Abstract/Notes: This dissertation examines the role of quality age-appropriate television in children's knowledge of polite behavior routines. The television program used is from the series "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" and the child subjects are preschoolers in a Montessori school in a midwestern University town. The study asks: What do preschoolers know about appropriate host-guest behaviors and from where does this knowledge come? A developmental investigation of preschoolers' knowledge of polite behavior routines and their learning from the television program is undertaken using the theoretical framework of Soviet activity theory. By framing the interacting elements in the study as an activity system, a study design in five phases emerges. The phases include: observations of children in the classroom environment; a deep reading of the program; interviews with the program's producers; a study of children's learning from the program and knowledge of host-guest behaviors, and; surveys and interviews with parents intended to establish family attitudes and methods for teaching polite behaviors. Results from the five phases are integrated and analyzed within the framework of activity theory. It is concluded that preschoolers have quite a bit of knowledge about how to interact as hosts and guests and that they do imitate and learn from an appropriate television program. Their knowledge of appropriate behaviors and their memory and comprehension for the televised messages increase with age from three to five years. There also appears to be an affective component, involving fear related to strange situations, at work for the youngest children, which may contribute to inhibiting their performance of appropriate behaviors. The television program, the school, and the home, which in this study all reflect middle-class American values, parallel each other in the behaviors they encourage. And although the importance of this kind of television programming is acknowledged, it is concluded that children's abilities in this domain are stretched more by interacting with an adult, that is, learning takes place in the "zone of proximal development" in a role-playing situation, but not simply as a result of viewing.

Language: English

Published: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 1993

Language: English

Published: Bothell, Washington, n.d.

Language: English

Published: Moraga, California, 2014

Abstract/Notes: This research explores principles from the Montessori method to inspire a guiding framework that can be employed to enhance the delivery of adult upskilling and re-skilling initiatives. Humanity is witnessing a technological revolution and recovering from the ongoing global pandemic that began in 2020. The effects of COVID-19 extended far beyond physical health, impacting labour market conditions and exacerbating stresses on labour shortages and labour skill gaps. This means that workforce innovation will be critical for economic recovery. Workforce innovation and development involves testing, sharing, and implementing new approaches to employment and training initiatives. More than 100 years ago, amidst the rapid social and economic change that was taking place across Europe, Maria Montessori envisioned a new kind of education that could play a part in a broad social innovation program. She opened the first Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House), aiming for the recovery of an entire community in San Lorenzo, Rome. At the time, San Lorenzo was known as the “shame of Italy”; with the introduction of the Montessori method, it soon became a beacon of hope for the community and the world. The Montessori Method was built on six primary principles: observation; freedom with limits; respect; hands-on learning; independence; and a prepared environment that is designed for children to choose freely from several developmentally appropriate activities. For Montessori, education (which she conceived of as active learning experience in the form of work) was integral to the growth of the child and the formation of a new world. This core philosophy is not restricted to children, however; Montessori’s core principles have been explored in adult learning; as part of designing and delivering healthcare programs for older adults around the world; and in language and social programs for adults at risk of social isolation in Europe. This major research project will focus on exploring how the core principles of the Montessori Method can be applied to support future-ready adult learning to inspire workforce innovation and development in Canada. With a goal of supporting upskilling and re-skilling design innovation, and of prioritizing skills-training and development offerings for groups who face the greatest number of barriers (including racialized women and skilled recent immigrant talent), this study uses a heuristic inquiry approach to explore the question of how employment and skills training programs might learn from, and leverage the core principles of, the Montessori method to respond to and meet the skills gaps and labour shortages in Canada. Through a literature review and Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), this research project offers a Montessori-inspired, principle-focused guide to supporting future-ready adult learning environments.

Language: English

Published: Ontario, Canada, 2023

Language: Korean

Published: Seoul, South Korea, 2000

Language: English

Published: Sarasota, Florida: The Montessori Foundation and the International Montessori Council, 2001

Language: English

Published: New York: Putnam's sons, 1969

Language: English

Published: New Delhi: Sarup and Sons, 2006

ISBN: 978-81-7625-634-6

Series: Encyclopaedia of Child Development: Priorities for 21st Century

Volume: 2

Language: English

Published: New York: Putnam's sons, 1969

Language: English

Published: New Delhi: published on behalf of National Montessori Centenary Committee by Association of Delhi Montessorians, 1971