Abstract/Notes: This study compared the time use and perceptions of schools, teachers, and friends of approximately 290 demographically matched students in Montessori and traditional middle schools. We used the Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and questionnaires and conducted multivariate analyses showing that the Montessori students (a ) reported more positive perceptions of their school environment and their teachers, and (b ) more often perceived their classmates as friends while at school. ESM time estimates suggested that the 2 school environments were also organized in different ways: Montessori students spent more time engaged with school‐related tasks, chores, collaborative work, and individual projects; traditional students spent more time in social and leisure activities and more time in didactic educational settings (e.g., listening to a lecture, note taking, watching instructional videos). These results are discussed in terms of current thought on motivation in education and middle school reform.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1086/496907

ISSN: 0013-5984

Abstract/Notes: As the Montessori method of education bursts into the public education sector, public school district administrators are finding themselves leading Montessori programs without any Montessori training. Through surveys and individual meetings, this action research project examines traditionally trained administrators’ knowledge and perceptions of Montessori and how these perceptions affect support of a public Montessori program. This research shows that an increase in knowledge of Montessori philosophy, practice, and outcomes does indeed increase support for a Montessori program.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2015

Abstract/Notes: Research findings indicate that executive function (EF), social-emotional skills, and pre-academic competence significantly promote children's school readiness and later success. School readiness broadly refers to a combination of skills necessary to function successfully in school and lack thereof may increase the risk of children's school problems. Therefore, it is essential for school systems to provide appropriate and timely support to the development of these fundamental skills. The present study focused on three particular preschool programmes: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, and the traditional play-based (British Columbia Early Learning Framework: BCEFL) programmes in Western Canada. Although they are popular, there is little empirical research that examines and compares the benefits of these programmes to the development of school readiness skills. As such, the present study aimed to 1) determine the effectiveness of these three preschool programmes in Western Canada on the development of children's school readiness; and 2) examine other sources of influences in the child, family and school in relation to the development of school readiness skills. Overall, 119 preschool children (48 Montessori, 42 Reggio Emilia, 29 BCELF) participated in the study. Observation was conducted once in the autumn of 2015 for each classroom using the CLASS observation tool. Teachers and parents of participating children filled in a series of questionnaires regarding the quality of their relationship with their child and their perceptions of daily EF and social-emotional skills of their child. The researcher also assessed individual children's fluid intelligence, EF, and pre-academic competence. The results showed that 1) although Montessori education appeared to be the most effective in facilitating numeracy skills, no curriculum stood out as notably more effective than any of the others at improving other areas of school readiness skills; 2) well-run classrooms where teachers were effective in time, behavioural, and attention management were most effective in promoting children's numeracy skills; 3) EF, social-emotional skills, and pre-academic competence exhibited an overlapping developmental process over time; 4) relational quality in both home and school environments significantly affected the development of school readiness skills, especially social-emotional skills; and 5) adults' perceptions of children's EF and social-emotional skills had a significant consequence for how teachers and parents formed their relationships with their children.

Language: English

Published: Oxford, England, 2018

Abstract/Notes: A survey of 92 elementary school teachers in northern British Columbia revealed that rural teachers were more positive than urban teachers toward the use of multiage classrooms and that teachers disagreed about their needs for effectively managing such classrooms. Suggests providing teachers of multiage classrooms with inservice opportunities, sound research-based practices, and additional teaching resources.

Language: English

ISSN: 0013-1253

Abstract/Notes: There has been little research on pupils' experiences of ability grouping. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of primary‐aged pupils regarding the purpose and practice of within and between class ability grouping; their experiences of those practices; and how their attitudes to school, self‐perceptions and behaviour were affected. The study was undertaken in six primary schools adopting different combinations of grouping practices including streaming, setting, within‐class ability and mixed ability grouping. Six pupils, of high, moderate or low ability, mixed in gender, in each Key Stage 2 class were interviewed in each school. The findings showed that pupils were aware of how and why they were grouped and accepted the rationales provided. Attitudes towards school were not affected by grouping structures, but pupils' awareness of their place in the pecking order and the nature of teasing in the school were, although these were mediated by school ethos factors.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1080/0141192042000237211

ISSN: 0141-1926, 1469-3518

Language: English

Published: Los Angeles, California, 1979

Abstract/Notes: C’est au cours de la fin du XIXe et de la première moitié du XXe siècle que s’est constituée en France une véritable psychologie du toucher, dont l’apport est souvent méconnu. L’intérêt pour ce sens généralement considéré comme mineur provient de deux sources, l’une d’origine éducative pratique et l’autre expérimentale et fondamentale. Sur le plan éducatif, les deux praticiens pionniers que furent Valentin Haüy et Louis Braille ont voulu faire accéder les enfants aveugles à l’instruction et la scolarisation. Ils ont donc recherché des procédés d’écriture en relief compatibles avec les propriétés fonctionnelles du toucher, propriétés qu’ils ont mises en partie en évidence. L’autre origine de ces études sur le toucher se trouve, grâce à Henri Piéron et à ses associés, dans le développement de la psychologie expérimentale et des méthodes de mesure psychophysique des sensations. La sensibilité cutanée et plus généralement somesthésique a fait l’objet au début du XXe siècle de différents travaux de laboratoire sur des adultes voyants, et ces travaux ont complété les recherches sur la vision et l’audition, bien plus nombreuses. Dans le présent article, nous décrivons l’apport de ces deux courants de recherche qui ont d’abord progressé indépendamment l’un de l’autre, puis qui ont fusionné en France à partir de la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. [During the end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, a psychology of touch emerged in France as a result of educational motivations and of the development of academic experimental psychology. Educational motivations concerned mainly two practitioners, Valentin Haüy and Louis Braille, who worked with blind people and informally searched for methods allowing blind children to be schooled and to read through raised-line alphabets adapted to the functional properties of touch. On the other hand, the development of experimental psychology and psychophysics led researchers (mainly Henri Piéron and his associates) to work on the analysis of cutaneous and somaesthetic sensations and perceptions of sighted adults. These two directions of research developed first independently in France until the end of the Second World War. By this time, they became associated and experimental research on the tactile modality was conducted both on blind and sighted children and adults. In the present article, we describe this evolution of the works on touch.]

Language: French

DOI: 10.4074/S0003503311004040

ISSN: 0003-5033

Abstract/Notes: Recent studies regarding digital game-based learning (DGBL) are increasing, having the potential to enable new forms of learning, however, it remains unclear how DGBL applications can impact young students’ creativity. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether DGBL application technologies (tablets and smartphones), can improve creativity skills in preschool children (aged 3–6) and “what the main components effective of creative skills are to enhance learning for young children in DGBL”. In this study, the procedure is a case study and the researcher used a sample of apps that were preloaded onto one tablet for seven children aged 3–6 years old in grade Foundation Stage 1 and 2 in a selected Montessori pre-school in Malaysia. In the present study, during using educational digital games by young children, the students’ creative thinking process and the relationship between these components based on Analyzing Children's Creative Thinking framework (ACCT) are investigated in order to understand perceptions of creativity skills involved in the learning approach. The findings suggest that DGBL can potentially affect students' ability to develop creative skills and critical thinking, knowledge transfer, acquisition of skills in digital experience, and a positive attitude toward learning as well as provide for deep, insightful learning. The students experienced opportunities for engaging the creative thinking process in their activity and thinking issue understanding and learning in educational digital games. This study provides an outlook for researchers, game designers, developers in the field of DGBL, and creativity. This research provides new insights, advice, and effective suggestions on how to increase creative skills, motivate, and improve learning outcomes and demonstrate learning with DGBL composition in teaching young students.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105227

ISSN: 0190-7409

Abstract/Notes: This report summarizes research literature on multiage classrooms, explaining how they operate, and describes a study of a low-performing, predominantly Native American school district which adopted multiage classrooms as its primary reform strategy. District teachers completed surveys about: planning; collaboration; student groupings and interactions; assessment; planning resources; preparedness; faculty development; perceptions about the effects of multiage classrooms and looping on student learning; opinions on advantages and disadvantages of multiage classrooms and looping; and suggestions for improving instruction and learning. Researchers observed 37 classrooms and interviewed principals and district administrators. They also collected data from a comparison school in a neighboring district that had successful multiage grouping. Teachers were dissatisfied with how multiage classrooms were mandated by district administrators. The mandate created camps of teachers divided over

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., Dec 2000

Abstract/Notes: Montessori-based interventions (MBIs) were developed to promote guided participation in meaningful activities by people with dementia patients. In this study, we assessed nursing home volunteers’ fidelity to an MBI, relying primarily on a qualitative descriptive design. We completed a deductive content analysis of eight volunteer interviews using the Conceptual Framework for Intervention Fidelity. We also calculated average volunteer and resident scores on the Visiting Quality Questionnaire (VQQ), which assesses volunteers’ and residents’ perceptions of visits. We found good evidence that volunteers attended scheduled visits, made use of pre-designed activities, and attended to training recommendations. Most reported enjoying the visits (VQQ = 6.12, standard deviation [SD] = 0.75) and receiving a positive response from residents (VQQ = 5.46, SD = 0.88). Nevertheless, use of pre-designed activities and response to the MBI was lower for volunteers working with residents who had late-stage dementia. Therefore, overall, fidelity depended on the cognitive status of the resident., RÉSUMÉLes interventions basées sur la méthode Montessori (IBM) ont été développées en vue de promouvoir la participation guidée de personnes atteintes de démence à des activités significatives. Dans cette étude, la fidélité à l’IBM de bénévoles œuvrant en centres de soins a été évaluée à partir d’un devis principalement descriptif et qualitatif. Nous avons effectué une analyse déductive du contenu de huit entretiens avec des bénévoles en utilisant le cadre conceptuel sur la fidélité aux interventions. Nous avons également calculé les scores moyens des bénévoles et des résidents dans le Visiting Quality Questionnaire (VQQ), qui permet d’évaluer la perception des visites par les bénévoles et les résidents. Les résultats montrent clairement que les bénévoles ont assisté aux visites prévues, qu’ils ont utilisé des activités prédéfinies et ont suivi les recommandations des formations. La plupart ont déclaré avoir apprécié les visites (VQQ = 6,12, ET = 0,75) et avoir reçu une réponse positive des résidents (VQQ = 5,46, ET = 0,88). Néanmoins, l’utilisation d’activités prédéfinies et la réponse à l’IBM ont été plus faibles pour les bénévoles s’occupant de résidents atteints de démence avancée. Ainsi, dans l’ensemble, la fidélité dépendait de l’état cognitif du résident.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1017/S071498082000029X

ISSN: 0714-9808, 1710-1107