Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Reprint of an article that was originally published in Contemporary Educational Psychology, v. 5, no. 2 (1980), p. 124-137. DOI: 10.1016/0361-476X(80)90033-8

Language: English

Published: Lexington, Massachusetts: Ginn Custom Pub., 1983

Edition: 2nd ed.

ISBN: 0-536-04367-1

Abstract/Notes: As Pope Francis challenges Catholics to become missionary disciples, Church members have the opportunity to shape the institutions that influence our youth by empowering laypeople to model the faith with love and enthusiasm. Many within the Church have recognized a need to re-vitalize Catholic schools as enrollment continues to decline and teachers and students come from increasingly secular backgrounds. Catholic schools today are also experiencing increases in numbers of non-Catholic students and staff. A persistent question involves the meaning of “Catholic” in “Catholic schools.” In an increasingly plural society, what distinct ethos do we offer to our own people but also to society? In this context of crisis the purpose of this ministry project was to offer hope of galvanizing a Catholic ethos for a particular school, the Franciscan Montessori Earth School (FMES). The genesis of the project lies in the culture of the Montessori pedagogy, but its tools may be helpful to other Catholic schools. The project sought to form the lay staff at FMES in the Catholic ethos, with a focus on dialogue and communion, to become more aware of God’s love in the educational process and open more space in the daily life of the school for spiritual development. Given that the school community is composed of people from diverse religious or non-religious backgrounds who also value and respect Montessori pedagogy, the linchpin of the project was the pedagogy—a way of entrance to understanding a Catholic vision of education. The research showed an openness to the idea of spiritual development, growth in understanding the Catholic vision of the pedagogy that gives the school its particular charism, and willingness to try new concrete practices that acknowledge the spiritual needs of young people and adults alike. The project also revealed a hesitancy among staff about religious elements of spiritual development even as they were open to considering the role of interreligious dialogue at a Catholic school. The project opened up new ideas for fostering Catholic identity in a way that respects religious differences.

Language: English

Published: Washington, D.C., 2022

Language: English

Published: Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1992

ISBN: 0-435-08709-6 978-0-435-08709-8

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of the study was to examine students' expected and observable civic engagement in a Montessori Erdkinder-based middle school classroom. Research questions included: (a) In what ways is civic engagement addressed in the Montessori Erdkinder-based middle school explicit curriculum? (b) How does the expected civic engagement in the Montessori Erdkinder-based middle school explicit curriculum align with The Civic Mission of Schools six educational approaches? (c) In what ways do students experience civic engagement at the end-of-the-school year in Grades 7, 8 and 9 in a Montessori Erdkinder-based middle school classroom? The study used a case design with three embedded units of analysis. The purposefully selected participants included the teacher and 19 students. The curriculum was analyzed using document analysis and context was provided through teacher interviews. The curriculum was aligned with The Civic Mission of Schools' six approaches. Students' civic engagement was examined through observations, students' interviews and documents. Cross-case analysis examined civic engagement experiences between each grade level. These analyses were compared findings to civic education literature and The Civic Mission of Schools' six approaches. The study found the curriculum provided opportunities for civic engagement including civic and political skills, civic dispositions and community participation. When compared with The Civic Mission of Schools, the curriculum provided mixed results. Only the students' voices in school governance and service-learning were evident. Students had similar opportunities for civic engagement because of the mixed-age nature of Montessori learning. Evidence of student civic engagement included a student created and maintained democratic classroom environment, community service and service-learning, informal discussion of current events and participation in the Montessori Model United Nations. Although the curriculum did not directly align with The Civic Mission of Schools, it provided an example of (a) an apolitical curriculum for creating world citizens and (b) a model for civility for classroom governance and student behavior. A community of practice was developed based on occupation-based learning in which students learned their roles and experienced stress in a democratic workplace. Recommendations for future research include political socialization and alternative learning environments.

Language: English

Published: Charlottesville, Virginia, 2011

Language: Spanish

Language: English

ISSN: 0889-5643

Language: English

Language: Dutch

Language: English

ISSN: 0065-9444