Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246

Abstract/Notes: This dissertation presents the results of an exploratory descriptive case study of the Moses Journaling for Equity Experience, a self-reflective intervention for public charter Montessori middle school teachers. The intervention is designed to elicit a reflective process to slow teachers’ thinking so they can decenter Whiteness and elevate the cultures and voices of their students of color within their pedagogy. The intervention was developed in the winter and spring of 2020, drawing heavily on the author’s experience as an equity consultant as well as the rich literature on ways teachers can nurture a sense of belonging for students of color. The intervention was refined with feedback from experienced Montessori teachers, with a focus on ensuring pedagogical alignment and curricular expectations within the Montessori system. Because this study represents the first time the intervention was implemented, it is most properly viewed as a pilot study. Three middle school Montessori teachers were recruited to participate. They began the intervention in the fall of 2021. The intervention consisted of eight weeks of reading curated articles, reflection questions, the collection of evidence, and the journaling of the reflection questions. A final debrief via Zoom encouraged participants to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. As a pilot study, the goal was to gather information on the overall effectiveness of the intervention, intervention shortcomings and strengths. Data were collected weekly in the form of written responses to questions intended to provoke thought and deep reflection on the part of the teachers. At the end of the intervention, each teacher participated in a semi-structured interview to further explore the ideas shared in their individual weekly reflective writings. Critical Race Theory, White Supremacy Culture Characteristics, and the Concerns Based Adoption Model were all used to frame the analysis and to draw conclusions. Results suggest the intervention is effective at building teacher awareness of the cultural, academic, and social assets students of color bring to the classroom, which is the beginning point for teachers to decenter Whiteness in their classrooms to support student of color belonging.

Language: English

Published: Eugene, Oregon, 2022

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: In 2002, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) adopted a policy committing itself to develop all schools in the district as community learning centers. In Pleasant Ridge, one of Cincinnati's most racially and socio-economically diverse neighborhoods, the community set itself to the task of rebuilding what had been a failing school that reflected little of the neighborhood's diversity. After-school programming to provide extracurricular opportunities emerged as a top priority, as did health and wellness services. Another priority was the development of the Pleasant Ridge school facility as an environmentally sound and sustainable "green" building. Yet, despite the promise of an environmentally cutting-edge school and partnerships ranging from the YMCA to various health providers, all of this was not sufficient to attract new families to the school. And so, just as the environmental enthusiasts were leading a grassroots effort to dramatically change the plans for the physical facility, a group of young parents became involved in challenging the academic program. This group, mostly parents of infants and toddlers, asked themselves, "What would it take for us to send our children to this new school?" Their collective answer was a conversion to a Montessori program.

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Language: English

ISSN: 1470-8647

Abstract/Notes: Maria Montessori (1870-1952), doctora i pedagoga, va dedicar la vida a l’estudi de l’infant. A partir de les seves observacions va elaborar un mètode pedagògic en el qual el centre era el nen i propiciava la resolució de les seves necessitats. El seu mètode va estendre’s per tot el món, arribant a Catalunya l’any 1911 a través d’un article a la revista Feminal. L’any 1914 es va dur a terme per primera vegada a la Casa de Maternitat de Barcelona una experiència d’aplicació del mètode Montessori. Des d’aquell moment l’ interès pel mètode va anar en creixement, sent molts els mestres i pedagogs interessats en ell. Aquest fet va provocar que fins i tot la mateixa Maria Montessori va viure durant un període a Catalunya. En aquest treball hem analitzat 95 articles publicats a Catalunya des del 1911 al 2014, any de celebració del centenari de la primera aula Montessori a Barcelona, per tal de valorar la repercussió que aquests articles podien haver tingut en la difusió i impuls del mètode a Catalunya. [Maria Montessori (1870-1952), a doctor and pedagogue, dedicated her life to the study of the child. From his observations he elaborated a pedagogical method in which the center was the child and favored the resolution of his needs. Her method spread all over the world, arriving in Catalonia in 1911 through an article in the magazine Feminal. In 1914, an experiment in the application of the Montessori method was carried out for the first time at the Barcelona Maternity Home. From that moment on, interest in the method grew, with many teachers and educators interested in it. This fact caused that even the same Maria Montessori lived during a period in Catalonia. In this work we have analyzed 95 articles published in Catalonia from 1911 to 2014, the year of the centenary of the first Montessori classroom in Barcelona, ​​in order to assess the impact that these articles could have had on the dissemination and promotion of the method in Catalonia.]

Language: Catalan

Published: Vic, Spain, 2017

Abstract/Notes: This action research aimed to highlight the benefits of integrating the Montessori Math Curriculum with State Standards in an upper elementary classroom. The performance of the action research took place over six weeks at a public Montessori school. There were seventeen upper elementary participants. Documentation used in this action research was a tally sheet for observable use of Montessori math material, school weekly lesson plans, teacher observation and reflection notes, and student and parent Pre and Post Math Interest Surveys. All lessons were given daily during the morning hours according to the school master's schedule. Some positive effects of this action research include changes in student feelings towards math and increased autonomy. For clarity in other areas, extend the action research period beyond six weeks to allow more students to practice with Montessori lessons meeting various standards.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Within the realm of elementary public schools, several pedagogical models of early childhood education are practiced in the United States (Lillard, 2005). The constructivist approach to early childhood education is illustrative of best practices based on current theory. One model of constructivist early childhood education is the Montessori Method founded in the early twentieth century by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician (Montessori, 1912/1964). Though the Montessori Method is aligned with research-based best practices espoused by constructivism, there are relatively few public Montessori schools currently in the United States. A direct comparison is needed between the academic outcomes of public elementary school programs which implement the Montessori Method and those which implement a more traditional approach to early childhood education. The focus of this study is the academic achievement outcomes of Montessori public school students as compared to similar non-Montessori students. The Montessori students’ Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) Total Reading and Total Math scores in grades one and two were not statistically different than their non-Montessori counterparts. In grade three, the Montessori students’ Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) Reading and Math scores were not statistically different than those of the non-Montessori students. In grades four and five, the TAKS Reading and Math scores statistically favored Montessori students.

Language: English

ISSN: 2227-1090, 1991-8100

Abstract/Notes: As one of many contemporary educational reform strategies, the charter school movement has expanded opportunities for educators, children and parents to pursue environments that suit their personal values and predispositions. This project invited teachers to share their experiences working in a unique charter school environment. It examined how teachers described and conceptualized their experiences as professional educators in a public Montessori charter school. Two research questions guided the work as a whole: (1) How do teachers working in this unique charter school environment describe their ideals and perceptions of professional practice? And, (2) what do teachers have to say about this unique charter school environment and their experience working in it? The study employed multiple interviews with seven experienced educators. Using a modified interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, the researchers inductively analyzed teachers’ narratives. After inductive analysis, the teachers’ responses were considered in light of qualities reported to be associated with effective person-centered practice (therapy and teaching). These qualities included practitioner afforded conditions and teachers’ strategies for coping with a wide range of intra-personal, personal and organizational/contextual challenges. [Als eine von vielen heutigen Reformstrategien in der Erziehung bietet die Bewegung privater Schulen mit öffentlichem Auftrag erweiterte Möglichkeiten für Erziehende, Kinder und Eltern, um eine Umgebung bereitzustellen, die ihren persönlichen Werten und Prädispositionen entgegenkommt. Dieses Projekt bot Lehrern die Gelegenheit, ihre Erfahrungen darüber mitzuteilen, im einzigartigen Umfeld einer Privatschule mit öffentlichem Auftrag zu arbeiten. Es untersuchte, wie Lehrer ihre Erfahrungen als professionelle Erziehende in einer privaten Montessori-Schule mit öffentlichem Auftrag beschrieben und konzeptualisierten. Zwei Forschungsfragen dienten dabei als Leitfaden: 1. Wie beschreiben Lehrer, die in dieser einzigartigen Privatschul-Umgebung mit öffentlichem Auftrag arbeiten, ihre Ideale und die Wahrnehmungen zur Berufspraxis? Und 2. Was haben die Lehrer über diese einzigartige Privatschul-Umgebung mit öffentlichem Auftrag zu sagen und wie erleben sie es, darin zu arbeiten? Die Studie verwendete verschiedene Interviews mit sieben erfahrenen Erziehenden. Eine modifizierte interpretative phänomenologische Analyse diente als Ansatz, womit die Forschenden die Narrative der Lehrpersonen induktiv analysierten. Nach der induktiven Analyse wurden die Antworten der Lehrpersonen im Licht von Qualitäten betrachtet, die man mit effektiver personzentrierter Praxis (Therapie und Unterricht) in Verbindung bringt. Diese Qualitäten schlossen Bedingungen ein, die Praktiker anboten sowie Unterrichtsstrategien, um mit einem weiten Spektrum an intra-personalen, persönlichen und organisatorischen/kontextuellen Herausforderungen zurechtzukommen. / Como una de las muchas estrategias de reforma educativa contemporánea, el movimiento de la escuela charter ha ampliado oportunidades para educadores, niños y padres para buscar entornos que se adapten a sus valores personales y predisposiciones. Este proyecto invita a profesores a compartir sus experiencias de trabajo en un ambiente de escuela única chárter. Examina cómo los profesores describen y conceptualizan sus experiencias como profesionales de la educación en una escuela Montessori pública. Dos preguntas de investigación guiaron el trabajo en su conjunto: (1) ¿Cómo los profesores que trabajan en este entorno de escuela única charter describen a sus ideales y percepciones de la práctica profesional? Y, (2) ¿Qué tienen que decir los profesores acerca de este entorno único de escuela charter y su experiencia de trabajo en ella? El estudio empleó múltiples entrevistas con siete educadores experimentados. Utilizando un enfoque de análisis fenomenológico interpretativo modificado, los investigadores analizaron inductivamente las narrativas de los docentes. Después del análisis inductivo, se consideraron las respuestas de los profesores a la luz de las cualidades que mencionaron para ser asociadas a una práctica centrada en la persona (de terapia y enseñanza). Estas cualidades incluyen un profesional que brinda las condiciones y estrategias docentes para hacer frente a una amplia gama de desafios intrapersonales, personales, organizacionales y contextuales. / Parmi les nombreuses stratégies de réforme éducative, le mouvement de l’école à charte a accru les possibilités dont disposent les éducateurs, les enfants et les enseignants pour développer des cadres qui répondent à leurs valeurs personnelles et à leurs attentes. Ce projet a invité les enseignants à partager leurs expériences tout en travaillant dans le cadre d’une école à charte. Il a examiné comment les enseignants ont décrit et conceptualisé leurs expériences en tant qu’éducateurs professionnels dans une école privée à charte Montessori. L’ensemble du travail a été conduit sur base de deux questions de recherche: (1) Comment les enseignants travaillant dans le cadre de cette école à charte décrivent-ils les idéaux et la perception qu’ils se font de leur pratique professionnelle ? Et, (2) ces enseignants, qu’ont-ils à dire quant au cadre de cette école et quant à leur expérience de travail dans un tel environnement ? L’étude a eu recours à de multiples interviews auprès de sept éducateurs expérimentés. Utilisant une approche d’analyse interprétative phénoménologique modifiée, les chercheurs ont analysé de manière inductive les récits des professeurs. Après analyse inductive, les réponses des professeurs ont été examinées à la lumière des qualités considérées comme associées à une réelle pratique centrée sur la personne (thérapie et enseignement). Ces qualités incluaient les conditions nécessaires au praticien et les stratégies des professeurs pour s’adapter à un large éventail de défis intra-personnels, personnels et organisationnels/contextuels. / No contexto das estratégias de reforma da educação contemporâneas, o movimento escolar charter expandiu as oportunidades de educadores, crianças e pais para explorar ambientes que vão ao encontro dos seus valores pessoais e das suas predisposições. Este projeto convidou os professores a partilharem as suas experiêncas de trabalho no ambiente único de uma escola charter. Analisou-se a forma como os professores descreviam e concetualizavam as suas experiências enquanto profissonais de educação numa escola pública Montessori. Duas perguntas de investigação guiaram o estudo, no seu todo: 1 – Como descrevem os professores, que trabalham nesta escola charter particular, os seus ideais e perceções em relação à sua prática profissional? 2- O que têm os professores a dizer em relação a este ambiente particular de escola charter e da sua experiência de trabalho nesse contexto? O estudo recorreu a diversas entrevistas feitas a sete educadores experientes. Os investigadores analisaram as narrativas dos professores por indução, recorrendo a uma abordagem de análise fenomenológica interpretativa modificada. Após a análise indutiva, as respostas dos professores foram interpretadas à luz das qualidades referidas como estando associadas a uma prática centrada na pessoa eficaz (terapêutica e educacional). Essas qualidades incluíam condições atribuídas ao terapeuta e estratégias dos professores para lidarem com uma vasta gama de desafios intra-pessoais, pessoais e organizacionais/contextuais.]

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/14779757.2016.1139500

ISSN: 1477-9757

Language: English

ISSN: 1071-6246