Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study is to determine and compare the effect of traditional and Montessori methods on perceptual motor activities of elementary school students. This research is applied in terms of purpose and semi-experimental in terms of implementation. Abad forms. The sample size in this study was selected using G-POWER software and the sample size was 36 people. It is necessary that three groups of 12 people are selected randomly from them. In this study, there are three groups of 12 people for research, one of which is the Montessori training program; In the second group, the traditional training program and the third group as a research control group, in which the two experimental groups performed the necessary training sessions for 8 weeks and 3 sessions per week. In both traditional and Montessori groups, the changes in pre-test and post-test are significant and this means that both Montessori and traditional methods have been able to improve students' balance. The results showed that the Montessori group had the greatest impact on fine motor skills. Also, the traditional training group was able to create a significant difference with the control group.

Language: Persian

ISSN: 2645-7806

Abstract/Notes: The article derived from Grazia Honegger Fresco’s years in close cooperation with Maria Montessori and Adele Costa Gnocchi. The author illustrates how small children from the moment they start using their hands and are standing unassisted on their own legs must act in their own way. The teacher must observe before acting and intervene as little as possible. Honegger Fresco follows the work of Montessori and Costa Gnocchi and she compares the findings with different fields of science, such as ethnology and neurology. As a result of her observations and experiences she points toward the relationship between a good childhood, and in the long term, human responsibility on Earth, using the concept “the Cosmic Task”. The method in this article is based on autoethnography, as the author shares her personal experience and reflections, both as a teacher and as an educator. The aim is to shed light on aspects regarding the needs of small children and to point at the essential role of adults, educators as well as parents. As Schiedi explains, autoethnography “extends its narrative horizon to a social, professional, organizational dimension of the self” (2016). During Honegger Fresco’s career, she was primarily inspired by Maria Montessori’s research about child development and children’s needs and rights, and she had continuously deepened her understanding by studying other researchers in this field. Thus, the article will share her conviction that by serving the creative spirit of the youngest children we will build a better future for our planet.

Language: English

DOI: 10.16993/jmre.10

ISSN: 2002-3375

Abstract/Notes: In this article we examine the relation between variation theory and Maria Montessori’s didactic theory. Montessori believed that training and sharpening of the child’s senses are crucial for their continued learning; she therefore developed specific sensorial materials to be used in Montessori preschools for such a purpose. As noted by interpreters of Montessori education, a key principle in this material, as well as in variation theory, is the use of variation and invariance. However, in this article, lessons in two different areas than the training of the senses are analysed from a variation-theoretical perspective on learning; these lessons originate from Montessori’s own writings and from extracts from Montessori training courses. The result shows that a systematic use of variation and invariance can be seen as a more fundamental part of Montessori’s didactic theory and is not only applied in the sensorial training. The article will offer theoretical concepts useful when explaining why lessons in various areas should be presented in the way they are described.

Language: English

DOI: 10.16993/jmre.12

ISSN: 2002-3375

Abstract/Notes: Article: Montessori with an Open Approach

Language: English

DOI: 10.16993/jmre.1

ISSN: 2002-3375

Abstract/Notes: This paper is a historical account of the spread of Montessori education in mainland China. It surveys the general picture of early childhood education (ECE) in China and discusses the factors leading to the popularity of Montessori education in the 1990s. Although first introduced into China in the early 1900s, for reasons explained, Montessori education was unsuccessful in catching on as an education method in the early part of the 20th century. Following policy changes and growing interest in western education methods, Montessori education reemerged in the 1990s and has remained a sought-out education method since. In this paper, localization is also discussed as a prominent concern expressed in the Chinese research is ensuring Montessori education promotes and instills values consistent with Chinese society. As is shown, elements of the Montessori method are consistent with Chinese culture, creating a cooperative relationship between these two systems. Of equal importance, Montessori education emphasizes the cultivation of collective identity and societal relationships similar to Chinese culture, the slight difference between them being that Montessori also emphasized the construction of the individual as well.

Language: English

DOI: 10.16993/jmre.17

ISSN: 2002-3375

Abstract/Notes: The Montessori Bibliography Online (MBO) makes information about Montessori education and the Montessori movement more accessible through an online interface that includes links to digitized source materials. Historically, Montessori bibliographies and indexes have been published in physical form and include references to other sources, but a direct link is absent. This database builds on previously compiled indexes to consolidate citations into a comprehensive repository with an intuitive user interface and a robust search capability. Additionally, the MBO provides hyperlinks to digitized source material. Although this type of tool is not unprecedented in the larger research and educational landscape, it is novel within the domain of Montessori education. This methodological essay discusses the steps I took to compile and develop the MBO. Beginning with a review of the literature and legal matters, the discussion describes the methods and processes employed. It concludes by outlining future directions for the MBO. The MBO is accessible at https://montessoribib.ku.edu.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v8i1.16425

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: Erica Moretti, a professor of Italian at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, authored a recent intellectual biography of Maria Montessori, The Best Weapon for Peace: Maria Montessori, Education, and Children’s Rights. In this book, Moretti writes in conversation with fellow European researchers and builds on their work to present this English-language examination of Montessori’s pacifism that places her as a central figure in 20th-century global humanitarianism, disaster relief, peace activism, and social reform.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v8i1.17113

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: Indigenous educators desire to use culturally restorative and decolonized pedagogies reflective of their own cultural values and beliefs in their science programs but have lacked models for how to start. They also often lack confidence in their ability to teach the sciences. This three-year qualitative case study used grounded theory methodology to discover (a) how Hawaiian language immersion (HLC) K–6 educators used Maria Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum for the creation of a science program based on Hawaiian epistemology and cultural values and (b) why the Cosmic Curriculum appealed to the HLC educators. Five key themes emerged: (a) the notion of creation as interconnected and relational, (b) an epistemological similarity regarding how people learn, (c) using timelines as organizing cognitive structures, (d) a focus on the natural sciences, and (e) the use of storytelling and key lessons to engage students. Participants stated that they felt successful in creating science curriculum and teaching the sciences as they adapted the above aspects of Dr. Montessori’s Cosmic Curriculum. Future research should be conducted to discover if her Cosmic Curriculum can be adapted for use in other types of non-Montessori program and whether this kind of science program could encourage students to choose the sciences as a career choice.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v7i2.15763

ISSN: 2378-3923

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.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v7i1.15123

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: Becoming a competent Montessori Elementary guide is a complex process, so we are developing the Montessori Coaching Tool Elementary (MCT-EL) rubric to describe teaching-practice expectations for self-reflection and formative feedback during the critical early period in a teacher’s development. The purpose of this article is to share results from a small-scale, online survey collecting both qualitative and quantitative feedback on the rubric from experienced Montessori Elementary teacher educators. The rubric’s content was based on Maria Montessori’s writings and welldocumented Montessori practices, which we translated to specific teacher behaviors and developmental progressions. We wanted to gauge the MCT-EL rubric’s usefulness and appropriateness from the perspective of experts who have significant depth of experience mentoring new teachers. The rubric was not developed to be used for performance evaluation, promotion, or retention but rather for early-career Montessori teachers’ self-reflection. It provides a framework for coaching conversations between the early-career Montessori teacher and a Montessori mentor. Results from the study identified overall support for use of the MCT-EL rubric with developing teachers, along with specific recommendations for revisions, additions, and deletions. Using a thorough review of the data, we developed a refined MCT-EL rubric, which is provided in Appendix B and is available for use by interested practitioners in the field.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v7i2.15866

ISSN: 2378-3923