Abstract/Notes: This basic qualitative research records the author’s findings from the one-on-one in-depth personal interviews with twenty-three teachers, trainers, and administrators working for the Christian Montessori schools. The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of the teachers in facilitating meta-learning, the how-to-learn and the why-to-learn, among students in the Christian Montessori schools. The findings are as follows: First, both the Montessorian training and the Christian spiritual preparation of the teachers in the Christian Montessori schools enables them to effectively facilitate both the how-to-learn and the why-to-learn meta-learning, which endorses their claim that they are the true heir of the original Montessori method; second, the teachers’ most meaningful way of facilitating meta-learning is students’ receiving spontaneous training through the teachers’ respectful scaffolding; third, the Christian Montessori school model is an integrated and viable system for educational reform pursuing both the how-to-learn and the why-to-learn at the same time.

Language: English

Published: Deerfield, Illinois, 2020

Abstract/Notes: This ethnography drew on Vygotsky's (1986, 1978) sociocultural theory of development to understand social emotional learnings of young children. The unique K-8 span of circle group--coupled with intentional activities--provided the rich context for language and interactions between students. Examining a school with a mature philosophy and established practices highlighted the in-depth exploration of interactions in a multiage context. Young children depend on and are influenced by their context, linking to data collection methods appropriate for young children. Observations and fieldnotes of circle group interactions were aided by videotape which was utilized as a prompt during focus group interviews the following day (Graue & Walsh, 1995). Additional interviews with school personnel and parents explored perceptions pertaining to multiage groups and student experiences at the site. Artifact analysis included notebook entries by students who voiced concern and questions about what happened in school. Evidence of practicing nurturing relationships and exercising voice in circle group indicated multiage grouping complements the ideal of democratic practices in a school setting (Glickman, 1998; Goodlad, 1996; Parker, 1996). Students were active participants in democracy, believing that they had something to offer each other and the larger community. Circle group provided regular practice in expressing ideas and dealing with conflict. Intentional student-engaging activities were cooperative in nature, and open-ended, allowing all students to be participants. This wide span of ages and abilities enabled both--younger and older students--to be the capable one in circle group.

Language: English

Published: Laramie, Wyoming, 2009

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to test the central hypothesis that “children by the age of four years construct accurate and lasting conceptions of time (Past, present, future) and space (near and far away).” In order to test this hypothesis the researcher relied on qualitative research guidelines developed and published in recent years to address social science and educational research issues. The research design is especially applicable to young children where the researcher assumes the role of participant observer. In order to control for the context of the research, the children were observed for time and space cognitive constructions while being taught a curriculum designed to address those concepts in an age appropriate format. The curriculum was on social studies with an emphasis on history and geography. The study was conducted in a private Montessori pre-school. The sample (n = 8) was purposive and selected to identify sensitivity conceptual development of time and space. The methodology used for collecting the data was action research and a survey questionnaire administered to the same children and parents after a lapse of time of three years. The data collected consisted of four anecdotal records and five visual data response sets of maps made by the children with commentaries. These data were analyzed through de-contextualized/re-contextualized analysis, descriptive analysis and interpretation. The data collected by the survey were further analyzed through an evaluative and comparative analysis. The findings support the thesis statement that children during their fourth year of life construct representations of space and time using “intuitive sensitivity”, or intuition. The effects of a specially designed curriculum may have enhanced these constructions, but the data from the study do not permit a direct affirmation of those effects. The study offers a basis from which to continue research into the nature, the limits, the extent and the boundaries of young children's understanding of time and space, and into the conditions under which this knowledge may occur and develop. These are questions concerning the epistemology of young children's time and space constructs which are in need of further inquiry.

Language: English

Published: Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1999

Abstract/Notes: This is a descriptive study of independent learning in four Montessori elementary classrooms. It shows relationships between groups of variables for the student, teacher, and environment--with independent learning. Data were collected for the project in three schools in the Seattle area. A profile on each student consisted of demographic information, scores on four measures of independence, and data regarding observed classroom behavior. The teachers provided background information and philosophical orientation through questionnaire and their classroom behaviors were observed. The environment, including the physical and underlying structural climate, was revealed through teacher interview and observation of whole-class behavior. The resultant data were examined for relationships through correlational techniques. Student background, specifically sex, age, and previous Montessori experience, were not found to be predictive of observed independent learning. Teacher background and years of teaching experience in Montessori were also not predictive of the independent learning that occurred in the classroom. The environment, prepared by a Montessori teacher to facilitate independent learning, provided for self-directed study. Independent learning was observed by the behaviors of the individual student, the teacher, and the whole-class similarly in the four classrooms. It was observed in a variety of students. All four teachers had Montessori teacher education and experience. All classrooms were set up physically with shelves of manipulative materials and structurally with student-directed expectations. It was concluded that independent learning can occur when allowed and provided for.

Language: English

Published: Seattle, Washington, 1987

Language: English

Published: New York City, New York, 1971

Abstract/Notes: With the passing of NCLB in 2001, pedagogy in the kindergarten classroom has changed exponentially. The requirement for a rigorous academic curriculum has replaced the play-based learning that used to be synonymous with the kindergarten classroom. Since the beginning of kindergarten, researchers have worked to prove the importance of play in the classroom and the role of the educator in these play-based learning scenarios. Many studies have found a correlation between play and child development, but this has not been enough to change the minds of educators and school districts across the United States. This qualitative case study explored teachers’ perceptions and classroom interactions during play through a triangulation of data including video recordings, interviews, and observations to explore the effect play might have on the social, emotional, and oral language development of kindergarten students in a district that is already implementing free play centers in the classroom. Varying beliefs among the educators and multiple scenarios of social, emotional, and oral language development skills being used by students during these free play sessions were explored. Key themes that emerged from the data included a range of understanding amongst the teachers, the need for regular professional development on how to implement play in the classroom, and the importance dramatic play has on social, emotional, and oral language development for kindergarten students.

Language: English

Published: Springfield, Missouri, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect an alternative assessment strategy would have on students’ engagement, motivation, and overall learning in an urban, private Montessori middle school program located in the Midwest. Two teachers and 13 students participated in two phases (one social studies and one science unit) over the course of six weeks. Teacher-assigned grades on class and homework were removed and replaced with student-determined final grades based on self-assessment using collaboratively created rubrics and individual portfolios. Students kept daily learning logs and completed a pre- and post-unit survey designed to measure their level of engagement, motivation, and learning preferences. The researcher kept daily observational notes as well as tallies of behavioral markers for engagement and disengagement. Students were also invited to give open-ended feedback about their experience at the end of the intervention. The results showed that while the alternative assessment model did not have a direct impact on students’ daily engagement or intrinsic motivation, it did increase students’ understanding of how their work correlated to a final grade in the unit, and it created opportunities for students to make connections to their learning and thus more actively plan their future work. Additionally, a direct correlation appeared between the level of student activity and student engagement in classes, indicating the importance of reducing passivity as much as possible in the daily learning process.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017

Abstract/Notes: In Appalachian Ohio, a grassroots group of citizens across industry sectors have convened to use community assets to create solutions impacting multiple parts of the community system, thus attempting to solve complex rural problems in innovative ways. One intermediary organization, Building Bridges to Careers (BB2C), has implemented community and career connected learning programs as a way to solve problems threatening rural community viability through engaging multiple community stakeholders including the community’s youth. Using an exploratory mixed-methods approach, this study investigated the contributions of stakeholders and the impact to community systems of one community and career connected learning program: high school internships. This study conceptualizes the place-based, cross-sector, bidirectional interactions facilitated by community and career connected learning as a learning ecosystem. Further, this study uses Social Return on Investment (SROI) to quantify impact within the learning ecosystem to communicate and maximize change. This study found for every $1 invested in high school internships, between $13.07–$15.37 of value to social and economic systems is created. The ability to explore career fields through experience in order to eliminate career paths not of interest to them and then to be able to clearly define next steps in career paths that were of interest to them were outcomes valued most by students as stakeholders. Host site stakeholders reported the most valuable impacts to economic and social systems were, respectively, development of a workforce with basic skills and the personal satisfaction of being able to watch a young person in their community grow and develop through the internship period and beyond. For community supporting stakeholders, the most valuable impacts were the increased connection between schools and businesses in the community as well as the potential to reduce outmigration. Repeatedly, participants drew attention to long- term impacts of their contributions to the learning ecosystem as “an investment in the future” of the community, a perspective which matches this study’s SROI measurement framework.

Language: English

Published: Athens, Ohio, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study is to discover the impact a social-emotional learning program may have on an Upper Elementary Montessori Classroom. The study was motivated by the researcher’s experience of seeing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, online schooling and of local community unrest on the students. The design included first asking participants to take a survey for the purpose of obtaining baseline data on their emotion management and problemsolving skills. Next, the researcher implemented eight weeks of a social emotional established curriculum called, Second Step in an Upper Elementary Montessori classroom. Throughout the study, the researcher collected data on students’ struggles with solving problems independently with a basic quantitative instrument and using a qualitative narrative instrument. Finally at the close of the eight-week study, the students took a post-survey to determine if the program had an impact on the students’ ability to problem solve and manage their emotions. However, due to limitations of the study, the researcher could not draw specific conclusions yet the study did yield other benefits.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2022

Language: English

ISSN: 0277-9064