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: The analysis was carried out as part of a master's thesis and it aimed to analyse the extent to which the Montessori educational philosophy and teaching method incorporated inclusive educational qualities. The Montessori Method was first developed for children who were disadvantaged and considered 'idiots', in the slums of Italy's San Lorenzo. With the usage of her didactic materials, Maria Montessori proved that the children in question were indeed educable given the correct type of instruction. The focus of this article is on the inclusive qualities embedded within the Montessori philosophy and teaching method, which can be reason enough for it to be adopted by developing countries that have limited budgets/funding for the purpose of special education. This method could prove to be an easy alternative for the immediate implementation of early childhood inclusive education for countries such as Malaysia which do not yet possess specific legislation governing special education.

Language: English

DOI: 10.2304/ciec.2008.9.2.178

ISSN: 1463-9491

Abstract/Notes: In this article, we discuss new and effective ways of teaching that can improve students’ results. These plans usually aim to get students interested and involved. Students who are actively involved in their studies are less likely to miss class and more likely to do well in school.

Language: English

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

DOI: 10.1086/461732

ISSN: 1554-8279, 0013-5984

Abstract/Notes: The psychological research and changes occurred in pedagogical thinking have led to new methods in foreign language teaching called “humanistic methods” or “fringe methods” which focus on some aspects neglected by the traditional strategies: feelings, emotions, interpersonal relationships: suggestopedia, first an experimental method belonging to suggestology, has become a psychological method of teaching and learning foreign languages based mainly on indirect suggestion which appeals to a peripheral subliminal; the silent way, which stems from the trend initiated by the Italian specialist in pedagogy Maria Montessori is based on the fact that the process of learning a foreign language is a natural one, which children perform involuntarily; cooperative learning, whose roots are in the counseling techniques of psychotherapy, is greatly based on group dynamics; the total physical response, which originates in the action-based methods, refers to the learner’s reaction, to the instructions received from the teacher and it has been a successful method to teach foreign language for children.

Language: English

ISSN: 2067-7839, 2247-9376, 2068-780X

Abstract/Notes: A Montessori approach is known as a self-oriented, cooperative, and hands-on educational method. It was named after its’ founder, Maria Montessori beginning of the 1900s. This approach puts the child in the center of education and all classroom activities are led by the child himself. The Montessori Education programs encourage learners learn independently and develop their self-mastery. It provide children with opportunities to learn independently, allowing them to practice and learn new skills and nurtures each child’s full potential, so they become independent, confident and courageous learners that they were born to be. The main benefit is that it increases learner independence in learning EFL in the classrooms and foster children learn naturally through exploring, practicing in a prepared environment. Exploring this topic is very important because it will give teachers some new insights and ideas to implement it in their teaching practice. This leads to more effective and productive lesson, which would prepare them for success at school and in their life. This exploratory case study took place in Skopje, at Maarif International Schools. The data were collected using interviews of teachers, questionnaires of students and observations. The participants are all involved in teaching/learning process at the above mentioned schools where the method is being applied. The study concluded that the majority of parents and students have positive attitudes toward the Montessori approach, which leads us to future research on educating.

Language: English

Published: Tetovo, Macedonia, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Primary School education in Germany is characterized by a strong belief that didactic theory and practice must move towards the “individualization” of teaching and learning. This is considered to be the best way of acknowledging the heterogeneity of learners: Each student should be able to learn on his or her own pace and follow his or her own way of learning. Although these concepts are rather popular in German pedagogical literature, empirical evidence supporting these arguments are rare. Most notably missing are studies on a micro-level of teaching and learning. The research which is reported in this chapter aims at discussing individualized teaching and learning at the level of classroom practices and practical demands. The chapter presents and discusses two pieces of empirical data. It shows an observation of a student working with a learning device called the “pharmacy”, a complex learning tool used in Maria Montessori schools. And secondly, it presents the transcript of a teacher-student-interaction on learning to read. The discussion points to the structure of child-centered teaching and learning: Many of the students’ activities have the character of a routine piece of work, the accuracy of the handling seems to be more important than the understanding. The interaction between teachers and students is characterized by the fact that it is one-to-one interaction within a group of learners who have diverse needs. Hence, the teacher-student-interaction is under pressure to make it result in a success. For “child-centered“ learning there seems to be a strong tendency to focus on procedures keeping the students busy when it comes to organizing the autonomy and self-reliance of learning.

Language: English

Published: Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2023

ISBN: 978-3-031-20810-2

Series: Transdisciplinary Perspectives in Educational Research

Language: English

Published: Porto, Portugal: International Academic Forum (IAFOR), 2022

Pages: 75-88

DOI: 10.22492/issn.2758-0989.2022.6

Abstract/Notes: The study investigated the effects of school environment and methods of teaching on language skills achievement of pre – primary school pupils in Edo State. It also investigated the interaction effects of Montessori and played methods and urban and rural environments on pupils' achievement in listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Three urban and three rural areas which were selected from two Local Government Areas (LGAs) were used for the study. Six pre - primary schools were purposively selected for the study. A total of 228 kindergartens 2 pupils intact classes were used for the study which lasted for eight weeks. The study was a pretest, posttest, quasi- experimental control group design with independent variables as methods and school location while achievement in Language Skills Achievement Test (LSAT) was the dependent variable. Descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) were used to analyze the data obtained while the Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA) was used as post-hoc test for further significance. Three research questions were answered with three hypotheses, tested at 0.05 level of significance. Results showed that the Montessori Method of teaching pre –primary pupils was more effective than the play method. Similarly, urban school pupils achieved higher than their rural counterparts. There was also a significant interaction effect of methods and school location on pupils' academic achievement in Language skills. It was therefore recommended that the Nigerian Government should adopt the Montessori Method as a dominant method of teaching pre – primary school pupils and that pre – primary school owners should provide materials adequately for teaching and learning.

Language: English

DOI: 10.31014/aior.1993.04.03.335

ISSN: 2621-5799, 2657-215X