Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to determine if the addition of natural loose parts, or manipulatives, to the outdoor play yard would increase creativity in the classroom. This study took place in a private Montessori school with 14 children ages 3 to 6 years old over a five-week period. Various methods were used to gather information to determine any change in creativity. Observations of creative behaviors, concentration (state of flow), and spontaneous collaboration were collected as well as drawing tests for creative thinking, and samples of creative writing and artwork. The results of the study found that the loose parts did not increase creativity in the classroom. However, the addition of the loose parts did correlate with an increase in collaboration, imaginative play and a possible increase in concentration. Suggestions for further research include extending the amount of time the study took place, and focusing on one age rather than a mixed aged grouping.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this action research study was to discover if exposure to nature-based education would increase student’s eco-centric views of the environment. The intervention took place over a four week period at a private Montessori school in France. 11 students and their parents participated in the study. Students ranged in age from 2 to 3 years. Qualitative and quantitative data were both collected via a parent questionnaire, pre and post student surveys, daily observations, and a teacher reflection journal. Analysis of the data revealed that the more days a child participated in the nature-based lessons and activities, the more eco-centric development they achieved. Further research could be done during different seasons throughout the year as outdoor time was limited during the winter months. A similar study conducted over a longer period of time may also yield interesting results.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2017

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research was to teach children how to control and deepen their focus through mindfulness practice. The study integrated a daily practice of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) movements, breathing, and focus training. The six-week study involved fourteen children between the ages of 5 and 9 years from a private school in the Bay Area of California. Data collection included a pre- and post-assessment for each child, daily observations, and parent observations. Results of the pre- and post-assessments revealed mixed opinions on the connection between deepened focus and mindfulness practice. Observation data showed an overall increase in the children’s ability to use deep concentration on a task. Parent observations indicated that learners did not consistently show comparable effects in their home environments. The data shows a positive correlation between the MBSR practice and focus in children from ages 5 to 9. Suggestions for further research include a larger sample-size across a wider range of diversity and an extended study period.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2016

Abstract/Notes: This project explores how mathematics growth and development can be supported, documented and assessed in an emergent play-based early childhood education environment inspired by the practices and principles of Reggio Emilia. Using the California Preschool Learning Foundations as a framework, Math Play includes developmentally appropriate activities and environments that support cognitive development within the mathematics domain. This curriculum documents how a classroom's emergent themes were interwoven into activities and environments that did not oppose the practices and principles of the approach. Math Play successfully documented each child's mathematic understanding as well as areas needing further growth and development. With the California Preschool Learning Foundations as a framework, teachers can use Math Play to establish a child's level of understanding within this domain that plays one of important roles in assessing a child's school readiness. Math Play provides examples of how teachers can use authentic formative portfolios for assessment of growth and development. Math Play provides an alternative for standardized assessment in an emergent play-based environment that authenticates the experiences that preschool children are having while growing and developing in a Reggio Emilia inspired environment. After implementation of Math Play the following two findings were deduced : 1. Children engaged and demonstrated a range of mathematic growth and development that corresponds with the eighteen sub-strands of the California Preschool Learning Foundations. 2. Authentic formative portfolios provided an effective way to discuss individual child mathematic growth and development with assistant teachers and parents. In addition to these findings the children who were involved in this research continued to grow and develop by engaging in activities that furthered their mathematic foundation after Math Play implementation

Language: English

Published: San Diego, California, 2012

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of Montessori Method which is widely used among alternative training models, on the readiness, mathematics and reading and writing skills of first grade elementary students. As the research model, nested pattern being among mixed method research patterns has been preferred. In the quantitative side of the study, experimental design has been used and in the qualitative side, interview and observations have been used. Research study group was composed of 23 learners attending two different elementary schools in Burdur Altinyayla district within academic period of 2017-2018 as well as class teacher of experimental group and the parents. In the preparation of teaching design that is based on Montessori Method that is applied in the study, ADDIE approach has been taken as basis. In the first period of academic years of 2017-2018, in the experimental group Montessori Method has been applied and in the control group, MEB teaching program events have been applied. Quantitative data of research have been obtained by using 'Metropolitan School Maturity Test' (Oktay, 1980), 'Early Mathematics Skills Test (TEMA-3)' (Erdoğan, 2006) and reading and writing skills assessment forms developed by the researcher (reading speed, comprehension, writing speed, writing speed, legibility). "Metropolitan School Maturity Test' and 'Early Mathematics Skills Test" have been applied as pre-test and post-test, while reading and writing skills assessment forms have been applied as post-test and permanency test. In gathering qualitative data, teacher and parent interview forms, researcher observations (notes, photography and video records) and teacher diaries have been used. In the analysis of quantitative data, for dependent and independent samples groups, t-test, Mann Whitney U Test and Wilcoxon Marked Sequences Test have been used and impact sizes have been calculated. In the analysis of qualitative data, Miles and Huberman Model has been used. According to the quantitative results of research, Montessori Method improves readiness, mathematics and reading, writing skills. According to qualitative research results, it has been determined that the method enables easy and permanent learning with its integrated thematic approach and that it improved communication, creative thinking, decision taking skills as wells as hand skills of learners and that it improved collaboration of learner-learner and learner-teacher-parent. It has been seen that qualitative outcomes of research supported the quantitative results. It has been observed that Montesori Method has been effective in first class of elementary school. Longitudinal studies can be performed as relating with implementation of Montessori Method in elementary school. / Bu araştırmanın amacı, alternatif eğitim modelleri arasında yaygın olarak kullanılan Montessori Yöntemi'nin, ilkokul birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin hazırbulunuşluklarına, matematik ve okuma yazma becerilerine etkisini incelemektir. Araştırma modeli olarak karma yöntem araştırma desenlerinden iç iç geçmiş desen tercih edilmiştir. Çalışmanın nicel kısmında yarı deneysel desen, nitel kısmında ise görüşme ve gözlem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2017-2018 öğretim yılında, Burdur Altınyayla ilçesinde iki ayrı ilkokula devam eden 23 öğrenci ile deney grubu sınıf öğretmeni ve velileri oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada uygulanan Montessori Yöntemi'ne dayalı öğretim tasarımının hazırlanmasında ADDIE yaklaşımı temel alınmıştır. 2017-2018 öğretim yılının birinci döneminde deney grubunda Montessori Yöntemi, kontrol grubunda MEB öğretim programı etkinlikleri uygulanmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel verileri, 'Metropolitan Okul Olgunluğu Testi' (Oktay, 1980), 'Erken Matematik Yeteneği Testi' (Erdoğan, 2006) ve araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen okuma yazma becerileri değerlendirme formları (okuma hızı, okuduğunu anlama, yazma hızı, yazı okunaklılığı değerlendirme formu) kullanılarak elde edilmiştir. 'Metropolitan Okul Olgunluğu Testi' ile 'Erken Matematik Yeteneği Testi (TEMA-3)' ön test ve son test olarak, okuma yazma becerileri değerlendirme formları ise son test ve izleme testi olarak uygulanmıştır. Nitel verilerin toplanmasında öğretmen ve veli görüşme formları, araştırmacı gözlemi (notlar, fotoğraf ve video kayıtları) ve öğretmen günlüğü kullanılmıştır. Nicel verilerin analizinde bağımlı ve bağımsız örneklemler için t-Testi, Mann Whitney U Testi ve Wilcoxon İşaretli Sıralar Testi kullanılmış ve etki büyüklükleri hesaplanmıştır. Nitel verilerin analizinde Miles ve Huberman Modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın nicel sonuçlarına göre Montessori Yöntemi; hazırbulunuşluluğu, matematik ve okuma yazma becerilerini geliştirmektedir. Nitel araştırma sonuçlarına göre yöntemin bütünleştirilmiş tematik yaklaşımı ile kolay ve kalıcı öğrenme sağladığı, öğrencilerin iletişim, yaratıcı düşünme, karar verme becerileri ile el becerilerini geliştirdiği, öğrenci-öğrenci ve öğrenci-öğretmen-veli işbirliğini artırdığı belirlenmiştir. Araştırmanın nitel sonuçlarının nicel sonuçları desteklediği görülmüştür. İlkokul birinci sınıfta Montesori Yöntemi'nin etkili olduğu görülmüştür. Montessori Yöntemi'nin ilkokulda uygulanması ile ilgili boylamsal çalışmalar yapılabilir.

Language: Turkish

Published: Burdur, Turkey, 2019

Abstract/Notes: The highlights of Montessori's accomplishments are embodied in her cosmic views and organized into a Cosmic Plan of Education while she worked in the hills of Kodaikanal, India. The fruition of these cosmic views came late in her life and appeared to be synonymous with the development of her relationships with the warm and accepting Indian people. During this periodi Montessori devoted her energies to understanding how children naturally unfold into purposeful, yet interdependent individuals. Through all the professional challenges that Montessori faced in her lifetime as an educator of young children, her focal point continued to be 'the child'. This was especially true in connection with children during their transitional stage of growth from five- to seven-years of age when the acquisition of social, spiritual and cultural values are so strong. Montessori not only shared her methods and ideas with the people of India, but these people, in turn, influenced her views significantly enough to have caused her to formulate The Cosmic Plan of Education. This plan was designed especially for the transitional-age children but incapsulated within it was Montessori's own new-found East-West Cosmology. Through primary sources such as interviews, unpublished books and lectures, the dissertation gives the historical backdrop of the emergence of Montessori's cosmic views in the beginning five chapters. A description of the operation of the Cosmic Plan of Education during its conception is given in Chapter Six. The final chapters deal with how these views weathered the changes within the Indian society over the period of forty years.

Language: English

Published: Manoa, Hawaii, 1984

Abstract/Notes: This thesis, underpinned by cross-cultural design ethnography (DE) and research through design (RtD), re-reads play-based learning constructs as design practice. In doing so, it charts the shifting relationship between design and theories of play-based learning. The work frames the design of play-based learning processes, from their emergence in historical learning environments such as the Montessori method to current pedagogies of STEAM learning. This evolutionary focus will be of interest to a wide range of stakeholders such as pedagogues, designers, and policy makers, each of whom contribute to where, what and how children are taught. This thesis presents the following arguments: Firstly, it frames and re-reads key historical play pedagogues as designers and design thinkers, whose work has shaped and influenced the evolution of play-based learning through the inception of play artefacts, spaces, and structures. This thesis further elucidates that design-thinking has been at the heart of play-based learning, demonstrated through the design of modular and standardised pedagogic objects and spaces of historic learning environments. The design evolution within this framework helps to enlighten the development of tinkering and iterative prototyping as twenty-first century affordances of learning through play. Secondly, this thesis uses observation-based design ethnography of the Montessori method, to argue that Montessori’s restrictive pedagogy can be counterproductive to learning through intuitive processes of exploration and iteration. Thirdly, by adapting the practice-based research method of research through design (RtD), the thesis demonstrates and proposes that twenty-first century design affordances of tinkering and iteration can be suitably integrated to enrich historic play-based learning environments such as the Montessori method. In each of these arguments, the ways in which pedagogic theories of play are interwoven with the language of design thinking are revealed. By bringing into focus the triad of play, pedagogy, and design, an additional educational landscape of twenty-first century cultural learning environments is explored. Cultural learning environments (CLEs) such as museums and public galleries extend the scope of play-based learning beyond formalised spaces of schools and bring into relief, the predominance of design while incepting platforms, ateliers, and activities to initiate learning through play.

Language: English

Published: Edinburgh, Scotland, 2021

Abstract/Notes: With the passing of NCLB in 2001, pedagogy in the kindergarten classroom has changed exponentially. The requirement for a rigorous academic curriculum has replaced the play-based learning that used to be synonymous with the kindergarten classroom. Since the beginning of kindergarten, researchers have worked to prove the importance of play in the classroom and the role of the educator in these play-based learning scenarios. Many studies have found a correlation between play and child development, but this has not been enough to change the minds of educators and school districts across the United States. This qualitative case study explored teachers’ perceptions and classroom interactions during play through a triangulation of data including video recordings, interviews, and observations to explore the effect play might have on the social, emotional, and oral language development of kindergarten students in a district that is already implementing free play centers in the classroom. Varying beliefs among the educators and multiple scenarios of social, emotional, and oral language development skills being used by students during these free play sessions were explored. Key themes that emerged from the data included a range of understanding amongst the teachers, the need for regular professional development on how to implement play in the classroom, and the importance dramatic play has on social, emotional, and oral language development for kindergarten students.

Language: English

Published: Springfield, Missouri, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate the impact of project-based learning on K-5 students’ development of the 4Cs (Critical Thinking, Communication, Creativity, Collaboration) as perceived by elementary charter school teachers. Methodology: A phenomenological design was selected to address the research questions for this study. Through purposeful sampling, 12 charter elementary teachers who met a pre-determined set of criteria (including the routine integration of project-based learning within their instructional programs) were selected to participate in virtual, semi-structured interviews. All teachers were employed by charter schools located in six counties within California. The interviews were conducted using a researcher-developed protocol. Artifacts in the form of student work, planning documents, and project overviews were also collected and evaluated. Once organized, the researcher coded and analyzed the data for themes. Findings: Data analysis revealed that the participating teachers regularly integrated 4Cs skills into their instructional practice. When planning PBL (collaboratively or independently), specific skills might be targeted, but all four skills were often assumed as necessary for project success. Prior to project implementation, teachers worked to build a classroom culture so that students felt safe and understood the expectations of project work. Cycles of inquiry began with a driving question or challenging problem that students worked (primarily in teams) to answer or solve. Students then presented their learning in varied ways to different audiences. Assessment was challenging for most 4C areas, with communication being the skill most frequently assessed formally due to its inclusion in the Common Core State Standards. Conclusions: The implementation of project-based learning supports the development of critical thinking, communication, creativity, and communication by providing ample opportunities for students to practice and build capacity. Additionally, students develop a sense of ownership, agency, and empowerment as learners and can make authentic connections to their lives. PBL also develops real-world skills that are transferable well beyond the classroom. Finally, COVID-19 eliminated PBL during remote learning with some exceptions. Communication and collaboration were most impacted. Recommendations: Ten areas of further research were recommended to increase the body of knowledge related to these variables.

Language: English

Published: Irvine, California, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Current literature provides ample evidence to support that contact with nature can have a multitude of positive effects on people’s well-being including the learning and development of young children. Furthermore, variations in sensory experiences and sensory processing styles can impact individual behavior, as well as how one benefits from nature. Though many educational systems now feature nature-based approaches, little attention has been given to children’s sensory experiences in nature. Montessori pedagogy, however, promotes direct engagement with the natural world and emphasizes sensory education, providing a strong basis for new research. The present study aimed to examine the impact of multi-sensory, nature-based activities on young children’s interactions with nature. To measure this impact, 14 Montessori preschool children were presented with a variety of multi-sensory, nature-based activities and observed on their school playgrounds for ten weeks. Additionally, information regarding their individual sensory processing styles and connectedness to nature was collected from the children’s parents. Results indicate that students' engagement with the activities may influence the ways they sensorially engage with nature and increase the frequency in which they interact with particular natural elements. The data also demonstrates potential interactions between some individuals’ sensory processing styles and the ways they engage with nature. Finally, the data shows a 5.65% average increase in the group’s overall connectedness to nature scores, suggesting that multi-sensory, nature-based activities may strengthen students’ sense of connection to nature. This study concludes with an outline of further areas of research of multi-sensory, nature-based

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2022