Montessori principles: Do Montessori parents understand their significance and apply them to their family lives?

Abstract

This study was designed to offer insight to Montessori educators regarding the grasp that parents
who choose Montessori for their children possess of the basic Montessori principles. These
principles, which are applied in Montessori schools around the world each day, serve as the
underpinning of Montessori philosophy, and since parents are the most significant teachers in
their children's lives, it makes sense that parents are working in harmony with the guiding
principles of their children's schools. Montessori schools have enjoyed a long history of serving
children and families, and have often maintained waiting lists of prospective families who want
the best for their children. However, I believed that it was plausible that these same children,
while immersed in Montessori principles at school, could be returning to homes with completely
different types of environments, with contradictory rules and expectations. Since Dr. Montessori
herself emphasized the importance of consistency between home and school, the focus of this
study was to gather information that will assist the Montessori community in understanding if we
are meeting that particular goal of the great educator Maria Montessori. The researcher
developed a Parent Survey that was distributed to Montessori schools throughout the United
States. In addition to these survey questions, the researcher compared the "Montessori
Knowledge" of Montessori parents to research conducted by Murray, (2008) regarding the
general public's perceptions of Montessori philosophy. Two hundred forty-seven parents
completed the online questionnaire. Results indicated that although Montessori parents displayed
a greater understanding of Montessori philosophy than did the general public, these families are
not consistently employing Montessori principles at home. Those in the field of Montessori
education should consider the work of parent education a top priority, particularly at this time in
history when the Montessori approach to education is rapidly gaining attention. Montessori
advocates have longed for this scientific method of education to reach the mainstream. This
researcher wonders if we are prepared to expand our goals, and prioritize parent education so that
the Montessori philosophy may be a true transformation for both children and families. Dr.
Maria Montessori would expect nothing less.

Date of Award	2013
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Linda Simpson (Supervisor)