Language: Korean

ISSN: 1226-8836

Language: French

ISSN: 2492-3524

Abstract/Notes: The current system of education in Kenya is the 8-4-4 structure, where children study for eight years of Basic (primary) education, four years of Secondary education and four years of University education. This system was introduced in 1985 to promote man-power capable of performing blue collar jobs, as compared to the former 7-6-3 system that targeted developing a local workforce to replace the British workforce who largely held white collar jobs in the new, independent Kenya. However, over the years, the 8-4-4 curriculum has been widely criticised for a myriad of reasons. The criticisms against this curriculum are that it is too heavily loaded with content, purely examinations-oriented, and generally violating the Rights of the Child by placing undue physical and psychological pressure on learners. In order to address this problem therefore, a new curriculum was hastily crafted and taken through a rushed pilot drive in April 2017 and is expected to replace the current 8-4-4 system by January 2018. Admittedly, this new education system addresses some of the weaknesses of the current 8-4-4 education system, since it is competency-based and focuses more on skills acquisition as opposed to a purely knowledge-based acquisition system. The issues addressed in this paper is how this new and hurriedly crafted curriculum (as well as the introduction of Free Secondary School Education) will be implemented by teachers who are yet to come to terms with the new paradigm shift of teaching and learning. The second issue addressed is whether the crafters of this system took into consideration children’s rights, or whether at all, the system was crafted from a child-centred perspective. The concerns are that apart from the manner in which this syllabus was been crafted and planned for implementation, if not reviewed comprehensively may not only violate the rights of future generations of children, but also enhance negative ethnicity from a linguistic perspective

Language: English

ISSN: 2394-9686

Abstract/Notes: This chapter examines Maria Montessori’s text, Education and Peace (1972) which was first published in 1949 in Italian. The text is a series of speeches she gave throughout Europe during the Interwar period of 1932-1939 and is divided into three parts. Part I is an introduction to Montessori’s vision for peace education. Part II collects the lectures from the Sixth International Montessori Congress in Copenhagen, 1937. Part III focuses on the lecture, “The Importance of Education in Bringing about Peace,” from an address to the International School of Philosophy in Amersfoort, 1937. The final section contains Montessori’s “Address to the World Fellowship of Faiths” in London, 1939. Montessori’s works assume a worldview where peace is the most natural state of consciousness and express her belief that humans can concretely address the fact that humanity seems to be devolving into greater forms of violence instead of advancing toward peace.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-350-27561-4 978-1-350-27560-7 978-1-350-27562-1

Series: Bloomsbury Handbooks

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: This study compared the effects of multi-age classroom strategies to those of traditional classroom strategies on the academic achievement of fourth grade students in reading and math. Standardized test scores from 20 fourth-grade students in two multi-age third- and fourth-grade classrooms were compared to the scores of 20 students from 7 traditional fourth-grade classrooms. The Stanford Achievement Test (SAT), ninth edition was used as the test instrument. Scores from the students' third grade test in the 1996-97 school year were compared to their scores from the fourth grade test in reading and math by applying T-tests to the data. Analysis of the data revealed no difference in reading or math achievement between students taught in a multi-age classroom and those from a traditional classroom.

Language: English

Published: Salem, West Virginia, 1998

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: The aim of the thesis was to map what media education is like in Montessori-pedagogical early childhood education. The purpose was to examine how Montessori pedagogy developed more than a hundred years ago meets children's digitized growth environment and media culture. The research was qualitative. The theoretical basis of the work was research on children's media use and media education, the national foundations of the early childhood education plan and the principles of Montessori pedagogy. The data collection method was a semi-structured thematic interview. The interviewees were six early childhood education teachers who worked in Montessori kindergartens for 3-6 year olds in the capital region. The transcribed material was analyzed using theory-driven content analysis. In the research questions, I clarified the Montessori educators' views on media education and its challenges, as well as the special features of Montessori pedagogical media education. In addition, it was mapped how different media content and information and communication technology were utilized in the pedagogical practices of Montessori kindergartens. The key result was that the Montessori educators had a positive attitude towards media education and were more aware than before, but there was also a need for development. The goals of teaching media literacy and information and communication technology skills were seen to be the child's inclusion, supporting agency and equality. Media education aimed to strengthen children's active media skills, i.e. children's own production and expression. A critical attitude towards media devices and content was also considered important. Learning in Montessori pedagogy is based on the concreteness and sensibility of Montessori tools, which is still seen as a working method. Therefore, supplementing the prepared learning environment with technology should be done pedagogically. On the other hand, the child-oriented nature of Montessori pedagogy, the learning of phenomena, and the effort to help the child function in their own everyday life create a good starting point for reforming Montessori pedagogy as needed with media education tools, applications, and content. Awareness of media education and supporting technical skills are ways, which strengthen the position of media education in Montessori pedagogical early childhood education.

Language: Finnish

Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2019

Abstract/Notes: Maria Montessori’s vision of peace education includes a deep respect for integral human development where a focus on the whole child in the context of the larger community is the norm. Within Montessori education, children learn each part of the universe, living and non-living, play a role in the cosmic order of the world. Long before climate change became a mainstream concern and imminent threat, Montessori understood that ecoliteracy and a deep reverence for understanding how sustainability, sustainable living, respect for the environment, and a deep understanding of the means of production and exchange were essential to the development of a peaceful world. This chapter explores her philosophy of peace education, its relationship to environmental stewardship, and the implementation of these themes within the Montessori context.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-350-27561-4 978-1-350-27560-7 978-1-350-27562-1

Series: Bloomsbury Handbooks

Abstract/Notes: This thesis examines the Montessori music curriculum that was developed by Maria Montessori and her music consultant Maria Maccheroni. It introduces the most typical Montessori music instruments and equipment as well as exercises that go with them. It also explores the possibilities of combining Montessori music with today’s music teaching and early childhood music education. The material of this thesis is mainly based on literature about the Montessori Method and its music section, along with observations made while working at various Montessori preschools in Finland. Many of the Montessori method’s musical exercises are challenging and can be seen as old fashioned by today’s music education standards. Maria Montessori expected many things from her Montessori teachers. Montessori teachers were expected to be completely in charge of the children’s musical education. This may be difficult to implement nowadays because in order to properly understand the Montessori music curriculum, one needs a great deal of theoretical knowledge and understanding of music. However, there are plenty of positive aspects to the Montessori music education and its elements can be applied to modern day music teaching. The Montessori method is very child-centered and even though it was developed more than a hundred years ago, the main principles are still valid today. A children’s music lesson plan is included in this thesis. It combines Montessori music education with Finnish early childhood music education. Many music educators and Montessori teachers know little about the music part of the Montessori method. Not much literature can be found about it in Finnish. The goal of this thesis is to study Montessori music education and to give more information about it to music educators and Montessori teachers. / Opinnäytetyössäni tutkin Maria Montessorin ja hänen konsulttinsa Maria Maccheronin yli sata vuotta sitten kehittämää musiikkikasvatusmenetelmää. Esittelen tyypillisimpiä montessorimusiikkivälineitä sekä niihin liittyviä harjoituksia. Lisäksi pohdin miten montessorimusiikkikasvatusta olisi mahdollista soveltaa musiikinopetuksessa ja varhaisiän musiikkikasvatuksessa. Aineistoni perustuu ennen kaikkea montessoripedagogiikasta ja montessorimusiikkikasvatuksesta saatavilla olevaan kirjallisuuteen sekä montessorileikkikoulussa työni kautta tehtyihin havaintoihin. Monet montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosion työt ja harjoitukset ovat haastavia ja nykyisen musiikkikasvatuskäsityksen mukaan vanhanaikaisia. Maria Montessorin toivetta montessoriohjaajasta, joka opettaa musiikkia hänen menetelmänsä mukaisesti, voi olla vaikea toteuttaa, koska montessorimusiikkikasvatuksen hallitseminen vaatii runsaasti musiikin teoreettista tuntemista. Montessorimusiikkikasvatuksessa on kuitenkin myös paljon hyvää ja sitä voi soveltaa nykypäivän musiikinopetukseen. Montessorimenetelmä on erittäin lapsilähtöinen ja vaikka se kehitettiin yli sata vuotta sitten, monet sen perusajatukset ovat edelleen sovellettavissa. Opinnäytetyöni sisältää tekemäni muskarituntisuunnitelman, jossa sovellan montessorimusiikkikasvatusta varhaisiän musiikkikasvatuksen tunnille. Monet musiikkikasvattajat ja montessoriohjaajat eivät tunne tai tuntevat vain pintapuolisesti montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosion, ja montessorimusiikkikasvatuksesta on saatavilla vain hyvin vähän suomenkielistä tietoa. Opinnäytetyöni tarkoitus on tutkia montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosiosta ja antaa lisätietoa montessoriohjaajille ja musiikkikasvattajille.

Language: Finnish

Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2018