Abstract/Notes: This qualitative study reveals the experiences of teachers who work in public preschools using their initiative and effort to implement Montessori education in their classes. Data were collected from five Montessori-inspired teachers from different cities in Turkey. Study teachers were well known for their Montessori practices. Since they were in different regions, they were interviewed by conference call. The researchers asked them to explain experiences related to difficulties they encountered while applying the Montessori method, as well as the outcomes they obtained. Results showed that despite reactions from their colleagues in terms of material procurement, activities, and teaching styles, they continued to practice the Montessori philosophy. Although this initiative is a difficult process, teachers willingly preparing and using resources and supports effectively can create positive outcomes for the educators, families, and children. The experiences and efforts of the teachers in this study will provide support to new initiating teachers and reveal the need to develop educational policies that support different educational approaches.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1007/s10671-022-09310-7

ISSN: 1573-1723

Abstract/Notes: Languagge is one of the facilities that Preschoolers acquire in their early years and this is made possible by the interaction that they have with their environments - be it home, school where they grow and interact. To acquire language and develop vocabularies for communication, Montessori Language materials become invaluable tools for building and enhancing language versatility among preschoolers. Montessori materials like Large and Small Movable Alphabet boxes help in word building, while word lists help in vocabulary acquisition on a large scale. The study adopted descriptive survey and Quazi-experimental design. Four ECCDC were selected for the study; out of which two were used as experimental classes while the other two were used as control group. A total of 286 pupils from Lagos Education District 4 and 6 constituted the sample for the study. The treatment group was exposed to teaching and learning using the Montessori Language Materials (Large and Small Movable Alphabet boxes, word lists, phrases and sentence cards, etc.). The control group was also exposed to teaching and learning using the conventional instructional strategy. Instruments used for data collection were Public School Teachers' Questionnaire (PSTQ) and Pupils' Language Achievement Worksheets (PLAW). Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as simple percentages, mean and standard deviation, whilst independent t-test and ANCOVA were used to test the hypotheses formulated. The study revealed that majority of the teachers in the study had no adequate preparation for the level of education where they teach; that the pupils that had practical sessions using Montessori Language Materials performed better in spelling, word building and reading activities and had larger number of vocabulary acquisition than their peers in the control group. The study also revealed that most of the teachers had no Montessori training and as such, they were unable to implement Montessori methods in their classrooms. Therefore, the recommendations include: that teachers should make the learning of language more practical by the use of diverse instructional materials that are age appropriate and allow pupils the opportunity to find out things for themselves. In addition, professional preparation of the early years' teachers should be extensive as to embrace and inculcate best practices in the course of their training so that they can be skillful and resourceful in dispensing their duties in the classrooms.

Language: English

ISSN: 2536-7382

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: In the classrooms of teachers, there ought to be a balance of direct instruction, guided play, and student-directed play. Children can use their creativity, language, social skills, self-control, and other talents to the fullest extent while playing. The best learning occurs when students are given a wide variety of options for activities and topics that engage them. Montessori education places a special emphasis on assisting children in developing their sensory abilities. An organized, aesthetically beautiful, and well-organized Montessori environment gives kids a sense of security and promotes discovery. Children’s freedom to roam, select, and participate in self-directed activities helps them uncover their passions and potential. The ability to lose yourself in an activity is encouraged in Montessori programs. Having a choice and feeling in control of one’s environment is associated with better performance. Kids who have a consistent family schedule and are considered to be more organized perform better in terms of cognitive, psychological, and social development. To encourage further study and to better inform teachers about whether as well as why the Montessori Method might be helpful, the paper’s objective is to present an overview of the evidence foundation for the method.

Language: English

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7495717

ISSN: 2181-3191

Abstract/Notes: The debate about whether or not religious education should be included in early childhood education is a longstanding one. Even those who believe that Religious education should be included in early childhood programs cannot agree about the content or method for including it. The phenomenon of religious education in Montessori pre-primary schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa is explored in this study, using a qualitative research approach. More specifically, the study explored the goals of their religious education; the level of awareness of Montessori's approach to religious education and finally looked at how they were implementing religion in their schools. A sample of 4 pre-schools were selected from the 90 Montessori pre-schools in the Western Cape. These included a Non-Denominational, Muslim, Christian and a Jewish School. The Muslim and Non-Denominational schools are full Montessori schools, while the Christian and Jewish schools have incorporated Montessori alongside other curriculums, namely the Jubilee Excellence School Curriculum and Reggio-Emilia approach, respectively. A collective case study approach was adopted and data was collected through observations and interviews. While the findings cannot easily be generalized, it is significant in providing a starting point to understanding the phenomenon of religious education in Montessori pre-schools in the Western Cape. The study highlighted Dr Montessori's personal and professional struggle with religion and found that the struggles Dr Montessori faced in terms of Religion have still not been resolved today. The schools in the Western Cape still grappled with the essence of Montessori's struggle, i.e. where to place religion and how to integrate it in the Montessori method and philosophy. Dr Montessori's beliefs about the importance of spirituality in the early years were found to be consistent with the contemporary views of scholars around the world. The religious schools followed guidelines of their own religions when deciding on which values to focus on. At the Jewish school, the focus was on the community, while at the Muslim school the focus was on the individual and selfetiquette. The focus of the Christian school was on discipline and obedience. The schools had various commitments to spiritual and ethical development of the children. Finally, the study found that the Montessori method was ideal for teaching the practices of religion, but when schools delved into issues of faith or love of God, they switched to other modes of teaching (e.g. preaching). This disjuncture between teaching faith and practices was ultimately Dr Montessori's reason for abolishing religious education from her method.

Language: English

Published: Cape Town, South Africa, 2017

Abstract/Notes: V magistrski nalogi smo obravnavali področje razvoja glasbenih sposobnosti s poudarkom na ritmičnih sposobnostih v povezavi z glasbenimi dejavnostmi in izhodiščem pedagoškega koncepta montessori. Želeli smo proučiti učinek glasbeno-gibalnih dejavnosti po konceptu pedagogike montessori na razvoj glasbenih sposobnosti predšolskih otrok iz vrtca montessori. Na podlagi relevantne literature s področja gibanja ob glasbi po konceptu pedagogike montessori smo oblikovali dva eksperimentalna programa. Zanimalo nas je, kakšen bo učinek teh programov in ali bodo otroci teh dveh eksperimentalnih skupin bolje razvili ritmične sposobnosti kot kontrolna skupina ter kakšne bodo razlike med napredki skupin. Uporabili smo neslučajnostni namenski vzorec 59 predšolskih otrok druge starostne skupine iz treh enot vrtca montessori iz osrednjeslovenske regije ter za potrebe raziskave prilagodili tri teste ritmičnih sposobnosti, ki smo jih povzeli po že oblikovanih testih. Najprej smo s testiranjem razvitosti ritmičnih sposobnosti v začetnem stanju ugotovili, da med skupinami ni statistično pomembnih razlik, nato sta obe eksperimentalni skupini tri mesece po trikrat tedensko izvajali eksperimentalna programa. Po koncu eksperimenta smo ponovili testiranje in zaznali statistično pomembne razlike med skupinami v razvitosti ritmičnih sposobnosti. Izvajanje obeh eksperimentalnih programov je imelo pozitiven učinek na razvoj ritmičnih sposobnosti predšolskih otroknajvečji učinek smo opazili pri eksperimentalni skupini 1, pri kontrolni skupini pa učinka neaktivnosti nismo zaznali. [In the master thesis the development of musical abilities with emphasis on rhythmical abilities in connection with musical activities based on the Montessori pedagogy was discussed. The study focused on the effect of music-movement activities that are based on the concept of the Montessori educational method on the development of musical abilities of children from the Montessori preschool. In accordance with the relevant literature from the field of musical movement based on the concept of Montessori pedagogy two experimental programs were developed. The interest of the thesis lies in the effect of these programs, if the children of the two experimental groups would develop better rhythmical abilities than the control group and what the difference in development between the groups would be. A non-probability sample, in which 59 second-age-group preschool children from three Montessori preschool units from Central Slovenia were selected, was used. For the purposes of the study, three rhythmical- ability tests, which had been adapted from previously created tests, were adjusted. An initial test of rhythmical abilities established that there are no major statistical differences between the two groups. Following this, the two experimental groups carried out the workshops of the experimental program, three times per week for a period of three months. After ending the experiment, the testing was repeated and crucial statistical differences in the development of rhythmical abilities were noted between the two groups. The implementation of both experimental programs had a positive effect on the development of rhythmical abilities of preschool children. The biggest effect was noticed in the experimental group 1, while an effect of nonactivity was not detected in the control group.]

Language: Slovenian

Published: Maribor, Slovenia, 2020

Abstract/Notes: Quality preschool programs that develop the whole child through age-appropriate socioemotional and cognitive skill-building hold promise for significantly improving child outcomes. However, preschool programs tend to either be teacher-led and didactic, or else to lack academic content. One preschool model that involves both child-directed, freely chosen activity and academic content is Montessori. Here we report a longitudinal study that took advantage of randomized lottery-based admission to two public Montessori magnet schools in a high-poverty American city. The final sample included 141 children, 70 in Montessori and 71 in other schools, most of whom were tested 4 times over 3 years, from the first semester to the end of preschool (ages 3 to 6), on a variety of cognitive and socio-emotional measures. Montessori preschool elevated children's outcomes in several ways. Although not different at the first test point, over time the Montessori children fared better on measures of academic achievement, social understanding, and mastery orientation, and they also reported relatively more liking of scholastic tasks. They also scored higher on executive function when they were 4. In addition to elevating overall performance on these measures, Montessori preschool also equalized outcomes among subgroups that typically have unequal outcomes. First, the difference in academic achievement between lower income Montessori and higher income conventionally schooled children was smaller at each time point, and was not (statistically speaking) significantly different at the end of the study. Second, defying the typical finding that executive function predicts academic achievement, in Montessori classrooms children with lower executive function scored as well on academic achievement as those with higher executive function. This suggests that Montessori preschool has potential to elevate and equalize important outcomes, and a larger study of public Montessori preschools is warranted.

Language: English

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01783

ISSN: 1664-1078

Language: English

Published: DeKalb, Illinois, 1981

Language: Swedish

ISSN: 1103-8101

Language: Swedish

ISSN: 1103-8101