Language: English

ISSN: 0002-8304

Language: Danish

Language: Dutch

Abstract/Notes: This is from the 1963/1964 "extra-nummer" special issue for the 13th International Congress. This is a map which indicates locations of Montessori schools in Holland/Netherlands.

Language: Dutch, English

Language: English

ISSN: 0277-9064

Abstract/Notes: Montessori education is known as peace education. Normalization is one of the most significant concepts within Montessori education and which herself identifies as the “most important result.” The purpose of this study is to find out when and how precisely this Montessori theory of Normalization occurs in deviated children between zero and six years old; to precisely identify the timing, steps, and circumstances of Normalization, and secondly to examine the possibility of the normalized state of children to lead to peace in society. A total of 48 online survey responses were received from around the world. Twenty-one of the participants completed the open-response sections of the survey, and the analysis was primarily conducted based on these total responses. Results from teachers showed that Normalization begins with children’s spontaneous choice of work and comes with a solid and certain length of concentration. After they finished the work, peacefulness appeared in each child. The children experience this Normalization repeatedly and it manifests either as permanently or semi-permanent. This study centers on Normalization as a potential powerful tool for social change since this state is directly linked to concomitant individual and community peacefulness which can certainly spill beyond the classroom walls into general society. Furthermore, this study identifies the importance of analyzing the permanence of the state of Normalization since knowing the conditions for and causes of this permanence is key to both replication in experiments and its potential as an effective means for long lasting social change.

Language: English

Published: River Falls, Wisconsin, 2022

Abstract/Notes: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 mandated that states implement standards and test-based accountability systems. In theory, local educators are free to select the means for teaching the standards so long as students achieve a predetermined proficiency level on the exams. What is unclear, however, is how this theory plays out in schools committed to educational approaches that are seemingly incompatible with state-determined standards and testing. This dissertation examines how such schools strategically respond to the opposing demands of their program design and these government mandates. This qualitative study focuses on five schools affiliated with the Big Picture Learning (BPL) network. BPL offers an example of an educational program whose emphasis on individualized interest-driven learning and authentic real-world assessment is not easily aligned with standards-driven content and tests. This study considers empirical research on school-level response to externally imposed accountability mandates (Carnoy, Elmore & Siskin, 2003). In addition, it draws on sociology's organization-environment relations literature including institutional isomorphism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983), agency (DiMaggio, 1988; Oliver, 1991) and the theoretical models of bridging, buffering and decoupling (Scott & Davis, 2007) to create a conceptual framework of how these BPL schools negotiate competing expectations. Findings show that these schools filter state demands for accountability through the lenses of both individual teachers and Big Picture design. While taking action both to meet the demands and protect the core program, schools internalize the value of a standards-based curriculum and increase internal accountability to incorporate content-standards while simultaneously rejecting the validity of testing and gaming the system. Currently, failure to meet state mandates comes with such severe consequences that these schools may be forced to choose between radically morphing to survive or maintaining integrity and possibly closing. However, if the regulatory climate becomes less standardized and more qualitative, these schools could be forerunners in meeting revised mandates. The study suggests policy implications surrounding the intersection of belief systems, consequences and strategic responses. It offers a cautionary tale about the power of the state, the precarious nature of falling outside state norms and what prioritizing bureaucratic efficiency may mean for innovation in education.

Language: English

Published: Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2012

Abstract/Notes: The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to investigate how Montessori educators describe maintaining the fidelity of the Montessori Method when implementing the Louisiana Student Standards influences their ability to provide learning opportunities through social interactions that stimulate multiple senses for students in their classrooms in the south-central region of the United States. This study was informed by a theoretical foundation that drew on the theory of social constructivism and sensory stimulation theory. The three research questions asked participants to describe maintaining the fidelity of the Montessori Method when integrating the Louisiana Student Standards and the influences the standards had on their ability to construct learning through social interactions and provide learning opportunities that stimulate multiple senses in their classrooms. The sample consisted of public Montessori educators teaching in the south-central region of the United States. The two sources of data included 45 questionnaires and 12 semi-structured interviews. All interviews were transcribed and then coded. A thematic analysis of the data resulted in five themes: Montessori educators use supplemental materials, creative scheduling, need targeted professional development, plan instructional activities that require students to work cooperatively, and use authentic Montessori materials. This study will help advance scientific knowledge by adding to the current body of knowledge about the Montessori Method and implementing state standards. Finally, this study provides theoretical, practical, and future implications and suggestions for further research.Keywords: Montessori Method, Louisiana Student Standards, theory of social constructivism, sensory stimulation theory, state standards

Language: English

Published: Phoenix, Arizona, 2022

Abstract/Notes: This dissertation presents the results of an exploratory descriptive case study of the Moses Journaling for Equity Experience, a self-reflective intervention for public charter Montessori middle school teachers. The intervention is designed to elicit a reflective process to slow teachers’ thinking so they can decenter Whiteness and elevate the cultures and voices of their students of color within their pedagogy. The intervention was developed in the winter and spring of 2020, drawing heavily on the author’s experience as an equity consultant as well as the rich literature on ways teachers can nurture a sense of belonging for students of color. The intervention was refined with feedback from experienced Montessori teachers, with a focus on ensuring pedagogical alignment and curricular expectations within the Montessori system. Because this study represents the first time the intervention was implemented, it is most properly viewed as a pilot study. Three middle school Montessori teachers were recruited to participate. They began the intervention in the fall of 2021. The intervention consisted of eight weeks of reading curated articles, reflection questions, the collection of evidence, and the journaling of the reflection questions. A final debrief via Zoom encouraged participants to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. As a pilot study, the goal was to gather information on the overall effectiveness of the intervention, intervention shortcomings and strengths. Data were collected weekly in the form of written responses to questions intended to provoke thought and deep reflection on the part of the teachers. At the end of the intervention, each teacher participated in a semi-structured interview to further explore the ideas shared in their individual weekly reflective writings. Critical Race Theory, White Supremacy Culture Characteristics, and the Concerns Based Adoption Model were all used to frame the analysis and to draw conclusions. Results suggest the intervention is effective at building teacher awareness of the cultural, academic, and social assets students of color bring to the classroom, which is the beginning point for teachers to decenter Whiteness in their classrooms to support student of color belonging.

Language: English

Published: Eugene, Oregon, 2022

Abstract/Notes: Montessori schooling, created by physician and educator Maria Montessori, is a well-known alternative to the traditional style of teaching. Many researchers have focused on how the Montessori method can produce successful and well-rounded students, not only academically, but within the social realm as well. What is less known is the extent to which Montessori impacts the social development of children and their forming of peer relationships and why it does so. After looking into and discussing the previous literature written on this topic, this thesis project utilizes reviews with two individuals with experience in the primary level Montessori setting to further understand how the Montessori method can possibly benefit the students socially and draw connections between teacher experience and scholarly research. It was discovered that the responses of the participants generally paralleled the claims of previous literature, with specific emphasis being placed on the sense of responsibility and ownership students held in the environment and the reduction of the teacher’s role in constructing how students utilize the environment and interact with one another.

Language: English

Published: Portland, Oregon, 2022