Search Montessori Bibliography

Abstract/Notes: Background. The Montessori method is a non-traditional education setting that uses child-directed learning with practical life materials to foster natural learning patterns in students. Montessori students have been shown to display increased cognitive, academic, and psychological skills that continue to impact an individual through their adulthood. Due to the traditional ways of the Montessori method, related services, such as occupational therapy (OT), are not always viewed as a valuable addition to a student’s learning environment. Lack of familiarity and education regarding the Montessori method may impact the self-efficacy an occupational therapist has when providing services to Montessori students. Methods. A national needs assessment (NNA) was used to examine the presence of OT in Montessori environments and to gather information on education occupational therapists have regarding the Montessori method. Additionally, the NNA was used as a recruitment tool to gather participants to participate in the training module, Montessori for the OT. The training module included pre- and post-module surveys that measured the occupational therapists’ self-efficacy towards providing services in a Montessori setting using Montessori materials before and after completing a training module. Results. Results from the NNA suggest occupational therapists lack education regarding the Montessori method as it is not offered in OT programs. The pre- and post-module surveys indicate that a training module could positively influence the confidence occupational therapists have when providing services to Montessori students. Discussion. Although a training module may have positive impacts on self-efficacy in some areas, other areas may negatively be impacted due to the level of self-awareness discovered.

Language: English

Published: Kirksville, Missouri, 2024

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.13

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: On the eve of World War I, a new movement took shape, promoting the educational ideas of Ma­ria Montessori. The success story of the Montessori method is well known, but how are we to understand the organizational network surrounding it? This article explores some aspects of the Montessori movement’s early history, drawing on social movement theories. In the first part, I argue that the Montessori movement of the interwar era should be conceptualized as a social movement organization (SMO) with AMI as its social movement infrastructure (SMI) and with its own specific cognitive praxis. In the second part, I approach the movement from another angle, more from the inside so to say, to assess how three Montessori pioneers – Anna Maria Maccheroni, Claude Albert Claremont and Nazareno Padellaro – understood and tried to implement this cognitive praxis. I par­ticularly focus on their widely differing interpretations of Montessorism – the movement’s central creed about the child’s liberation.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.03

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: This mixed methods study investigates the factors that affect the implementation of what is per­ceived to be “authentic” Montessori practice in South African Montessori preschools through the lived experience of eight teachers trained by Montessori Centre South Africa (MCSA). Previous Montessori research in Europe and North America has addressed the results of, but not the reasons for, modification to Montessori best practice. No research of this kind has to date been conducted in South Africa, which has a substantial Montessori following. This phenomenological study was conducted over a two-month period with eight purposefully selected MCSA graduates from diverse Montessori preschools in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria to explore their lived experiences and to probe for constraints that affect implementation fidelity. Participants completed an online questionnaire which was followed up by extensive individual interviews. Data analysis showed that the majority of the participants experienced situational constraints from school man­agement, parent pressure, and statutory requirements, while some instances of personal bias and reservation towards the Montessori method were also noted. The study’s conclusions highlight the necessity for Montessori teacher training colleges in South Africa to collaborate with the South African Montessori Association and the Montessori preschool owners to uphold the fundamental principles of Montessori best practice to preserve the educational ethos of the Montessori method for the ultimate benefit of the child.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.06

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: Writing and reading instruction in Montessori preschools remains consistent despite digital tools. In this article, the validity of Montessori’s reading and writing instruction is reviewed and discussed in relation to both previous research and societal changes influenced by technology. In conclusion, initial writing and reading instruction in Montessori preschools receives support from existing research, as it emphasizes sensory-motor experiences, including paper-and-pen activities. However, preschool children’s perspectives on the tools used for writing and reading instruction and the work they carry out in Montessori preschools have not yet been considered in research. Therefore, we suggest a need for further studies in order to better grasp the validity of her theory. Such studies could constitute an important contribution to the discussion about when and how writing by hand should be introduced within, as well as outside the Montessori community.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.07

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: In this article the author analyses the situations in which Montessori practitioners experience act­ing “outside-the-box”. This includes specific “events” in everyday professional practices that are unique, unexpected, somehow special, and therefore do not have any previously prescribed solu­tions or scenarios. Based on semi-structured, qualitative individual interviews analysis the author outlines the occurrences (usually child initiated) that invite Montessori teachers to “leave” well–known routines, explicitly described procedures and perhaps even the zone of comfort. One of the main results of the research is quite paradoxical. A teacher wanting to act “out-of-the-box”, needs to be consistent with one of the most important Montessori principles, which is following the child. In this sense, Montessori pedagogy can be seen as an open and educational system, inviting various in­terpretations, and promoting creativity, critical engagement, and innovation, rather than strict rules, clear and reliable methods, or precise techniques mastered during various teacher training courses.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.05

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: The Montessori Method of Education, renowned for its child-centred approach, is divided into three key sub-programmes corresponding to distinct developmental planes: the Primary Programme (Casa) for ages 0−6, Cosmic Education for ages 6−12, and Erdkinder for ages 12−18. Despite numerous stud­ies attesting to the superiority of Montessori over other educational systems, research exploring the cumulative impact of successive Montessori programmes on cognitive achievement remains limited. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the cognitive outcomes of students who have experienced varying durations of Montessori education. This empirical research, derived from a 2017 doctoral dis­sertation at the Xavier University/Ateneo de Cagayan, Philippines, utilized a longitudinal dataset from The Abba’s Orchard School in Bukidnon. The study spanned academic years 1999 to 2015, involving 105 students who graduated from the school’s adolescent programme beginning from 2007−2008. Students were categorized based on their exposure to Montessori programmes: Group A (37 students) attended all three programmes (Casa, Cosmic Education, Erdkinder), Group B (48 students) attend­ed Cosmic Education and Erdkinder, and Group C (20 students) attended only Erdkinder. Cognitive performance was measured using Grade Point Averages (GPA) and College Admission Test (CAT) results from top Philippine universities. The findings demonstrated that previous Montessori experi­ence significantly enhances cognitive performance. Group A students, who attended the full spectrum of Montessori programmes, achieved the highest GPAs (92−93), followed by Group B (90−91), and Group C (87−88). Statistical analysis revealed highly significant differences in GPA scores among the groups (alpha ≤ 0.01, P = 0.000 to 0.001). Additionally, the number of Montessori Programmes Attended (MPA) and Erdkinder Academic Rating (EAR) were positively correlated with CAT suc­cess. Group A had an 89% pass rate for at least one CAT, compared to 52% for Group B and 35% for Group C. Further analysis indicated that each additional Montessori programme attended increased the likelihood of passing a CAT by 3.5 times, while a unit increase in EAR enhanced CAT pass odds by 28 times. The results underscore the importance of successive Montessori Programmes Attended (MPA) in fostering cognitive development. Students who progressed through the complete Montessori spectrum exhibited superior cognitive outcomes and higher success rates in college admissions. These findings align with Dr Montessori’s philosophy that education should be an integrated continuum, where each developmental stage prepares the child for the next. This study provides robust evidence supporting the efficacy of the Montessori Method in enhancing cognitive achievement. The significant cognitive benefits observed in students with extensive Montessori exposure are advocates for the conti­nuity of Montessori education across all developmental planes. Future research should explore broader samples and additional outcomes to further validate these findings.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.12

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: The article relates to what historical educational research has been calling a theological heritage in pedagogy for some years now (e.g. Osterwalder 2005). The historical relationship between pedagogy and religion raises the question of how much theology there is in pedagogical concepts and what effects this theological content has on pedagogical practice. The study on which this article is based (Neff 2016) takes up these research findings and concerns and analyses them using the example of Montessori pedagogy. In addition to this legacy, findings of the analysis of Maria Montessori’s numerous writings reveal a further argument that makes her pedagogy relevant to the present day. Furthermore, the diverse reception history of Montessori’s statements on religion and religious education was analysed.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.04

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: Very little has been published academically on language learning within Montessori education. This is a field that has grown and evolved from the ground as schools face the need to include additional language learning and develop bilingual programmes as part of their curricula. This article reports on the research findings of an action research exploratory study in a Montessori school in Scotland, which was a follow-up to a three-year action research inquiry in Mexico into the development of a second language programme in a Montessori setting. It shows how another target language in a different national context influences how an implementation process is shaped and some of the factors that come into play. Results are presented considering four phases spread in four school years with the experimentation and strategies used and trialled during this time across school levels. It shows different ways to integrate additional languages into the Montessori learning environment that correspond to strong and weak bilingual programmes (Baker 2001) and some of the factors that influence an effective implementation such as continuity, consistency, and alignment with a school’s needs and priorities among others. Language Learning programmes in Montessori settings need to be considered from the perspective of the child, the teachers, the parents and the school as they all integrate to create tailor made bilingual programmes that respond to the context, characteristic and resources of the school.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.08

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230

Abstract/Notes: Anecdotal evidence from early years practitioners in the UK reflects a perception of gradual, but per­sistent, decline in the extent of native English-speaking children’s vocabulary and oral communication skills when they start nursery aged 2–3 years. This paper will examine the scope and reasons for the perceived decline as background, before surveying and evaluating national programmes implement­ed in the UK to remedy it. Then, building on how the Montessori approach supports and enhances children’s language development during the early years, a proposal for a Montessori-based remedial system to develop and extend the range of individual children’s vocabulary, grammatical forms, and syntactic structures, in the order in which native speakers of English acquire them, will be outlined.

Language: English

DOI: 10.26881/pwe.2024.58.09

ISSN: 1734-1582, 2451-2230