Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to determine the affect of peer teaching on the social and academic interactions of children in an early childhood setting. The research took place at a Montessori school with two classrooms containing 56 students ages three to six. The duration of the study was six weeks. During the study the data collected included number of peer interactions per week and overall number of children working at each half hour increment of the day. Data also included positive and negative behaviors during peer teaching interactions, and the children’s level of understanding during a peer presentation. Data was mostly inconclusive during this study except that the number of children distracted during the day decreased over the six-week period.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: This action research explores conflicts among preschoolers and strategies for teachers to develop children’s social problem-solving abilities, such as teaching the steps of conflict resolution. Research was conducted in a Montessori preschool setting with children ages 2.5 to 5 years of age. Data was collected on the number of conflicts, types of conflicts, how conflicts were resolved (independently or with teacher assistance), and types of solutions implemented by students. Methods used to collect data included observation, group discussions, and student journals. Results indicated when the steps of conflict resolution were taught to preschool children, the number of conflicts resolved without teacher intervention increased, the frequency students sought teacher guidance to solve conflicts decreased, and the number of journal responses that included positive independent solutions to problems increased. Findings reveal that conflict resolution skills can be successfully taught in preschool settings. Further research is needed to determine additional strategies to strengthen children’s problem solving abilities with certain prevalent conflicts, such as sharing materials, and the effects of environment factors on conflicts, such as class size.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2015

Abstract/Notes: This dissertation concerns the feminization of the Italian teaching profession between the introduction of pre-Unification schooling in 1859 and the nationalization of that system in 1911. By feminization, this dissertation refers both to the gradual assumption of the majority of elementary teaching positions by women and to a transformation in the nature of the position itself. Through an examination of educational periodicals, school records, government inquests, and accounts by teachers and pedagogical theorists, it argues that rather than the unintended consequence of economic constraints or shifting labor patterns, feminization was fundamentally connected to larger processes of centralization and modernization in the Italian school system. Following an introductory chapter outlining the major national, religious, and gender debates of the Unification era, the second chapter of the dissertation argues that the figure of the female elementary teacher became embroiled in the contest between local and national interests, furthering the drive toward centralization. The third chapter examines a subject generally ignored in most studies of Italian women's education: the impact of international and domestic pedagogy. The chapter shows that the development of an Italian pedagogy combining positivism and progressivism with a maternalist, child-centered methodology was both a result and a cause of the feminization of the teaching profession. The fourth chapter focuses on the divide between the secularizing nation and the entrenched Catholic Church, arguing that carefully trained female teachers were employed as agents of the encroaching State and examining the connection between religious education debates and women's rights movements. The fifth chapter is an institutional history of the teacher-training normal schools; an analysis of institutional and government records reveals that normal school feminization reflected the centralization, secularization, and pedagogical reformation of the school system in general.

Language: English

Published: Los Angeles, California, 2012

Abstract/Notes: These findings suggest the following implications for teachers, administrators, teacher educators, and reformers. With growing interest in teacher collaboration within already over-burdened systems, understanding school identity is becoming more important to educators. Understanding schools as places where teachers learn to teach can prevent indoctrination. Greater awareness of situated notions about what constitutes good teaching makes implicit values more visible so that they may be examined and reformed. I argue that a search for essential characteristics of good teaching over-simplifies the complexity of teaching. Broadening notions of teaching to include work outside the classroom such as talk about teaching, peer observation, and joint problem setting and solving would enlighten teacher self-evaluation.

Language: English

Published: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 2006

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of Montessori Method which is widely used among alternative training models, on the readiness, mathematics and reading and writing skills of first grade elementary students. As the research model, nested pattern being among mixed method research patterns has been preferred. In the quantitative side of the study, experimental design has been used and in the qualitative side, interview and observations have been used. Research study group was composed of 23 learners attending two different elementary schools in Burdur Altinyayla district within academic period of 2017-2018 as well as class teacher of experimental group and the parents. In the preparation of teaching design that is based on Montessori Method that is applied in the study, ADDIE approach has been taken as basis. In the first period of academic years of 2017-2018, in the experimental group Montessori Method has been applied and in the control group, MEB teaching program events have been applied. Quantitative data of research have been obtained by using 'Metropolitan School Maturity Test' (Oktay, 1980), 'Early Mathematics Skills Test (TEMA-3)' (Erdoğan, 2006) and reading and writing skills assessment forms developed by the researcher (reading speed, comprehension, writing speed, writing speed, legibility). "Metropolitan School Maturity Test' and 'Early Mathematics Skills Test" have been applied as pre-test and post-test, while reading and writing skills assessment forms have been applied as post-test and permanency test. In gathering qualitative data, teacher and parent interview forms, researcher observations (notes, photography and video records) and teacher diaries have been used. In the analysis of quantitative data, for dependent and independent samples groups, t-test, Mann Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Marked Sequences Test have been used and impact sizes have been calculated. In the analysis of qualitative data, Miles and Huberman Model has been used. According to the quantitative results of research, Montessori Method improves readiness, mathematics and reading, writing skills. According to qualitative research results, it has been determined that the method enables easy and permanent learning with its integrated thematic approach and that it improved communication, creative thinking, decision taking skills as wells as hand skills of learners and that it improved collaboration of learner-learner and learner-teacher-parent. It has been seen that qualitative outcomes of research supported the quantitative results. It has been observed that Montesori Method has been effective in first class of elementary school. Longitudinal studies can be performed as relating with implementation of Montessori Method in elementary school. / Bu araştırmanın amacı, alternatif eğitim modelleri arasında yaygın olarak kullanılan Montessori Yöntemi'nin, ilkokul birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin hazırbulunuşluklarına, matematik ve okuma yazma becerilerine etkisini incelemektir. Araştırma modeli olarak karma yöntem araştırma desenlerinden iç iç geçmiş desen tercih edilmiştir. Çalışmanın nicel kısmında yarı deneysel desen, nitel kısmında ise görüşme ve gözlem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2017-2018 öğretim yılında, Burdur Altınyayla ilçesinde iki ayrı ilkokula devam eden 23 öğrenci ile deney grubu sınıf öğretmeni ve velileri oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada uygulanan Montessori Yöntemi'ne dayalı öğretim tasarımının hazırlanmasında ADDIE yaklaşımı temel alınmıştır. 2017-2018 öğretim yılının birinci döneminde deney grubunda Montessori Yöntemi, kontrol grubunda MEB öğretim programı etkinlikleri uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel verileri, 'Metropolitan Okul Olgunluğu Testi' (Oktay, 1980), 'Erken Matematik Yeteneği Testi' (Erdoğan, 2006) ve araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen okuma yazma becerileri değerlendirme formları (okuma hızı, okuduğunu anlama, yazma hızı, yazı okunaklılığı değerlendirme formu) kullanılarak elde edilmiştir. 'Metropolitan Okul Olgunluğu Testi' ile 'Erken Matematik Yeteneği Testi (TEMA-3)' ön test ve son test olarak, okuma yazma becerileri değerlendirme formları ise son test ve izleme testi olarak uygulanmıştır. Nitel verilerin toplanmasında öğretmen ve veli görüşme formları, araştırmacı gözlemi (notlar, fotoğraf ve video kayıtları) ve öğretmen günlüğü kullanılmıştır. Nicel verilerin analizinde bağımlı ve bağımsız örneklemler için t-Testi, Mann Whitney U Testi ve Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi kullanılmış ve etki büyüklükleri hesaplanmıştır. Nitel verilerin analizinde Miles ve Huberman Modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel sonuçlarına göre Montessori Yöntemi; hazırbulunuşluluğu, matematik ve okuma yazma becerilerini geliştirmektedir. Nitel araştırma sonuçlarına göre yöntemin bütünleştirilmiş tematik yaklaşımı ile kolay ve kalıcı öğrenme sağladığı, öğrencilerin iletişim, yaratıcı düşünme, karar verme becerileri ile el becerilerini geliştirdiği, öğrenci-öğrenci ve öğrenci-öğretmen-veli işbirliğini artırdığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın nitel sonuçlarının nicel sonuçları desteklediği görülmüştür. İlkokul birinci sınıfta Montesori Yöntemi'nin etkili olduğu görülmüştür. Montessori Yöntemi'nin ilkokulda uygulanması ile ilgili boylamsal çalışmalar yapılabilir.

Language: Turkish

Published: Burdur, Turkey, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires schools to be held accountable for academic performance. It is believed the pressure of accountability will lead teachers to narrow the curriculum by engaging students in test preparation activities. The purpose of this two-phase, explanatory mixed methods study was to examine elementary teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the Stanford Achievement Test 10 (SAT-10) and the Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT) on classroom teaching practices from a sample of third-grade, fourth-grade, and fifth-grade teachers in three large school systems in Alabama. The purpose of the first, quantitative phase of the study, was to reveal teachers’ perceptions of the impact of high-stakes testing on curriculum and instructional approaches, the amount of time spent on critical thinking skills, the amount of time spent on test preparation activities, and the perceived impact of state tests on students and teachers by surveying 123 third-grade through fifth-grade teachers in three large Alabama school systems. In the second, qualitative phase of this study, purposeful sampling strategy and maximal variation sampling strategy were employed to interview nine teachers who responded to the survey in the first, quantitative phase of the study to explore the results from the statistical tests in more depth. Findings suggested urban teachers spent more time on critical-thinking skills than rural and suburban teachers, and low-socioeconomic, rural teachers experienced more stress caused by high-stakes testing than their geographical counterparts. All teachers independent of socioeconomic status or school geographical location reported they increased their focus on reading and math, which were the subjects assessed on high-stakes tests and de-emphasized subjects not tested such as social studies and science. Finally, most teachers reported they decreased the teaching of critical thinking skills due to the SAT-10 but increased the teaching of critical thinking skills due to the ARMT. Due to the lack of research regarding high-stakes testing in Alabama elementary schools, there was a need for teachers to discuss the specific impact of testing on classroom teaching practices because they work directly with students and are cognizant of the challenges that teachers face.

Language: English

Published: Birmingham, Alabama, 2010

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Abstract/Notes: This invention relates to a device for teaching grammar, constituting inech, anical device for the intellectual development of language, in children. The device, according to the present invention is not a book but all the names that the child is to locate over the corres- ponding objects are written on small cards. All the cards are small and rectangular and are of the same size, and are differently coloured, for instance black for a noun, grey for an article, brown for an adjective, red for a verb, pink for an adverb, green for a pronoun, violet for a preposition, yellow for a conjunction, and light-blue for an interjection.

Language: English

Date of issue: 1921-03-03

Abstract/Notes: Formerly entitled The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children's Houses. This book was first published in 1909 under the title 'Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica Applicato all'Educazione Infantile nelle Case dei Bambini' ('The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children's Houses) and was revised in 1913, 1926, and 1935. Maria Montessori revised and reissued this book in 1948 and renamed it 'La Scoperta del Bambino'. This edition is based on the 6th Italian edition of 'La Scoperta del Bambino' published by the Italian publisher Garzanti, Milan, Italy in 1962. M. J. Costelloe, S. J. translated this Italian version into the English language in 1967 for Fides Publishers, Inc. In 2016 Fred Kelpin edited this version and added many footnotes. He incorporated new illustrations based on AMI-blueprints of the materials currently in use.

Language: English

Published: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, 2017

ISBN: 978-90-79506-38-5

Series: The Montessori Series , 2