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Master's Thesis (Action Research Report)
Effects of Grading on Student Learning and Alternative Assessment Strategies
Available from: St. Catherine University
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Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this study was to investigate what effect an alternative assessment strategy would have on students’ engagement, motivation, and overall learning in an urban, private Montessori middle school program located in the Midwest. Two teachers and 13 students participated in two phases (one social studies and one science unit) over the course of six weeks. Teacher-assigned grades on class and homework were removed and replaced with student-determined final grades based on self-assessment using collaboratively created rubrics and individual portfolios. Students kept daily learning logs and completed a pre- and post-unit survey designed to measure their level of engagement, motivation, and learning preferences. The researcher kept daily observational notes as well as tallies of behavioral markers for engagement and disengagement. Students were also invited to give open-ended feedback about their experience at the end of the intervention. The results showed that while the alternative assessment model did not have a direct impact on students’ daily engagement or intrinsic motivation, it did increase students’ understanding of how their work correlated to a final grade in the unit, and it created opportunities for students to make connections to their learning and thus more actively plan their future work. Additionally, a direct correlation appeared between the level of student activity and student engagement in classes, indicating the importance of reducing passivity as much as possible in the daily learning process.
Language: English
Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017
Master's Thesis (Action Research Report)
The Effects of Student Constructed Formative Assessment in the Elementary Classroom
Available from: St. Catherine University
Action research, Montessori method of education, Upper elementary
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Abstract/Notes: This action research project studied how student-created formative assessments in mathematics would affect student confidence and perceived math ability. Students participated in a four-week study. The researcher conducted this study in September and October of 2021. The seven participating students were from an Upper Elementary classroom in a private Southern California Montessori school. The intervention consisted of a student-constructed survey taken weekly and a group analysis of the anonymized data collected from the said survey. Additional data sources included parent surveys, end-of-intervention student surveys, and classwork observational tally sheets. This study found that students gained further awareness of their work choices by completing the student-constructed formative assessments and reviewing the data. In the future, educators could conduct further research regarding the impact of using student-created formative assessment long-term and with a wider variety of subjects
Language: English
Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2021
Master's Thesis (Action Research Report)
Improving Assessment Outcomes in Algebra and Functions Through Concrete Materials and Direct Instruction
Available from: St. Catherine University
Action research, Montessori method of education - Criticism, interpretation, etc., Upper elementary
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Abstract/Notes: Critical thinking consists of the mental processes, strategies, and representations individuals use to solve problems, make decisions, and learn new concepts. We observed our 6th-year students struggling with algebra functions and problem-solving. These observations motivated us to engage in active research to improve the students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We administered interventions that supported the language transfer between traditional mathematical language and Montessori mathematical terms. We utilized direct instruction with concrete algebra materials to lead the students to abstract work in algebra. We also used formal assessments and observations to decide what lessons the students should get next. Our explicit instruction included Hands-On Equations created by Borenson to provide students with a concrete representation of algebraic skills and guide them to abstract understanding. This action research occurred within an Upper Elementary Montessori classroom and included seven 6th-year students aged 11 to 12. Two Montessori co-teachers conducted the study within eight weeks during January and February of 2022. Overall, students showed improvement on assessments, enhanced interest in math, and increased confidence when utilizing their problem-solving skills on problems involving newly learned concepts.
Language: English
Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2022
Report
The Longitudinal Assessment Study (LAS): Eighteen Year Follow-Up. Final Report.
Available from: ERIC
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Language: English
Published: Portland, Oregon, 2003
Article
Assessment and Evaluation in the Multiage Classroom. Special Issue
Available from: ERIC
Publication: OSSC Bulletin, vol. 39, no. 3/4
Date: Jan/Feb 1996
Academic achievement, Americas, Nongraded schools, North America, United States of America
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Abstract/Notes: Assessment of student progress is a challenge for educators who use developmentally appropriate practices such as multiage grouping. Interest in alternative types of assessment has become widespread. These performance-based, or authentic, assessments are explored in this document, which presents assessment strategies that work effectively with multiage instructional approaches. Chapter 1 begins by examining the purposes of assessment and then compares the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of conventional and authentic assessments. Chapter 2 explores methods used to assess and document the process of learning, such as observation, anecdotal records, and developmental checklists, and presents means of assessing, evaluating, and organizing authentic products of student learning. Issues involved in reporting student progress to parents and administration are examined in the third chapter. Chapter 4 considers the implications of authentic-assessment approaches for administrators and school boards, and summarizes what administrators should know about teachers' requirements to effectively implement new assessment methods. A summary publication is included. The appendix contains an overview of authentic-assessment practices in Oregon. Data were gathered from interviews with 10 educators and assessment specialists.
Language: English
ISSN: 0095-6694
Article
The Contribution of Montessori Education to the Future of Mankind: A Brief Assessment of the 20th International Montessori Congress Held in Karachi, Pakistan in January 1985
Publication: Communications (Association Montessori Internationale, 195?-2008), vol. 1985, no. 2/3
Date: 1985
Pages: 13–17
Asia, Conferences, International Montessori Congress (20th, Karachi, Pakistan, 3-5 January 1985), Montessori method of education - Criticism, interpretation, etc., Pakistan, South Asia
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Language: English
ISSN: 0519-0959
Master's Thesis
Assessment and Instructional Decision-Making in Montessori Early Childhood Classrooms
Available from: American Montessori Society
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Language: English
Published: Moraga, California, 2008
Article
Thinking about Assessment with Dr. Marlene Barron and Dr. Sharon Damore
Publication: Montessori Life, vol. 12, no. 3
Date: 2000
Pages: 24–33
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Abstract/Notes: Includes sidebars Recording and Reporting, and Mileposts on the Road to Literacy, both by Marlene Barron
Language: English
ISSN: 1054-0040
Article
Working for Sensible Assessment
Publication: Montessori Life, vol. 12, no. 4
Date: 2000
Pages: 4–5
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Abstract/Notes: Letter to the Editor
Language: English
ISSN: 1054-0040
Article
A Group Assessment Primer
Publication: Montessori Life, vol. 12, no. 3
Date: 2000
Pages: 43–45
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Language: English
ISSN: 1054-0040