Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to compare the academic achievement of 543 urban 4th- (n=291) and 8th- (n=252) grade students who attended Montessori or traditional education programs. The majority of the sample consisted of minority students (approximately 53 percent), and was considered low income (approximately 67 percent). Students who attended a public Montessori school were compared with students who attended structured magnet, open magnet, and traditional non-magnet public schools on standardized measures of math and language arts. Results of the study failed to support the hypothesis that enrollment in a Montessori school was associated with higher academic achievement. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/02568540509594546

ISSN: 0256-8543, 2150-2641

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a difference exists between the academic progress of seventh and eighth grade students who attended Texas public Montessori schools and the academic progress of their peers who attended matched non- Montessori schools. Specifically, this study sought to determine whether students enrolled in Montessori programs had higher percentages of passing rates on state mandated criterion referenced tests than students enrolled in non-Montessori programs for early adolescents. Research questions were posed and corresponding research hypotheses were tested within the subject matter disciplines of reading and mathematics in the seventh grade and within the subject matter disciplines of reading mathematics, science, and social studies in the eighth grade. In all but one analysis, the Montessori students had higher passing percentages than non-Montessori students. Seventh grade Montessori students had higher passing percentages in math and higher passing percentages in reading. Eighth grade Montessori students had higher passing percentages on reading, science, math and social studies. The study provided evidence that Montessori programs for early adolescents produce favorable academic outcomes when compared with their matched non-Montessori counterparts in public schools.

Language: English

Published: Stephenville, Texas, 2011

Abstract/Notes: Four experiments were designed to identify socioeconomic differences in preschool locus of control, develop a measurement technique for differentiating between internal and external locus of control in preschoolers, and study the effect of four kinds of preschool programs on locus of control. During the first experiment, the Stephens-Delys Reinforcement Contingency Interview (SDRCI) was developed to assess internal locus of control development in preschoolers. When used with 24 4-year-olds in a Head Start program, the measure was found to have rater and retest reliability; the race of the interviewer did not significantly affect scores. The second experiment indicated that the performance of 32 preschool boys on a mirror-tracing task was positively related to internal locus of control as measured by the SDRCI. In the third study, investigators tested 55 Head Start preschoolers and 50 middle-class nursery school children with the SDRCI. Lower internal control scores were found for the Head Start children than for the middle-class nursery school group; no differences were found between black and white Head Start groups. A final study of 114 children found a nonsignificant tendency for Montessori preschool experience (and to a lesser extent, parent cooperative nursery school experience) to increase internal control, as measured by the SDRCI, more than Head Start or a more structured compensatory preschool program. (Author/BRT)

Language: English

Published: West Lafayette, Indiana, Aug 1973

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to describe the extent to which sixth grade elementary school students in Montessori school settings and sixth grade elementary school students in non-Montessori school settings differ with regard to academic achievement as measured by the Ninth Edition of the Stanford Achievement Test. Schools that are certified as "Montessori" must meet stringent requirements and although the Montessori philosophy has been implemented in the United States for a number of years, little research has documented its effectiveness, at least as based on students' scores on standardized tests. In the Rio Grande Valley, few Montessori schools are in place and even fewer administer such assessments. A causal-comparative research design with matched pairs was used to describe the difference in academic achievement of sixth grade elementary school students in Montessori school settings with sixth grade elementary school students in non-Montessori school settings. Archival data were analyzed using five separate t-tests for paired samples in which the raw scores for reading, mathematics, language arts, science, and social studies were the dependent variables for achievement for both sixth grade elementary school students in Montessori school settings and sixth grade elementary school students in non-Montessori school settings as measured by the ninth edition of the Stanford Achievement Test. The results indicate that the academic achievement in reading and mathematics of sixth grade elementary school students who have attended Montessori school settings is statistically significantly higher than the academic achievement in reading and mathematics of sixth grade elementary school students who have attended non-Montessori school settings. The knowledge gained from this study might assist educators and parents in search of the most effective education to offer children. It will also extend knowledge of Montessori and the effects that it has on the academic achievement of children.

Language: English

Published: Houston, Texas, 2008

Abstract/Notes: Recent years have provided an interest on the part of public school systems regarding Montessori as an educational choice, often as a magnet school option. "No Child Left Behind" legislation emphasizes the social and learning needs of individual children as well as a national spirit of accountability for academic achievement, and the public sector is making a comprehensive examination of curriculum delivery systems which can provide benefits for all learners in quantifiable ways, most often in the form of standardized test scores which demonstrate improved student achievement. This study examines the relationship of public Montessori education expressed as Stanford Achievement Test scores in reading and math in comparison with similar scores for students in traditional programs, using a within subjects, matched pairs design of repeated measures over a three year period. Math scores for the groups were not observed to be significantly different, although, following the initial observation, the Montessori group continued to produce increasingly higher mean scores than the traditional students. Marginal significance between the groups suggests that the data analysis should continue to elucidate a possible trend toward significance. Reading scores for the groups demonstrated significant differences, and in the second and third years of the study, Montessori students produced means which consistently outperformed the traditional group.

Language: English

ISSN: 1556-763X, 1938-9809

Abstract/Notes: Black students consistently underachieve academically in comparison to White students. To minimize the achievement gap between Black students and White students, some experts advocate the use of differentiated instruction as an alternative methodology to teach underachieving students. Differentiated instruction is predicated on teaching students based on their learning abilities and/or learning preferences. The differentiated instructional model examined in this study combined traditional teaching methodology with specific Montessori stage two and stage three constructs. This exploratory qualitative study examined the impact that Montessori constructs combined with traditional teaching methods had on academic achievement of Black students in grades four and five in an inner city school in Dallas County, Texas. The study further explored the sample’s perceptions of and preferences for the combined teaching methodology. The sample group had been exposed to the differentiated teaching model evaluated in the study. Disaggregated 2007 and 2008 TAKS results from the Texas Education Agency were obtained to compare the school’s fourth and fifth grade Black students’ achievement to their cohort groups in the district and in the state. The TAKS data comparisons found variability in performance among the groups in each of the subject areas assessed by TAKS. Qualitative data from a Likert Scale, multiple choice questions, questionnaires, written essay, and interviews were obtained from the participants to examine the students’ perceptions of and preferences for the combined teaching methodology. Data responses were analyzed and themes were developed to determine black students’ preferences for teaching, learning, and factors that contribute to learning. The findings of this study imply that future use of a differentiated instructional model that combines traditional teaching methodology and specific Montessori constructs and principles might be effective in improving Black student achievement.

Language: English

Published: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2009

Abstract/Notes: This study investigated the effect of using activities based on the Montessori approach in science academic achievement of the fourth grade students. A quasiexperimental design was used wherein the students were equally divided into two groups: the experimental and the control group. Both groups consisted of 31 students. To achieve the aim of the study, Montessori Hall has been set up with six dimensions, and each corner has several shelves comprised different materials used for conducting the science activities. In addition, a teacher guide was prepared to be used by the teacher to implement the Montessori approach for the experimental group. Finally, an achievement test that consisted of seven multiple choice questions (MCQs) and five short answer questions was constructed and administered to both study groups. The results of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences at the level of significance (P ≤ 0.05) between the mean values of the experimental and the control groups in the academic achievement in favor of the experimental group. In light of the study results, the study recommends holding training workshops for teachers on how to use the Montessori approach in teaching science classes.

Language: English

DOI: 10.29333/iji.2019.12244a

ISSN: 1308-1470, 1694-609X

Abstract/Notes: Teachers and administrators are faced with a basic question when planning for a school year: how should the students be grouped when coming to school? Should students of similar age be together or should students be assigned to multi-age classrooms at the elementary school level? If the multi-age method is chosen, how will academic progress be affected by this instructional strategy? And, in the end, will the students in a multi-age setting perform similar to students who are in traditional group setting on standardized tests? The question of multi-age grouping and academic performance was the focus of this study. The purpose of this study was to compare the academic performance in reading and mathematics of third- and fifth-grade students who have completed three years of multi-age instruction with the academic performance of students in third and fifth grade who have been instructed in the similar-aged traditional classroom. The study compared test scores of students in third and fifth grades using the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment exams. This study determined that there was no significant difference in the scholastic performance between the groups of students who were instructed in the multi-age instructional settings compared to the traditional same age setting. The multi-age setting does allow for positive social settings particularly the opportunity for students to take leadership roles with fellow classmates.

Language: English

Published: Vermillion, South Dakota, 2010

Language: English

Published: Vermillion, South Dakota, 2008