Abstract/Notes: The use of homework has been a controversial topic in education for many years: what types of homework to give, how much, and how often. In previous years, Ocean Montessori School (a pseudonym), the site of this study, offered homework like that of traditional public schools, such as worksheets and rote skill practice. Feeling conflicted about the misalignment between traditional homework and Montessori practices, the school administration changed the homework policy for the 2016–2017 academic year. The new policy encouraged students to choose what they wanted to do each night for homework. This study examines the views and practices of the teachers, students, and parents involved in the new homework policy. Data were collected from parent surveys, teacher focus groups, student interviews, observations, and student work samples. The findings indicate that, although students enjoyed the proposed homework change, it lacked sufficient structure for parents, and students needed support from teachers and parents to engage in meaningful homework tasks.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v3i2.6585

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: This narrative study investigated through storytelling the experiences of five students who attended a Montessori middle school and then transitioned to a public high school. The testimonies of the participants highlighted that, to help students make a successful transition to high school, it is useful to consider three elements: (a) developing academic and social-emotional skills, (b) fostering positive attitudes toward learning, and (c) creating opportunities to practice self-reliance, self-advocacy, and grit. The experience of these particular students accentuates the ability of a Montessori middle school to emphasize both academic rigor and the social-emotional skills that build the fortitude necessary for students to successfully transition to high school. This study suggests that Montessori middle school practices may foster the intellectual and emotional growth of students so that they can successfully transition to high school and are potentially buffered from many of the detrimental academic and emotional impacts of ninth grade.

Language: English

DOI: 10.17161/jomr.v6i2.13854

ISSN: 2378-3923

Abstract/Notes: Providing a meaningful and experiential learning environment for all students has long created a concern for alternate ways to teach students who are reportedly demonstrating non-mastery on state standardized assessments. As the benchmark for showing successful academic achievement increases, so does the need for discovering effective ways for students to learn. The Montessori teaching method has been in existence since the early 1900s when Dr. Montessori made her discovery of the student learning process. Dr. Montessori connected to the laws of nature and the environment for creating students who are problem-solvers with critical-thinking skills. The Montessori Method is designed to promote independent learning and support normal development in children. A Montessori lesson is defined as any interaction between an adult and a child; it incorporates techniques that are defined to serve as guidance for the adult personality in working with the child. The study investigated the impact of Montessori Method on the academic achievement of 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was used to measure academic achievement in reading and mathematics. An ex post facto, causal-comparative design was employed. The characteristic-present samples consisted of 47 3rd, 40 4th, and 44 5th graders. There were 71 3rd, 60 4th, and 49 5th graders in the comparison samples. Due to non-probability nature of the sampling technique, external validity was limited to study participants. Due to non-experimental nature of the study, no causal inferences were drawn. A series of Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the students who received the Montessori Method of instruction and those who did not on the basis of the outcome measures of academic achievement in reading and mathematics. The mean difference effect sizes, which were used to examine the practical significance of the findings, ranged from negligible to small. Although the results of the study did not support the hypothesis, it must be pointed out that the Montessori Method of teaching facilitates self-paced learning that promotes a child's independence and encourages decision-making which are instrumental in becoming successful learners. Additionally, Montessori advocates experiences that are "real-world" and allow children to build intrinsic motivational opportunities; therefore, creating independent thinkers that will be competitive problem-solvers in the global economy of the 21st century. The limited studies on the Montessori Method of teaching offer opportunities for further investigation at all grade levels. For example, it is recommended to conduct a study to compare students who receive Montessori education during the early years of their academic life with those who receive Montessori education from pre-k to high school graduation. Because the Montessori name does not have a trademark, there are opportunities for investigating Montessori teacher preparation and comparing the preparation of the teachers to the standardized assessment results. There are also opportunities for investigating the method and curriculum used at schools that carry the name Montessori for comparison purposes amongst Montessori schools as well as in comparison to the results of the standardized assessments at these schools.

Language: English

Published: Corpus Christi, Texas, 2013

Abstract/Notes: This research article addresses an important issue related to how teachers can support Aboriginal secondary school students' learning of science. Drawn from a larger project that investigated the study of vertebrates using Queensland Indigenous knowledges and Montessori Linnaean materials to engage Indigenous secondary school students, this article focuses on the three-staged lessons from that study. Using an Action Research approach and working with participants from one secondary high school in regional Queensland with a high Indigenous population, there were several important findings. First, the materials and the three-staged lessons generated interest in learning Eurocentric science knowledge. Second, repetition, freedom and unhurried inclusion of foreign science knowledges strengthened students' Aboriginal personal identity as well as identities as science learners. Third, privileging of local Aboriginal knowledge and animal language gave rise to meaningful and contextualised Linnaean lessons and culturally responsive practices.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1017/jie.2019.10

ISSN: 1326-0111, 2049-7784

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: Maria Montessori’s pedagogy is considered a “classics” of Education Sciences. In this contribution, a survey conducted with three different groups of subjects attending University lectures or in-service Montessori training courses is reported. Main research purpose is to discover background knowledge and perceived meanings of each group concerning the Montessori Method and its main characteristics. Data collected from the three groups under investigation are compared to identify the most macroscopic differences and / or similarities. Through the graphs produced, first reflections and conclusions are attempted, at the same time readers are invited to build their own opinions inferring other meanings or conclusions thanks to data and reading tools provided.

Language: English

DOI: 10.15584/kpe.2018.6.18

ISSN: 2300-9888, 2544-1205

Abstract/Notes: Metacognitive was the student's skill in the process of acting (activity) and thinking (mental process). This skill could improve their learning process and memory. Student who had metacognitive skill will be able to control and to arrange his learning activity by himself. Active participation was the interaction both physically and psychologically to think, to interact, to try and to find new things in the learning process. The purpose of this research was to find the relationship between active participation and the metacognitive ability of students, especially in elementary school. This research was a correlation study. Population of this research was 5th grade students in SD Negeri 3 Klangenan academic year 2017/2018. Sample was taken using purposive sampling technique. The data was collected by observation and written test. The instruments for active participation was observation sheets and the instrument for metacognitive ability was a multiple choice test that consist of 20 questions. The data was analyzed using correlation technique using IBM SPSS Statistics 16.0 for windows. Based on the data nalaysis, it was obtained was 0.682. At a significant level 5% then was 0.413. Based on value then it showed that there was a positive and significant corelation between active participation and metacognitive ability of students 5th grade SD Negeri 3 Klangenan.

Language: English

ISSN: 2477-3581, 2477-3859

Abstract/Notes: In the traditional school system, many values are set in line with the wishes of adults. This situation appears as a blind conflict between the weak and the strong in education. This environment, which causes the creation of only weak and strong people by keeping the individual in the background, comes to light with the sense of loss and self-worthlessness, and the characteristics of membership left alone or without faith. Individuals with this point of view have developed neither personal courage nor ability to criticize and judge. If we love the child so that he/she can build with his/her own unique values and natural laws, it is possible for us to develop all his abilities. At this point, Montessori Education Method emerges as one of the most valuable methods for us to achieve this development. The Montessori Method is based on the developmental needs of the child and is implemented in a carefully prepared appropriate environment. In this process, when the superiority of the method is realized, the child develops both his/her intelligence and his/her physical and mental abilities with experiences.This study aspires to determine how the primary school second grade visual arts education class topics affect students' knowledge levels by applying the method of Montessori Education. The aim of the study is to cover the effect of teaching art history education with the Montessori Education Method on student knowledge level. / Geleneksel okul sisteminde, yetişkinlerin istekleri doğrultusunda birçok değer konulmaktadır. Bu durum eğitimde sadece zayıf ve güçlünün arasında kör bir çatışma olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bireyi arka planda tutarak sadece zayıf ve güçlü insanların yaratılmasına sebebiyet veren bu ortam, kendiliğinden gelişen kayıp ve kendi kendine olan değersizlik duygusu ile beraber yalnız başına bırakılmış ya da inançsız üyelik özellikleriyle açığa çıkmaktadır. Bu bakış açısına sahip bireylerin, ne kişisel cesaretleri ne de eleştirme ve muhakeme yetisi gelişmemiştir. Eğer çocuğu kendine özel değerleriyle ve doğal yasalarıyla inşa edebilmesi için seversek bütün yeteneklerini geliştirmemiz mümkün olabilmektedir. Bu noktada Montessori eğitimi bu gelişimi sağlayabilmemiz için en değerli yöntemlerden biri olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Montessori yöntemi çocuğun gelişimsel ihtiyaçları üzerine kurulur ve dikkatlice hazırlanan uygun bir çevrede bu durum kolaylaştırılarak uygulanır. Yöntemin üstünlüğünün farkedildiği bu süreçte çocuk, deneyimlerle hem zekasını hem de fiziksel ve ruhsal yeteneklerini geliştirmektedir. Bu araştırmada, ilköğretim 2. sınıf görsel sanatlar eğitimi ders konularının, Montessori eğitimi yöntemi uygulanarak öğrenci bilgi düzeylerine etkisinin nasıl olduğu belirlenmeye çalışılmıştır. Araştırmanın amacı, sanat tarihi eğitiminin montessori eğitimi yöntemiyle öğretilmesinin öğrenci bilgi düzeyine etkisini kapsamaktadır.

Language: Turkish

ISSN: 2458-9624

Abstract/Notes: The low level of reading comprehension in elementary school students can certainly affect their learning motivation in the learning process. To overcome this problem, this study aims: to investigate the effect of the Montessori-based Big Book on understanding Early Reading Skills and Learning Motivation. Quasi-experimental design was applied in this study. There were 26 students (14 males and 12 females) from SDN Pucang 4 as an experimental group and 23 students (13 males and 10 females) from SDN Pucang 2 were included as a control group. Data analysis in this study used an independent sample t-test with a significance level of 0.05. The results showed that students in the experimental group had higher scores better than the control group. This shows that the Montessori-based Big Book significantly promotes understanding of Early Reading Skills and Learning Motivation in the experimental group compared to control group students.

Language: English

ISSN: 1006-7930

Abstract/Notes: The research of mathematics teachers and instructors is still focused on normal students. Students with special needs are often ruled out. In fact, they also need to learn mathematics. Mathematics is a very basic subject and must be mastered by everyone, including students with special needs. This research is intended to apply mathematics learning to autism students by using communication boards as a Montessori apparatus. Communication is chosen because autistic students have a visual learning style. Furthermore, the learning method is done with Montessori because it takes the concept of learning with the environment, in accordance with the main purpose of learning for autism students to be able to live independently and be empowered in the community. The study used the descriptive qualitative method. According to the research results several Montessori apparatuses have been chosen used including visual schedules, visuals to structure the environment, visual scripts, a visual rule reminder, the visual task analysis, and a choice board.

Language: English

DOI: 10.32919/uesit.2019.03.03

ISSN: 2521-1234