Education shapes the structure of semantic memory and impacts creative thinking

Education is central to the acquisition of knowledge, such as when children learn new concepts. It is unknown, however, whether educational differences impact not only what concepts children learn, but how those concepts come to be represented in semantic memory—a system that supports higher cognitive functions, such as creative thinking. Here we leverage computational network science tools to study hidden knowledge structures of 67 Swiss schoolchildren from two distinct educational backgrounds—Montessori and traditional, matched on socioeconomic factors and nonverbal intelligence—to examine how educational experience shape semantic memory and creative thinking. We find that children experiencing Montessori education show a more flexible semantic network structure (high connectivity/short paths between concepts, less modularity) alongside higher scores on creative thinking tests. The findings indicate that education impacts how children represent concepts in semantic memory and suggest that different educational experiences can affect higher cognitive functions, including creative thinking.

Montessori Education: Teacher Perceptions of Challenges in Transitioning to Virtual Instruction

In 2020, Montessori teachers and families across the world had to adjust as schools were closed because of the rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those working in the Montessori classroom, which typically favors a hands-on approach and limited use of technology, had to devise new ways to engage with students in the virtuallearning environment. How do teachers perceive that the transition to online learning affected their instruction? This descriptive case study examined the ways in which a school’s Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori teachers adjusted their instruction to meet student needs online, as well as the benefits and challenges that the teachers felt they and the students experienced as a result.

Breaking the Circle of One: Reflection in Montessori Early Childhood Centres in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>Little is currently known about how teachers in New Zealand Montessori early childhood centres reflect on Montessori philosophy and practice individually and collaboratively within teaching teams. The purpose of this research was to discover the current views about reflection on Montessori philosophy, the barriers teachers faced in reflecting and opportunities they identified for reflection. The impact that requirements for self review and teacher reflection have had on the approach taken to reflection, inquiry and professional learning by teachers in Montessori early childhood centres was also investigated. This research study used a mixed method case study and data was collected from teachers working in Montessori early childhood centres through semistructured interviews with three groups and an online survey of individual teachers. Participants placed high importance on reflection. However some participants were reluctant to critique Montessori philosophy; either because they viewed it as ‘valid’ or because they were concerned about being regarded as ‘heretical’ by other teachers. Participants felt safe raising questions within their teaching teams, but were more wary of debating and questioning philosophical issues with teachers in the wider Montessori community. Others regarded reflection as an opportunity to develop a shared understanding of Montessori philosophy and practice in their early childhood centre. Despite the participants’ perception that their team spent time reflecting on Montessori philosophy and relating this to daily teaching practice, it was still a challenge to make these reflective activities a priority in limited centre team meeting times. In addition, it appears that more support is needed to improve skills and knowledge about how the cyclical process of review or inquiry can engage with Montessori philosophy, inform centre philosophy, drive centre practice and improve outcomes for children. This study suggests that teachers would benefit from the creation of ‘safe spaces’ where they can engage with colleagues from their own or other Montessori early childhood centres in debate and discussion so that teaching practice becomes based on critical engagement with the underlying theoretical or philosophical principles of Montessori education.</p>

Breaking the Circle of One: Reflection in Montessori Early Childhood Centres in Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>Little is currently known about how teachers in New Zealand Montessori early childhood centres reflect on Montessori philosophy and practice individually and collaboratively within teaching teams. The purpose of this research was to discover the current views about reflection on Montessori philosophy, the barriers teachers faced in reflecting and opportunities they identified for reflection. The impact that requirements for self review and teacher reflection have had on the approach taken to reflection, inquiry and professional learning by teachers in Montessori early childhood centres was also investigated. This research study used a mixed method case study and data was collected from teachers working in Montessori early childhood centres through semistructured interviews with three groups and an online survey of individual teachers. Participants placed high importance on reflection. However some participants were reluctant to critique Montessori philosophy; either because they viewed it as ‘valid’ or because they were concerned about being regarded as ‘heretical’ by other teachers. Participants felt safe raising questions within their teaching teams, but were more wary of debating and questioning philosophical issues with teachers in the wider Montessori community. Others regarded reflection as an opportunity to develop a shared understanding of Montessori philosophy and practice in their early childhood centre. Despite the participants’ perception that their team spent time reflecting on Montessori philosophy and relating this to daily teaching practice, it was still a challenge to make these reflective activities a priority in limited centre team meeting times. In addition, it appears that more support is needed to improve skills and knowledge about how the cyclical process of review or inquiry can engage with Montessori philosophy, inform centre philosophy, drive centre practice and improve outcomes for children. This study suggests that teachers would benefit from the creation of ‘safe spaces’ where they can engage with colleagues from their own or other Montessori early childhood centres in debate and discussion so that teaching practice becomes based on critical engagement with the underlying theoretical or philosophical principles of Montessori education.</p>

The The Contribution of “A Sister of Notre Dame” and the “Nun of Calabar” to Montessori Education in Scotland, Nigeria and Beyond

Although the English Montessori Movement was declining, two educators, trained in the Method in England in the 1920s, contributed significantly to the continuity of Montessori education. “A Sister of Notre Dame”, was the anonymous author of A Scottish Montessori School, published in1932. The “Nun of Calabar”, established Montessori schools between 1926 and 1934 in Nigeria. Their work is placed within the political, social, and cultural context of the time.

The Content of Today’s Music Subject Curriculum for Grades 1–3 in the Context of Montessori Education Principles

The use of an improved curriculum and a new approach in the teaching-learning process of the comprehensive schools in Latvia determine the topicality of the study. The aim of the study is to identify the Montessori education principles and the keywords that describe them, as well as to compare them with the content of learning topics in today’s music subject curriculum for grades 1–3. The following research questions were raised to achieve this aim. RQ1: What are the Montessori education principles and the keywords that describe them? RQ2: What keywords describe the principles of Montessori education are mentioned in the content of learning topics in the music subject curriculum for grades 1–3? twenty-two academic articles that are published in the EBSCO database between 2010 and 2021 were used to define the principles of Montessori education. As a result of content analysis of the academic publications, the study identified three principles of Montessori education: Student’s discoveries and finding creative solutions, collaboration and learning by doing. The study determined the frequency of using the keywords describing the Montessori education principles in number (N) and percentage (f%) by using document analysis, content analysis, and visual representation of the relationships between the identified keywords in the word cloud. The study found that the content of learning topics in the curriculum of music subject dominated by keywords that describe the Montessori education principles, such as creativity and learning by talking. The study results provide an opportunity to understand the features that are in common between Montessori and traditional education in the content of the music subject curriculum.

Exploration of implementation practices of Montessori education in mainland China

This descriptive research work highlights the implementation practices of Montessori education in mainland China and the concerns over Montessori education’s localization in mainland China. Localization can be understood as the adaptive process Montessori education undergoes in order to fit within Chinese culture. Two hundred and ten in-service Montessori teachers and administrators in China were surveyed to discover information concerning implementation practices in the following areas: mixed-aged classrooms, whether classrooms were co-teaching, student-to-teacher ratios, and morning and afternoon work cycles. The study found that the majority of classrooms were mixed-aged, reflecting high-fidelity Montessori practices. However, it also found that classrooms are co-teaching, have lower student–teacher ratios, and shortened work cycles, reflecting a departure from high-fidelity Montessori implementation. While localization should be considered to safeguard Montessori education’s sustainability, Chinese Montessori educators should also reflect on these findings as high implementation fidelity has been linked to better student outcomes.