessorimenetelmässä käytetystä Muistojen kirjasta ja herättävän uteliaisuuden MuistiMontessori menetelmää kohtaan. Voimavarakeskeistä vanhustyötä toteuttaessa MuistiMontessorissa on monta osa aluetta, mitä olisi mielekästä tutkia muistisairaiden kanssa työskennellessä.
Language: English
Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2024
Book Section
Open Education: Assumptions About Children, Learning and Knowledge
Abstract/Notes: A new framework was developed based on Montessori's pedagogy, Andragogy principles, and Heutagogy principles, to address the challenges of 5IR education. Modern-day Higher Education Institutions must explore innovative approaches to teaching and foster a culture of lifelong learning among students.
A qualitative, thematic structured literature review was conducted to examine Montessori's pedagogy, Andragogy, and Heutagogy. The aim was to create a new framework that can be implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs) to address the educational needs of the 5th Industrial Revolution (5IR). To achieve this, ten articles were selected using pre-defined keywords, and articles older than 10 years and those that didn't answer the research question and sub-question were eliminated. Similarities, concerns, mismatches, and dilemmas were extracted from the selected articles. These were then compared to the 5IR education requirements to create the new framework.
It was found that the combination of Montessori’s pedagogy, Andragogy, and Heutagogy has the potential to address the dilemmas found in 5IR education. Montessori strongly emphasises self-directed, self-determined learning and is guided by individualised instruction that fulfils the principles of Andragogy. Andragogy focuses on the learner’s autonomy and own experiences. Coupled with this is Heutagogy, which focuses on self-determined learning. This could only contribute to the idea of Montessori’s pedagogy in HEI. Montessori’s method should provide a strong philosophical foundation and perspective to the combined approach idea. Future work could look at the practical application to fully explore the potential of the combination to address 5IR educational dilemmas.
Language: English
Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2024
Doctoral Dissertation (Ed.D.)
A Phenomenology of Naturally Embedded Trauma-Informed Practices Within Public Montessori Classroom Environments
Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of 12 classroom teachers in different public Montessori schools in four different geographical regions of the United States. The interview was designed to allow the teachers to describe their Montessorian approach regarding areas of safety, social interaction, and respectful classroom environments to support students who may be experiencing the consequences of childhood trauma. The theories that guided this study were Albert Bandura’s (1977) social cognitive theory and the humanistic or person-centered theory of Carl Rogers (Rogers & Kramer, 1995). These theories facilitated the development of an understanding of fundamental concepts in children’s cognitive, social, and emotional learning and how those are related to classroom behavior concerns. Data were collected via a personal writing prompt and interviews, allowing the teachers to explain how they prepare their classrooms to best support the needs of children who may be dealing with the consequences of childhood trauma. Data were organized into themes to inform teacher preparation programs and ongoing professional development.
Language: English
Published: Lynchburg, Virginia, 2024
Doctoral Dissertation (Ph.D.)
A Comparison of Student Motivation Between Two Ukulele Curricula in a Multi-Age Classroom
Abstract/Notes: Motivation is a topic of high interest to music educators as they attempt to understand what makes their students want to continue learning. The use of the ukulele in the music classroom has grown over the last ten years due to its versatility. Despite its popularity and music educators’ support for its use, very little research exists on students’ motivation while playing it in a general music classroom setting. Therefore, the purpose of this current study is to compare the motivation levels of two groups of multi-age fourth through sixth-grade students learning the ukulele via different curricula in the music classroom. A quantitative MANOVA design method compared the motivation levels of students experiencing two different ukulele curricula. The study collected quantitative data from (N = 175) fourth through sixth-grade students at Maria Montessori School in Rockford, IL through an adapted twenty-two-item Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). The results indicated that there was a significant difference in motivation between students who experienced the Quaver Music curriculum and students who experienced the Music Will curriculum. The largest contributor to the difference is the Pressure-Tension subcategory, which leads one to conclude that students who experience lower levels of Pressure-Tension experience higher levels of overall motivation. Activities that promote lower levels of Pressure-Tension should be utilized in the classroom.
Language: English
Published: Lynchburg, Virginia, 2024
Book
Maria Montessori, a Relevant Story - Life, Thought, Memories
Abstract/Notes: Maria Montessori non fu certo una donna comune. Capace di destare le più entusiastiche adesioni e le critiche più malevole, fu oggetto al suo tempo di illazioni, maldicenze, pettegolezzi e, ancor oggi, il suo senso di libertà e le scomode novità del suo pensiero suscitano reazioni contrastanti. Si ripercorrono qui le tappe della sua vita: dagli anni della formazione, segnati dalla difficoltà di essere una delle prime donne medico in Italia, all'esperienza dolorosa della maternità nascosta; dalle lotte femministe, che fondano in lei un nuovo senso di giustizia sociale e una nuova consapevolezza del ruolo della donna, all’impegno a favore dei bambini svantaggiati fino al suo innovativo progetto pedagogico, basato sulla valorizzazione delle risorse e della libertà del bambino. La presente edizione, rivista e aggiornata, accoglie numerose aggiunte, modifiche, correzioni e capitoli nuovi, grazie anche al prezioso contributo della bisnipote di Maria, Carolina Montessori.
Language: Italian
Published: Torino, Italy:
Il leone verde Edizioni, 2018
ISBN: 978-88-6580-173-4
Book
Report of Experiment with Montessori Apparatus in the Free Kindergarten, Reid's Court, Canongate
Abstract/Notes: This study offers a contextualized understanding of the distance-learning experiences of Montessori educators and students in the spring of 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In this article, we build on results reported in a separate article published in this issue of the Journal of Montessori Research. First, we analyzed qualitative data from social media and national virtual gatherings designed to support teachers as they faced the challenges created by the abrupt shift to distance learning. Second, we employed a convergent mixed-methods design to integrate these qualitative findings with the survey results reported in the previous article to provide a richer and more complete perspective on the situation. In our results, we found substantial evidence to support the resilience and durability of the Montessori Method, even in the face of adverse conditions created by a global pandemic. Despite the challenges of adaptation, Montessori educators demonstrated a commitment to the key tenets of Montessori philosophy, such as following the child and employing a holistic perspective on learning and development. While serving the whole child’s growth and development remained front and center, Montessori teachers’ approach to academics looked very different under distance learning. Still, the ongoing attention to children’s social-emotional needs will benefit both teachers and children when they return to the classroom, undoubtedly with lasting effects from pandemic-related isolation and hardship.
Maria Montessori - mit Kindern das Leben suchen: Antworten auf aktuelle pädagogische Fragen [Maria Montessori – Looking for Life with Children: Answers to Current Educational Questions]
Abstract/Notes: Introduces this theme issue on Mario Montessori's writings. Describes how his life experiences contributed to the idea of freedom in education, seen as a recurring theme in his mother, Maria Montessori's writings, and also contributed to the integration of the Montessori perspective. (KB)
