Abstract/Notes: Teachers and directors of early childhood education and care (ECEC) centres in Quebec have to conform to provincial guidelines when implementing their educational programme. Those in centres that identify as Montessori are simultaneously faced with the sometimes-conflicting directives of the Montessori method and Ministry guidelines. This dissertation responds to the dilemma of facing such a dual frame of reference. I report the results of an investigation which explores the beliefs and reflections on the experiences of teachers and directors in four ECEC centres that identify as Montessori in the province of Quebec. Based on a review of the literature, I designed a mixed method project with two related studies. Study 1 was a questionnaire targeted towards Ministry-recognized centres in the province of Quebec that identify as Montessori. Results from this initial study helped to paint the current landscape with data collected from 25 Montessori-inspired centres in the province, and also provided a source for recruitment of potential participants for Study 2. The second study was a deeper investigation, which used a qualitative design to explore the beliefs of teachers and directors from four individual centres that identified as Montessori. The study explored teacher and director beliefs about their implementation of the Montessori method and of Quebec’s educational programme. This was pursued through the use of questionnaires, interviews, and document reviews that provided rich descriptions of the phenomenon under study. Thematic analysis of the data led to five core themes, which emerged inductively from facing the dual frame of reference, namely: each child is unique, pedagogical approaches promoting children’s learning and development, teacher’s role in promoting children’s learning and development, parent’s role in promoting children’s learning and development, and challenges faced in promoting children’s potential. However, besides the noted similarities in beliefs, variations and contradictions also appeared. The results indicate that distinctions in beliefs - both among participants and within centres - emerged particularly around the notions of free play, pretense, creativity, and parental involvement. On this basis, further research is recommended to explore the effects of such suggested inconsistencies in Montessori programme implementation on both practical and scholarly platforms.
Language: English
Published: Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2022
Doctoral Dissertation (Ph.D.)
Technology in the Montessori Adolescent Environment
Abstract/Notes: Prior to this qualitative descriptive study, it was not known how Montessori teachers of adolescents describe using technology and its influence on thematic learning and student citizenship in the United States. The Montessori adolescent learning theory does not address technology use, but educational technology is now ubiquitous. Using interviews, a focus group, a questionnaire, and classroom artifacts, the researcher thematically analyzed data from 11 participants and found ten themes (Theme number in parenthesis) which indicated Montessori teachers use technology with their adolescent students to inspire citizenship by using technology (1) to teach life lessons, (2) in their microeconomy program, and (3) in service learning; in thematic learning (4) with individual students, (5) with groups of students, and (6) to support the teaching of non-technology lessons; yet (7) teachers struggle to balance technology use and the Montessori emphasis on work of the hand, especially given the lack of guidance from AMI and AMS on how to incorporate technology into the adolescent environment. Teachers rely upon their (8) cultivated relationships with students and the strong Montessori adolescent community to mitigate the dangers of communicating online and by being aware of student mental health. This research found (9) the Covid pandemic response meant cancellations, changes, and modifications to traditional activities. This research found (10) technology can be used in the Montessori adolescent environment to foster interested, engaged students working creatively to produce outstanding work that leads to a sense of valorization for the student.
Language: English
Published: Phoenix, Arizona, 2021
Article
✓ Peer Reviewed
Schooling on the Margins: The Problems and Possibilities of Montessori Schools in Australia
Abstract/Notes: Often considered dumping grounds for those who cannot function in mainstream schools, alternative education providers are seen as outliers in the provision of schooling. With schools as relatively stable workplaces, alternative education provision makes for a rich laboratory to further our understanding of the causal impact of schooling on a range of outcomes. They are naturally occurring experiments in schooling through interventions in instruction, curriculum and student cohort. Montessori school-based education in Australia is one such case. Experiencing a 31% growth in enrolments since 2009, they offer useful insights for different measures of education. A pre-requisite to such insights is a situational analysis of current provision. Drawing on an interview-based study with 20 Montessori school leaders, this investigation identified three problems and possibilities for schools working on the margins: i) clarity about what is their distinctive form of education; ii) building the collective; and iii) evidencing quality of provision.
The Change Is in Me. The Transformation of Adults to the Role of the Montessori Guide. Qualitative - Biographical Research Study / Zmiana jest we mnie. Transformacja dorosłych do roli przewodnika Montessori. Raport z badania jakościowo – biograficznego
Publication: Edukacja Elementarna w Teorii i Praktyce / Elementary Education in Theory and Practice,
vol. 18, no. 1 (no. 68)
Date: 2023
Pages: 65-78
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Abstract/Notes: Artykuł stanowi sprawozdanie z badania jakościowo – biograficznego zrealizowanego wśród dwóch grup uczestników biorących udział w kursach Montessori. Podstawowym celem badania była analiza znaczeń nadawanych zmianie. Pytanie badawcze sformułowano następująco: Jak uczestnicy kursu Montessori (6-12) tematyzują swój proces transformacji? Artykuł podejmuje kwestię zmiany edukacyjnej w kontekście wiedzy milczącej oraz teorii osobistych a następnie opisuje procedurę gromadzenia i analizy danych z dwudziestu pięciu pogłębionych, jakościowych wywiadów indywidualnych, które następnie poddano analizie zgodnie z opisanymi przez Kvale siedmioma krokami. W rezultacie analiz udało się zidentyfikować i opisać dwie główne kategorie: radykalną transformację oraz korektę biograficzną. W końcowej części artykułu autor, w kontekście zebranego materiału zwraca uwagę na ograniczone możliwości narzucania zmiany w edukacji i – podążając za głosami uczestników badania rekomenduje pożądane warunki do zaistnienia potencjalnych zmian: tworzenie nauczycielom warunków wolności do podejmowania decyzji i tworzenia autorskich rozwiązań dydaktycznych, demokratyzacja sfery związanej z edukacją oraz wspieranie poczucia godności wśród nauczycieli.
Innovation of Preschool Education: Foreign Practices and Domestic Experience of Their Implementation / Інноватизація Дошкільної Освіти: Зарубіжні Практики та Вітчизняний Досвід ïх Впровадження
Publication: Perspectives and Innovations of Science. Psychology, Pedagogy, Medicine / Перспективи та Інновації Науки, no. 5 (5)
Date: 2021
Pages: 36-47
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Abstract/Notes: The academic paper studies the foreign practices and domestic experience of their implementation in the process of innovation of preschool education as one of the important structural elements in the system of preschool educational institutions of Ukraine. It has been established that ensuring the proper functioning of the field of preschool education is considered as one of the priority state objectives, as an important structural element of providing quality educational services. The statements of scientists concerning the components of the quality of preschool education have been analysed. The management of the quality of preschool education on the basis of national standards and regulatory support has been investigated. The Concept of education development for the period 2015-2025 and the State standard of preschool education have been analysed. It has been established that modern pedagogy reconsiders the issues of upbringing, education and development of personality from the standpoint of analysis of the new socialcultural situation, modern requirements for the personality formation and taking into account the integration of world and domestic science. It has been determined that the main foreign practice in the process of innovation of preschool education is the Montessori Method. It has been revealed that the main principles of the pedagogical process according to Montessori methodology are as follows: availability of a special set of didactic material, availability of rules in Montessori environment, special training of the teacher, freedom of choice, error control, children - active participants in the learning process, maximum independence, and lack of grades and lack of competitive motive. It has been found that more than 20,000 schools around the world are currently using the Montessori methodology for children from birth to 18 years old. It has been investigated that the following methods are used in foreign practice of innovation of preschool education, namely: video modelling technique, direct instruction technique, visual cues technique, technique with symbolic games, feedback training technique, random learning technique, model of so-called peer learning, model of psychological and pedagogical support and language training.
Abstract/Notes: This mixed-method exploratory case study investigates the research question: To what extent do pre-K through eighth-grade public Montessori school teachers perceive that their professional knowledge and abilities, experiences, and resources impact their capacity to integrate arts into their general classroom curriculum? Public Montessori teachers from five public-choice Montessori schools in a school district of the suburban and urban areas of southeastern South Carolina were invited to participate. The teachers in these public Montessori schools have varied levels of education and professional development experience with the arts in education. Some participants were general education teachers prior to becoming Montessori teachers due to the transition of traditional program elementary schools to Montessori schools. Survey questions addressed themes and subthemes related to integrating the arts with core curriculum subjects including math, history, science, English language arts, and social justice and humanities. The subthemes were also designed to delineate perceptions of experience or knowledge with visual arts, music, dance, poetry, drama, and theater. Data were gathered from the participant responses and a district program description, including professional development offerings. To analyze the data, the research question themes were coded by the field annotations: abilities, knowledge, resources, benefits, and barriers. The coding involved identifying patterns and similarities in the teachers’ responses of their perceptions related to arts integration in their Montessori classrooms. The overall results indicated the teacher participants believe that students who exhibit excess energy would benefit from an increase in movement, collaboration, and music, as well as a significant increase in exposure to the arts. Largely, the teachers indicated feeling uncertain about integrating the arts into their Montessori classrooms due to barriers such as lack of resources, time, and professional development experience. Therefore, it is recommended that educational leaders create professional development opportunities through collaboration with the arts team at each school, the community arts professionals, and the district administration.
Language: English
Published: Biddeford, Maine, 2021
Doctoral Dissertation (Ed.D.)
Project-Based and Student-Centered Learning in Teaching the Montessori Social Development Curriculum
Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Montessori middle school educators described the use of project-based and student-centered learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students in the southeast region of the United States. The theoretical framework providing a lens for this examination of project-based and student-centered learning and how teachers described how such learning exercised on their students’ social development was Vygotsky’s social learning and development theory. Two research questions were posed for this study. RQ1 asked: How do Montessori middle school educators describe the use of project-based learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students? RQ2 asked: How do Montessori middle school educators describe the use of student-centered learning to teach social development to their adolescent female students? The sample (N = 30) completed 30 questionnaires, 10 individual semi-structured interviews via Zoom, and a 3-member focus group via Zoom. The sampling strategy was purposeful sampling. All participants originated from the southeast region of the United States and represented one school. An open-ended questionnaire, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group were the sources of data. Thematic analysis with an inductive coding approach was performed to identify, analyze, and report patterns emerging from the data. Four key themes emerged: (a) promoting the construction of knowledge; (b) student voice and choice; (c) student ownership and agency; (d) construction of learning. The results highlighted the important role that Montessori middle school educators play when teaching adolescents girls.
Language: English
Published: Phoenix, Arizona, 2021
Article
Penggunaan Media Sanpaper Latter terhadap Keaksaraan Awal Anak Kelompok B di PAUD Jaya Henida Palembang [The Use of Sandpaper Letter Materials for Group B Children's Early Literacy at PAUD Jaya Henida Palembang]
Abstract/Notes: Masalah dalam Penelitian ini Adakah pengaruh penggunaan media sandpaper letters terhadap pengenalan huruf pada anak kelompok B di PAUD Jaya Henida Palembang?. Penelitian ini bertujuan Untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan media sandpaper letters terhadap pengenalan huruf anak kelompok B di PAUD Jaya Henida Palembang. Metode penelitian yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah pendekatan deskriptif kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data dalam penelitian ini adalah dokumentasi. Berdasarkan penelitian yang telah dilakukan di PAUD Jaya Henida Palembang, maka dapat ditarik beberapa kesimpulan sebagai berikut : 1) Kemampuan keaksaraan anak PAUD pada umumnya telah mencapai perkembangan normal dalam tahap kemunculan literasi, meliputi kemampuan dengar – bicara dan baca – tulis; 2) Kendala dan kebutuhan guru dalam pengembangan keaksaraan, diantaranya kurangnya peralatan dan materi, buku sumber, sarana dan fasilitas yang memadai; 3) Desain pengembangan keaksaraan di fokuskan pada kegiatan menstimulus kemunculan kemampuan dengar – bicara baca – tulis sesuai dengan tahap perkembangan anak PAUD; 4) Cara mengembangkan alat peraga sandpaper letter berbasis metode Montessori yaittu sebagai berikut : pertama, alat peraga menarik. Kedua, alat peraga memiliki gradasi. Ketiga, alat peraga digunakan untuk dapat melatih anak belajar secara mandiri. Keempat, alat peraga digunakan untuk mengetahui kesalahan yang terjadi dengan adanya alat peraga.
Abstract/Notes: This chapter will look at the purpose of education in the context of Indonesia’s past and present. I will draw on the philosophy of Ki Hajar Dewantara (1889–1959), who is regarded as the father of Indonesian education. In conceptualising education, he was influenced by his upbringing, local culture, and international influences from various educators and philosophers such as Rabindranath Tagore, Maria Montessori, and Friedrich Fröbel. This chapter is particularly timely because the Indonesian government has started to critically re-examine two of the educational concepts proposed by Dewantara, which are “pendidikan karakter” (character education) and “merdeka belajar” (independent learning). The chapter will start with a discussion on the purpose of education before introducing Dewantara and his background. I will then offer two comparisons; First, between Dewantara’s purpose of education and the aims of Dutch schools during the colonial period in Indonesia, highlighting the importance of imparting local wisdom and values in Dewantara’s school which were ignored by the colonial schools. Second, between Dewantara’s purpose of education and the current government’s policies. By doing so, I will highlight the different purposes articulated for education in various contexts, from the colonial era to present-day Indonesia. The conclusion of this chapter is that there have been profound changes to the very purpose of education in Indonesia. Nevertheless, Dewantara’s philosophy is still very much relevant today and thus, the Indonesian government should revisit its conceptualisation of the foundations of education. Dewantara’s thought is also likely to see increased interest in other countries due to a growing global demand for awareness of non-Western educational philosophies.
Language: English
Published: Singapore:
Springer Nature, 2023
Edition: 1st ed.
ISBN: 978-981-9901-39-5
Book
The Progressive Classroom: Unlocking the Potential of Learning for the Future
Abstract/Notes: There are two purposes of the current study. First was to examine whether or not children in the elementary school in Taiwan who had received Montessori early childhood education obtain significantly higher scores on tests of language arts, math, and social studies than children who attended non-Montessori pre-elementary programs. Second one was to examine whether or not the number years of Montessori education has a positive impact on the students' scores when they are in elementary grades. According to Chattin-McNichols (1992b), children from Montessori education program are doing better in some respects than other programs. Some studies have found that in the United States, Montessori students have strong academic outcomes especially in language arts than non-Montessori students (Daux, 1995; Hobbs, 2008; Lillard & Else-Quest, 2006; Manner, 1999). The present study involved 196 participants from a private Catholic elementary school in Taipei City, Taiwan. Ninety-eight first, second, and third grade students had Montessori early childhood experience and 98 first, second, and third grade students did not have Montessori early childhood experience. Using one-way MANOVA as a statistical tool, there were mixed results in the present study. The results showed students who had Montessori early childhood education experience had higher test scores of language arts than the students who did not have Montessori education experience. In conclusion, the present study partially supports the findings of other studies and shows that Montessori education has some long-term impact on the students' language arts learning.
Language: English
Published: Terre Haute, Indiana, 2009
Article
Instant Montessori Schools: According to David Lerch, Who Should Know, Federal Magnet Grants Will Be Announced in August - and Schools Will Open in September
Skolans Levda Rum och Lärandets Villkor: Meningsskapande i Montessoriskolans Fysiska Miljö [The School's Living Space and the Conditions of Learning: Creating Meaning in the Montessori School's Physical Environment]
Abstract/Notes: This study examines the school’s physical environment as a place of learning, and takes its starting point in the phenomenology movement, inspired both by Merleau-Ponty’s thesis of man’s physical relation to the world and by the existential analysis represented by Heidegger which implies a mutual relationship between man and the world.
Such a view rejects a standpoint which describes man as being divided between a material body and a thinking soul. Instead, there emerges an embodied self which engages in meaningful interaction with its surroundings. The choice of this standpoint has implications for the design of the school’s physical environment. Montessori pedagogy is one of the activity-based pedagogies which have designed the physical environment in line with this theory. The purpose of the study is to understand, but further to visualise, the way in which the conditions for learning for children and adolescents are created in schools, from pre-school to lower secondary level, which follow the Montessori pedagogy. The material for the empirical study has been gathered from Europe and the US and from differing social contexts. The reason for this is to discover what distinguishes the prepared environment. The study also discusses the way in which the argument for a form of schooling which is based on activity, from the early 20th century to the present day, has been addressed through the architectural design of schools.
The thesis shows that the rich array of didactic material in the schools observed offers pupils the opportunity to perform activities which create meaning. The organisation of the environment provides the pupils with the necessary conditions to concentrate fully on their work and to complete their tasks without interruption. I see the didactic continuity which prevails from pre-school to the lower secondary school in the Montessori schools studied as a prerequisite if the pedagogical activity is to offer meaning and create the conditions for learning in the way demonstrated by the empirical studies.
Language: Swedish
Published: Stockholm, 2012
Report
The Possibility of Public Montessori Schools: Examining the Montessori philosophy and its prospect in American public schools
Abstract/Notes: In an effort to explore the ways in which Montessori curriculum and public schools are cooperative or mutually exclusive, I will examine the principles of the Montessori philosophy as set forth by Dr. Maria Montessori in the areas of learners and learning, the learning environment, the curriculum and instructional strategies, and student assessment. After examining these sectors of the Montessori method, I will discuss theoretical possibilities in adapting the Montessori method to the American public school system in the early 21st century. For the purpose of this paper, I will refer to the author of the Montessori method, as "Dr. Montessori" and call the general method or portions thereof as "Montessori."
Language: English
Published: Nashville, Tennessee,
2007
Blog Post
Are Montessori Schools Better Than Public Schools?
Mark Travers
(Author)
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Abstract/Notes: Dr. Angeline Lillard discusses her new research on the benefits of a Montessori education.
