Language: English

Language: Italian

Published: Roma, Italy: Fefè Editore, 2020

ISBN: 978-88-949471-7-5

Series: Pagine Vere , 47

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a mindfulness curriculum and practices on student self-regulation and work completion. The study took place in a large suburban school in western Canada with 19 participants in a grade four, five and six Montessori classroom. The intervention took place over a period of six weeks, during which the researcher led mindfulness lessons using the MindUp curriculum. Additionally, students took part in mindfulness and yoga practices daily and weekly, respectively. Data was collected using student journals, an observational tally, student work cycle folders, and student pre and post surveys. The data shows an increase in mindful and self-regulated behavior as well as improved work completion rates. It is recommended that future studies focus on a broader subject base as well as a more longitudinal period of intervention and data collection.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: This action research project was conducted to see if participation in an online leadership cohort would affect the self-efficacy of school leaders. Using an online platform, seven Montessori heads of schools from the United States gathered to discuss topics of greatest importance to them. The schools represented were public, private, non-profit, proprietary and charter. The heads of schools ranged in experience from 3 to 33 years. They met once a week, for four weeks, for an hour each session to discuss four topics most relevant to the group, as determined by their suggestions. Data was collected using pre and post intervention self-assessments and surveys, as well as field notes, observation records, and tally sheets taken during the four leadership cohort sessions. The researcher facilitated the group and guided the conversations with prompts and continued questions. The heads of school asked questions of each other, offered answers, and shared resources. The intervention was shown to increase the self-efficacy of some participants, decrease the self-efficacy of some participants, and not affect the self-efficacy of others. However, the participants all reported feelings of gratitude for the opportunity to come together, citing community and collaboration as the most positive rewards.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2020

Abstract/Notes: “ What is this picture?” “This arrow is missing.” Montessori teachers hear these questions daily. These requests, while valid, often come at inopportune times, interrupting the adults work. This study aimed to see if children could gain independence through problem solving thus decreasing interruptions. 26 children and 4 adults were in this experiment. The intervention had two aspects. The first, a series of Grace and Courtesy lessons to help the children problem-solve common work related issues. The second was incorporation of a waiting necklace that the children would wear if they required an adult. Effectiveness was measured by evaluating the number of interruptions received for ten days prior and following the intervention. The results revealed the overall number of interruptions decreased from 71 to 53 and little to no change in the children’s problem-solving habits. This leads to the question, if the experiment was augmented would the results differ?

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of the present quasi-experimental mixed-methods study was to examine the effects of an Intercultural Competence Intervention with Self-Regulatory Prompts (ICI-SRP) on elementary students’ development of intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and their self-efficacy beliefs in self-regulating their intercultural learning, and to investigate the ways in which self-regulatory prompts (SRP) influence elementary students’ activation of self-regulatory strategies in intercultural learning. Twenty (N=20) Montessori elementary students from two Montessori schools participated in four sessions of an intercultural exercise, in which only the experimental group were given SRP. It was hypothesized that the experimental group’s use of SRP would further enhance the participants’ development of intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes and their self-efficacy beliefs in self-regulating their intercultural learning. Quantitative data collected from the ICI-SRP survey was analyzed by conducting a univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) for each of its four subscales and was used to examine the effects of SRP on the students’ development of intercultural competence (IC) and self-efficacy beliefs in self-regulating intercultural learning. Qualitative data collected from focus groups was analyzed using the constant comparative method to shed light on the ways in which SRP influence the students’ activation of self-regulatory strategies in intercultural learning. Results from the ANCOVA did not support the hypothesis, as they showed non-statistically significant differences between the development of intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and the self-efficacy beliefs in self-regulating intercultural learning in both groups. Results from the ANCOVA showed numerical increases in intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes in both groups, and numerical decreases in the self-efficacy beliefs in self-regulating intercultural learning in both groups. Findings from the analysis of the focus group data were mostly aligned with the data from the ANCOVA. Data from the focus groups shed light on different types of IC knowledge, skills, and attitudes, and different types of planning and monitoring applied by participants of both groups. The overall findings of the present study suggest that it is likely for elementary aged students to develop IC through intercultural exercises, and that SRP may support that development under certain conditions. The findings of the study may contribute to the development of elementary students’ intercultural learning methods and tools.

Language: English

Published: Fairfax, Virginia, 2022

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

Abstract/Notes: The regulation of behavior is a major issue in early childhood development, with important implications for children’s adaptive and maladaptive developmental outcomes. Emerging research suggests that the degree of successful self-regulation depends upon the efficiency of the child’s attentional system and that the ability to focus and sustain attention supports emotional self-regulation throughout the lifespan. The neural networks that underlie the development of attention are beginning to be charted. Studies have shown that the executive attention network undergoes considerable development between the ages of 2 and 7. To support this development, research scholars have suggested the need to develop curriculum to promote focused and sustained attention in preschool programs. One hundred years ago, Maria Montessori observed that when the environment was designed to promote concentration, children went through a transformative process, which she referred to as normalization. Is normalization the same as self-regulation? This study was designed to examine whether Montessori’s theory of normalization can be considered an applied theory of self-regulation. This was accomplished by analyzing Csikszentmihalyi’s optimal experience theory and Ryan and Deci’s self-determination theory to provide the requisite guidance for developing curriculum capable of nurturing multiple aspects of self-regulation, which led to a conceptual framework for the comparison with Montessori’s theory of normalization. Montessori’s theoretical perspective is not readily available in published literature. Therefore this study used qualitative methods to conduct interviews with 12 Montessori teacher trainers. These individuals are considered the highest authority regarding Montessori theory and practice. Though Montessori’s contributions to the field of Early Childhood Education are often mentioned in university textbooks, the underlying theory (normalization) that guides her work receives little discussion. Without a clear understanding of Montessori’s theoretical perspective, research scholars are not able to isolate distinguishing characteristics that can assess self-regulation as an outcome of the curriculum nor can they adequately compare this approach with other forms of education. By introducing Montessori’s theory of normalization and analyzing it as a theory of selfregulation, this study has created a conceptual framework to articulate the governing characteristics and educational principles necessary to enhance practices that support the development of self-regulation in early childhood.

Language: English

Published: Corvallis, Oregon, 2008