Language: English

DOI: 10.1007/s10648-011-9191-6

ISSN: 1040-726X, 1573-336X

Abstract/Notes: School reform is an important national and international concern. The Montessori alternative school system is unique in that it is well-aligned with the science of healthy development and learning, has strong social–emotional and academic outcomes, is virtually unchanged in over a century, can be applied across all the school years, and still attracts considerable attention and allegiance—yet it remains Bon the margins^ (Whitescarver and Cossentino Teachers College Record, 110, 2571–2600, 2008) of the bulwark educational system, as often shunned as admired. Why does Montessori persist (and increasingly in the public sector) and why does it elicit such sharply contrasting reactions? This article reviews several reasons why it is admired, such as evidence of Montessori’s effectiveness, its alignment with educational psychology research, and its broad scope. The points of research alignment are presented as natural corollaries of Montessori’s central premise: independence, or self-determination. After discussing these extrinsic and intrinsic reasons why Montessori is admired, the article concludes with speculation as to why it is also shunned—namely its incommensurability with conventional education culture and what might be a consequence: frequent poor implementation. The incommensurability of evidence-based alternatives with the conventional system is also posed as a reason for radical school reform.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1007/s10648-019-09483-3

ISSN: 1040-726X, 1573-336X

Abstract/Notes: Effects of multiage grouping on achievement and self-concept were explored. No significant differences were found between children in multiage and single-age classrooms on any of the achievement measures. Multiage classrooms had higher mean scores on one of the six factors of the self-concept scale, Happiness and Satisfaction.

Language: English

ISSN: 0196-5042

Abstract/Notes: The article presents a study on the level of self-authorizing personality development conducted in 2013-2016 within a group of 69 adolescents, alumni of a Montessori school in Lublin then aged 16-21. The method for collecting empirical data was a POA questionnaire designed by K. Obuchowski, measuring 3 main dimensions of personality: subjectivity, being a person and individual valuation standards. The results proved that almost all of the graduates of Montessori classes had developed self-authoring characteristics at an optimum level. The average results of the three main dimensions of the author’s personality: subjectivity, being a person and taking an attitude are significantly higher than the theoretical average of the scale, which allows the determination of a high level of all areas of authorial personality and the co-occurrence of the aforementioned properties. The obtained values in the range of 14 differential categories of the author’s personality are significantly higher from the theoretical average of the scale and inform about the high level of all personality characteristics. There was no difference in the personality profile due to the sex of the graduates. According to Obuchowski’s observations, the respondents realize their needs and are able to distance themselves from them, develop themselves, guide the sense of their existence, positively assess themselves, their goals and the world around them. The ability of the subjects to generate a set of reasons that underlie the strongest subjective standard of valence (attitude) means not only the mastering and dominance of abstract operations, which condition the conscious creation of private knowledge, become independent of the control of a specific experience, create the opportunity for effective long-distance operation and enables them to make responsible choices. / Artykuł prezentuje badania nad poziomem rozwoju tzw. osobowości autorskiej, przeprowadzone w latach 2013–2016 na próbie 69 absolwentów szkoły Montessori w Lublinie, w wieku 16–21 lat. Do zebrania danych empirycznych posłużył opracowany przez K. Obuchowskiego kwestionariusz POA, mierzący trzy zasadnicze wymiary osobowości: podmiotowość, bycie sobą i indywidualne standardy waluacyjne. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań pozwalają stwierdzić, że niemal wszyscy badani absolwenci szkoły Montessori rozwinęli w sobie właściwości autorskie na poziomie optymalnym. Średnie wyniki trzech głównych wymiarów osobowości autorskiej: podmiotowość, bycie osobą i ustosunkowanie są istotnie wyższe od średniej teoretycznej skali, co pozwala wnioskować o wysokim poziomie wszystkich obszarów osobowości autorskiej oraz o współwystępowaniu wspomnianych właściwości. Otrzymane wielkości średnich w zakresie 14 kategorii różnicowych osobowości autorskiej są istotnie wyższe od średniej teoretycznej skali i informują o wysokim poziomie ukształtowania wszystkich cech osobowości autorskiej. Nie odnotowano zróżnicowania profilu własności osobowości autorskiej ze względu na płeć i wiek indagowanych absolwentów. Zgodnie z obserwacjami K. Obuchowskiego, badane osoby uświadamiają sobie swoje potrzeby i potrafią się do nich zdystansować, rozwijają się, kierując sensem swojego istnienia, pozytywnie oceniają siebie, swoje cele oraz świat wokół siebie. Zdolność generowania przez badanych zestawu racji leżących u podstaw najsilniej odczuwanego podmiotowego standardu waluacji (ustosunkowanie), oznacza nie tylko opanowanie i dominację operacji abstrakcyjnych, które warunkują świadome tworzenie prywatnej wiedzy, uniezależniają od kontroli konkretnego doświadczenia, stwarzają szansę skutecznego działania na długi dystans, umożliwiają podejmowanie odpowiedzialnych wyborów.

Language: Polish

DOI: 10.14632/eetp.2017.13.47.105

ISSN: 1896-2327, 2353-7787

Abstract/Notes: The article presents the first monitoring phase following the introduction of the Montessori Method in three primary school classes of the public sector in Trentino, Northern Italy. In this context we are proposing a check list developed to observe teachers and children actions into experimental classes, with the aim of monitoring the gap between implemented educational choices and the theoretical references proposed by Maria Montessori. The check list points offer a supportive self-evaluation tool for teachers in Montessori public school contexts. [Tra l’agito e il dichiarato: una griglia osservativa per l’autovalutazione del docente nelle classi a metodo MontessoriIl contributo presenta la prima fase di monitoraggio dell’esperienza a metodo Montessori in tre classi di scuola primaria pubblica trentina. In questo contesto viene presentata una check list osservativa costruita per osservare le azioni di insegnanti e bambini all’interno delle classi sperimentali, con l’intento di monitorare lo scarto tra le scelte didattiche messe in atto e i riferimenti teorici proposti da Maria Montessori nell’ambito della scuola primaria. La check list proposta intende offrire uno strumento in grado di orientare il processo di autovalutazione dell’insegnante in contesti di scuola pubblica ad indirizzo montessoriano.]

Language: Italian

DOI: 10.13128/formare-23930

ISSN: 1825-7321

Abstract/Notes: Executive functions (EFs) in childhood predict important life outcomes. Thus, there is great interest in attempts to improve EFs early in life. Many interventions are led by trained adults, including structured training activities in the lab, and less-structured activities implemented in schools. Such programs have yielded gains in children's externally-driven executive functioning, where they are instructed on what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. However, it is less clear how children's experiences relate to their development of self-directed executive functioning, where they must determine on their own what goal-directed actions to carry out and when. We hypothesized that time spent in less-structured activities would give children opportunities to practice self-directed executive functioning, and lead to benefits. To investigate this possibility, we collected information from parents about their 6-7 year-old children's daily, annual, and typical schedules. We categorized children's activities as "structured" or "less-structured" based on categorization schemes from prior studies on child leisure time use. We assessed children's self-directed executive functioning using a well-established verbal fluency task, in which children generate members of a category and can decide on their own when to switch from one subcategory to another. The more time that children spent in less-structured activities, the better their self-directed executive functioning. The opposite was true of structured activities, which predicted poorer self-directed executive functioning. These relationships were robust (holding across increasingly strict classifications of structured and less-structured time) and specific (time use did not predict externally-driven executive functioning). We discuss implications, caveats, and ways in which potential interpretations can be distinguished in future work, to advance an understanding of this fundamental aspect of growing up.

Language: English

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00593

ISSN: 1664-1078

Abstract/Notes: Metacognition is a part of the models of self-regulated learning. The consideration of a broader context resonates with a social cognitive perspective approach to learning which dominates the educational academic field with the theory of self-regulated learning. Metacognition is considered a crucial factor influencing mathematics achievement. Furthermore, the affective field including pupils' self-efficacy, interest and motivation are the phenomena involved in mathematical problem-solving. On the other hand, metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive regulations are not a regular part of mathematics education in the Czech Republic. The main aim of this study was to investigate the relation between pupils' attitude toward mathematics; metacognitive knowledge; self-efficacy and motivation; metacognitive monitoring; and their achievement in solving mathematical problems. All together 1,133 students of Grade 5 from four types of Czech schools participated in the study. There were traditional schools; schools teaching mathematics by genetic constructivism, i.e., Hejný's method; Montessori schools; and Dalton schools were involved. The assessed variables, namely relation to mathematics; metacognitive knowledge; self-efficacy and motivation; metacognitive monitoring; and mathematical achievement were used as an input to regression analysis. Item-response theory was used for assessing the performance of the students and demands of the tasks. The metacognitive monitoring was detected as the most significant predictor of mathematics achievement for higher- and lower-performing students as well as for the item with high and low demands. The study reveals how the different mathematics curricula (un)support the metacognitive processes involved in mathematical problem-solving. The information allows teachers to spend sufficient time with particular types of mathematics problems whose solutions is determined by activation of metacognitive processes. This demonstrates the importance of including the activities for development of metacognitive monitoring in mathematics education.

Language: English

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963151

ISSN: 1664-1078

Abstract/Notes: Montessori approach deals with learning in independence and liberty. This way of learning requires students to explore information based on their learning interest. Therefore, reading has become one of the keys in learning successfully in a Montessori school. Moreover, the impact of self-efficacy on the learning outcomes has been explored in the educational psychology as a field of study. This study inspects students’ self-efficacy perceptions and their factors in reading comprehension in a Montessori Junior High School registered in 2018-2019 academic year. It is located in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. English is the main language used in the teaching-learning process in the school. The study is conducted by using mixed method. Findings are based on the 27 close-ended questions and three open-ended questions obtained from the students in grade seven and eight. In analyzing the results, concurrent triangulation strategy is applied. The results show that the students have positive self-efficacy perceptions on their reading (Average= 3.449/5), especially in reading, explaining, summarizing texts and comprehending the graphics found in the text without the guidance of their teachers. Their self-efficacy sources are found in their mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional and psychological states.

Language: English

DOI: 10.15642/ijet2.2019.8.2.26-37

ISSN: 2548-6497

Abstract/Notes: This study examined the influence of enrollment on the development of self-determination in a Montessori middle school. Bounded by self-determination and student voice theory, this research was designed to give voice to students, add to the discourse on middle school reform, and provide the perspective of the student to the critique of middle level education.Based on the analysis of narrative major themes indicated the importance of autonomy and relatedness. Students valued the ability to choose the order of their tasks and the tasks they could choose to demonstrate understanding as well as the ability to re-take tests. These changes require a paradigm shift to a student-centered learning environment.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v2i1.4994

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: The modern world requires a new mindset for people to enable them to become self-evaluating human beings. Kegan (1994) termed this complex system of mind the self-authorship. This is the ability to generate belief systems and intrapersonal states internally. The self-authorship analyses are culturally diverse. This paper presents two theories, namely the concept of self-authorship by Baxter Magolda (1998, 2001) and Obuchowski’s (2000, 2006) theory of self-authoring personality. The latter remains a framework of the description of central psychosocial attributes for the self-authoring personality of Montessori School graduates. The self-authoring studies of diagnostic character aimed at qualification of the authoring personality standard as well as subjective denotations of authoring attributes of the Montessori School graduates. The study covered 69 former students (56.5% women, 43.5% men) of the state Primary Montessori School in Lublin. The self-authoring personality standard was qualified using The Self-Authoring Personality Questionnaire elaborated by Obuchowski and colleagues (Blachnio & Obuchowski, 2011). The personal denotations conferred on authoring attributes were examined by means of the questionnaire My Experiences based on the adaptation of Self-Confrontation Method by Hermans (1991). The level of self-authoring personality in female and male groups was high and characterised by similar values. In the personal statements the persons being examined described themselves as those who perceive themselves as a source of behaviour and the own aims were object of their projects designed for accomplishment in relation with the other people. As follows from the data, the participants of the study acquired skills indispensable for making individual decisions about themselves and the outer world.

Language: Polish

DOI: 10.31338/2657-6007.KP.2022-2.5

ISSN: 0023-5938, 2657-6007