Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this research project was to study how Physical Activity (PA) can impact behaviors in a classroom setting. This study implemented PAs from the MNRI program to determine its impact on students’ on- and off-task behaviors. The study took place in a public Montessori school located in a medium-sized upper Midwestern city. There was a total of 16 children in the classroom and the grade levels included both first and second grade students, ranging from ages six to eight years old. Over the span of the six-week study (only Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays were days of observations due to COVID-19), students’ on- and off-task behaviors were observed. A combination of both quantitative and qualitative data was collected, and the results of the study showed that MNRI PA does aid in student behavior in a lower elementary Montessori classroom. The effects on the activities showed that there was an increase in on-task behaviors and a decrease in off-task behaviors post-intervention beginning the second week of intervention. This study also includes extensive descriptions of the MNRI archetypes and illustrations of the infant reflexes made available by permission from Dr. Masgutova.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2021

Language: English

Published: Nashville, Tennessee, 1976

Abstract/Notes: It was hypothesized that children in age-heterogeneous kindergartens would be more prone to behave altuistically than would children in age-homogeneous kindergartens. One hundred and nineteen children from both age structures who lived in kibbutzim and cities in Israel were measured on verbal and behavioral altruism. On all of the measures it was found that children who were studying in heterogeneous classes were more altruistic than were children from homogeneous classes. There was no difference between city and Kibbutz children.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1016/0022-4405(78)90054-7

ISSN: 0022-4405

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Education is key to fostering the adaptive skills needed to face today’s challenges. However, Western-like traditional pedagogy is limited in promoting such skills, so a drastic reform is crucially needed. Recently, the Montessori pedagogy has aroused scientific interest. Behavioral comparative studies between traditionally and Montessori-schooled children confirm benefits at several levels for schoolchildren, especially in self-monitoring and creativity abilities. Despite these facts, large-scale implementation of this pedagogy is limited in public schools. Maybe those behavioral comparisons, by providing binary outcomes (i.e., better versus worse), limit the broader transfer of this pedagogy as it refrains from grasping the how and why it works. Accordingly, neuroimaging studies may complement positively this limitation and provide a deeper understanding of the neurodevelopment that the Montessori pedagogy supports and trains. Here we review behavioral studies and recent neuroscientific work, a perspective that explains most of the benefits observed and may help knowledge transfer to practice.

Language: English

Published: Prešov, Slovakia: Slovenský výbor Svetovej organizácie pre predškolskú výchovu / Slovak Committee of the World Organization for Early Childhood Education, 2023

ISBN: 978-80-974139-3-4

Abstract/Notes: The children of the kindergarten school age between 3 - 5 are known to be a special time in the lives of children. It is a crucial stage of life in which a child develops himself/herself physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. This study was critical analyze the “Role of Kindergarten System of Education in Developing Emotion Behavior and Self-Control  in Children in Rawalpindi City. The main objectives of the study are  (i) To analyze the role of kindergarten system in the promotion of social skills. It was descriptive type of research. The population of study was teachers of private kindergarten schools and their teachers in Rawalpindi city.  A sample of 200 teachers were taken from this known population. Random sampling technique was used to select sample for present study. The researcher was used questionnaire technique to collect data.  After polite testing the researcher were find the validity report on the basis of using Cronbach’s Alpha  which is 0.77. The main discussion that is important in this study is that there are many type of social skills which are play a vital role in the development of the students on both level, physicaly and mently. Students show attrection in begning days of their school. The conclusion of the study that many teachers said that they used friendly approach to teach children and they encouraged their students to take part in classroom activities. They said that they always encouraged their students when they asked question during lesson. The major recommendations of the study were Teachers may use group activities and team work in students of Montessori system to improve their social skills and the Kindergarten program provides children with experiences to help them learn to value and respect individual contributions as well as cultural identity and heritage.

Language: English

ISSN: 2309-8678, 2312-3605

Abstract/Notes: This study examines the differences between Montessori guides and public-school teachers regarding their knowledge and implementation of inclusive practices in the classroom using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). TPB claims that perceptions of attitudes, subjective norms, and behavioral control predict intentions to engage in a particular behavior. The present research utilized a mixed-methods approach to assess participants’ personal definitions of inclusive education and predict intention to perform inclusive practices from teachers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Because public-school teachers are required to attend training, they were predicted to be more knowledgeable than Montessori guides about inclusive practices. Sixty-six teachers participated, but contrary to predictions, definitions provided by both public-school teachers (n = 35) and Montessori guides (n = 31) indicated poor understanding of inclusion with no differences between groups. Analysis of the TPB variables revealed significant differences in attitudes with Montessori guides expressing more positive attitudes than public-school teachers. Qualitative analyses supported this result as Montessori guides used more positive emotional terms in their definitions than public-school teachers who used more neutral terms. Multiple regression analysis showed that the TPB model predicted intention to perform inclusive practices (R2 = .73) with only perceived behavioral control and past behavior statistically significant predictors. These results indicate that despite positive attitudes, participants may lack sufficient, concrete understanding of strategies that would allow them to carry out inclusive practices. Results revealed that training is needed to clarify the definition of inclusion and provide actionable tasks for implementing inclusion in the classroom.

Language: English

Published: Killeen, Texas, 2021

Abstract/Notes: Schools as a microsystem are a critical part of a child’s life at every stage of development. School building research demonstrates that attributes of the facility are linked to critical student outcomes (Maxwell, 2018a). Kindergarten space is one of the key interiors where children spend most of their time out of their homes. Children need a physical environment presenting rich opportunities where they can discover experiences, and stimulate their senses (Yalçın, 2017). This research is generated from the question for the interior design of the earning environment affects the children’s development. To be more precise, which elements affect children’s cognitive development. The theories that dealt with this idea clarified disconnected analysis which produces a knowledge gap. The problem statement of the research is represented by the lack of knowledge that is concerned with the effect of spatial forms in the learning environment on cognitive development. The study came up of researching the characteristics and role of spatial form, including identifying key factors from spatial forms and their visual perception, in creating the physical environment of classroom interior space in-depth to analyze its influence on childrchildren’stive development from 3 to 5 years ago. Document analysis has been applied as the main method of this study. from seven preschools (three Montessori preschools, one Reggio Emilia preschool, one Pikler preschool, and others (Audrey Migliani, 2020, 2021). The designs will be analyzed and summarized to analyze spatial forms which are selected by architects and designers in designing preschool spaces as well as their influences on children’s behavior. Finally, the result of this study could provide educators and designers with significant insight to design priorities of the physical classroom environment of early children space.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1063/5.0124736

ISSN: 0094-243X

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Poor dietary habits in childhood can lead to obesity and chronic diseases later in life. Increasing children's nutrition knowledge and liking of fruits and vegetables are key factors in improving diet quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a nutrition program on knowledge, liking and intake of fruits and vegetables in Montessori students. Clustered-randomized control trial conducted in a Southeastern US Montessori school. Children aged 4-6 years old (intervention, n = 22; control, n = 29) participated in a 4-week nutrition education with taste testing of 12 fruits and vegetables. Nutrition knowledge, fruit and vegetable liking, and intake were measured with questionnaires, and analyzed using repeated measures analysis of covariance and descriptive analyses (SPSS v.23); significance defined as p < 0.05. Controlling for covariates, significant between group effects for nutrition knowledge (F = 24.16, p < 0.001) and liking tomatoes (F = 7.01, p = 0.01) were found. The intervention group increased vegetable intake (Hedges' g = 1.01) compared to the control, although it was not significant between groups (F = 1.95, p = 0.17). Initial examination of this program indicates that it was effective in increasing knowledge, vegetable liking and intake for young children in the sample. More research is needed to compare outcomes between educational delivery methods.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1111/josh.13237

ISSN: 1746-1561