Maria Montessori's Theory of Education - Dissertation Example

Maria Montessoris Theory of Education Albert Einstein’s philosophy of education s, “The crippling of individuals is the worst evil of capitalism. The education of the individual, in addition to promoting his own innate abilities, would attempt to develop in him a sense of responsibility for his fellow-men in place of the glorification of power and success in our present society” (cited in Philosophy of Education, 2005). Einstein believed that education should be fun rather than forced and that each child should be educated as a free individual. Fear, force and artificial authority destroy the sentiments, sincerity and the self-confidence of the children. The Montessori philosophy of education developed by Dr. Maria Montessori, too is based on these assumptions. Maria Montessori became interested in education while dealing with mentally challenged children in the course of her practice as a doctor. She believed that children have to be respected as different from adults and the children create themselves through purposeful activity. Dr. Montessori also derived that children possess unusual sensitivity and mental powers to absorb and learn from their environment (American Montessori Society). It was her medical background and her experience of working with children that brought about the revelation that the children she was working with could not be treated in hospitals but had to be trained in schools. She wanted to use nature in the school to meet the needs of the children. She started devoting time towards perfecting children. Her educational theory was based on her findings in the field of education, medicine and anthropology. It also included ideas of scholar Froebel, anthropologist Giuseooe Sergi, French physicians, Jean Itard and Edouard Seguin. She claimed to have learnt from the children how to teach them. Adults often reprimand the children about their running nose but do not find time and patience to teach them how to handle it (T Flaherty, n.d.). Dr. Montessori felt that the goal of education should not be to fill the child with facts but to inculcate inner curiosity to learn (Maria A, 1997). This stimulation remains within the child even in the later years of learning. It grows in him a natural desire to learn and develops love for knowledge. He does not learn or study merely to be promoted to a higher class or in expectation of some rewards. Montessori is a special way of education where the children learn through experience. Every aspect of their experience is planned to help them grow into creative, capable, confident, and balanced individuals. Every child is assisted to nurture and stimulate his potential through various activities like music, art and drama (Montessori Children’s Room, 2005). The classrooms are called ‘environments’ where the children experience the joy of learning. Dr. Montessori placed special emphasis on the learning materials; she introduced the child-size tables and chairs too. She believed that learning environment was as important as the learning itself. Learning in the right environment the child experiences an inner sense of satisfaction and develops a positive attitude in life. Teachers are called ‘directress’ which reminds them not be authoritative but to direct and motivate the child to develop himself. This leads to mutual respect and affection, which aids the child to become self-confident. A unique feature in Montessori system is that two and three year olds remain within the same environment. A myth surrounds such a philosophy that the older children would take up the time and attention of the directress but it works in a positive direction for the age groups. The younger ones receive stimulus from the older ones, while the older children get to play as role model for the younger ones, which boosts their confidence. The older children serve as teachers for the younger ones and in this way they learn faster. Since this philosophy is based that each individual is unique, this environment allows them the freedom to learn at their pace and not on the directress’s schedule of lessons (Seldin T & Epstein P, 2005). The children stay in the same environment for three years which inculcates a community feeling and stability in them. The culture tends to remain the same. Dr. Montessori believed that directress should focus on the child as a person. The child should be encouraged to ask questions, think, explore, investigate, and discover for himself. Daily lesson plans are not important; the children have to given the freedom to learn independently while retaining their creativity. The traditional method of teaching differs in many significant aspects from the Montessori Method. In the traditional method the teacher is important, who points out the mistakes to the child. It is generally believed that if one realizes one’s mistake and corrects himself, he would never repeat the mistake. Besides, if someone else points out the errors, it lowers the morale of the individual. This theory is applicable in different fields and for all ages. The Montessori system recognizes this phenomenon and allows the child to ‘correct’ himself. Children learn faster from their peers and through real life experience rather than being reprimanded or ‘taught’. Dr Montessori recognized this need and framed the environments accordingly. It is pointless scolding a child with a running nose because he does not know how to handle the situation. Instead he should be made to understand this is something natural; he should experience how to clean himself. Situations and experiences like these, help develop self-confidence. The environment in the Montessori system is where the child feels it is his ‘house’. He can freely move around and learn through exploration. In the traditional system the child is bound by rigorous discipline and made to follow rules. He learns through repetition and works towards rewards while the best reward is the internal feelings of achievement which a child attains in the Montessori method. Besides, discipline has to come from within. When discipline is enforced it can lead to suppression or revolt. When someone spills water, the other children help him to clean the mess. This develops in them a sense of togetherness and an attitude to be helpful. We assume that a child is the product of how we train them or whatever we make of them. Montessori system believes that a child is an individual and will also learn on his own. They think and act differently from adults. A child is like a bud which has to be provided the aids to bloom. The developing or blooming has to be done by the bud or the child. The Montessori system provides this nourishment (freedom) to develop its physical, mental, and intellectual potential. To a child the world is full of sights and sound and in this chaotic condition he gradually gains mastery of the self (Martin C & Vogel M). If a child is forced to memorize facts, it remains with him perhaps only through the examination and that too for the sake of being promoted to the next class. Before he acquires the basic skills, he should not be forced to participate in a competitive learning environment. From the birth up to six years are the formative years in a child’s life. Between three and six years he learns the rules of human behavior. This is when they acquire good habits and manners. Even these manners cannot be imposed. They have to be motivated and once motivated, learning comes naturally. Montessori recognized this sense of motivation in children. Children are drawn towards learning. The core philosophy is that the child learns through inner discipline. Concentration is necessary to learn anything in life. Concentration comes naturally when the activity is interesting. If a child is forced to cram facts he would forget it as fast as he had learnt it. The Montessori child is first helped to develop the power of concentration through activities like pouring water up to a marked level from one beaker to another. This requires immense concentration and gives him a sense of fulfillment when he can achieve this without spilling a drop. He recognizes that he can concentrate and attain anything. It requires involvement, and involvement comes through concentration. Active learning is the best and they learn best when they are engaged in the learning process. Once he attains this, acquiring greater skills become simple. This teaches him perseverance and perfection. He learns to do things the right way. At the physical level, such activities help in developing the wrist movements. The psychological need of each child differs and the Montessori Method recognizes this need. The Montessori environment is full of manipulative learning materials giving full freedom to the child to learn at his own pace. Children learn self-confidence and responsibility through purposeful activity, observation, and discovery (Martin C & Vogel M). They are trained to be independent learners, develop analytical and problem-solving skills. Montessori’s theory relies on the concept of sensitive periods. Certain skills can be best acquired at a certain period in a child’s life. The human system has been programmed this way by nature. For example, trying to teach a child to write at a very early age can be disastrous. His handwriting would be awful unless he has learnt to control wrist movements. He cannot acquire a language before a certain age. Forcing these before time may result in failures. The Montessori method first allows the wrist control to develop before giving them a pencil to write with. “If the child is prevented from enjoying these experiences at the very time when nature has planned for him to do so, the special sensitivity which draws him to them will vanish, with a disturbing effect on development.” (Cited by Melville B. A.). Rousseau believed that nature guides the child from within. When adults set the goals and try to direct the children, it is going against nature. The role of the adult should only be to provide the right opportunity and environment and allow the child to develop naturally in that environment. Before Montessori this approach was never recognized. Gradually in the Montessori system, people started realizing the happiness that a child achieved when he acquired a certain skill through the self-learning process. The intensity of concentration is greatest in the first six years of life and children feel peaceful and refreshed when they attain something on their own. It has been found by researchers and generally observed that children from normal kindergarten schools do very well in the first few years of schooling, in fact better than the Montessori children. The process is permanently reversed in the latter years. The Montessori children have a very rapid all-round development as years go by. Montessori’s primary goal is not high scores in academics but development of inner attitude towards learning. Nature has designed when the capacity to learn would unfold and Montessori believed in this natural process. Dr. Montessori has been quoted as saying "My vision of the future is no longer of people taking exams and proceeding on that certificate from the secondary school to the University, but of individuals passing from one stage of independence to a higher, by means of their own activity, through their own effort of will, which constitutes the inner evolution of the individual." (Cited by Melville B.A.). Children’s responses are natural and they are in harmony with nature. Dr. Montessori believed that children need experience with nature to develop their powers of observation. At the same time, she did not specify the specific time when the children need exposure to nature. Before her no other educator or philosopher ever thought of a child’s association with nature. To grow into balanced adults a child has to reach full potential in all areas of life. Activities promote the development of social skills, emotional growth, and physical coordination as well as cognitive preparation (American Montessori Society). The environment should be supportive and conducive to active learning for the child and Montessori Method provides this support. To facilitate this Dr. Montessori devised multi-sensory, sequential, and self-correcting materials, which help to acquire the practical skills. The general assumption is that freedom can lead a child astray, but Montessori has proved that children work better at their own pace. As the child unfolds, the directress observes and introduces new activities and materials. Activities can be either individual or in groups and both have their own distinct benefits. The environment is more interactive and peer group learning proactive, which enhances the language learning ability unlike the traditional method. Every individual has creativity but it needs to be evoked from within. In an atmosphere of trust, this creativity emerges and each child expresses himself in a unique way. Music, art, dramatics, and debates, all encourage creative development. Besides, it stimulates interest and involvement. Involvement leads to concentration and achievement. The child receives an opportunity for both verbal and non-verbal approaches for learning. Children need to be able to adapt themselves to any situation as adults. It has been found that Montessori children easily adapt to changing situations. They get experience and exposure to work independently as well as in groups. If children are encourage to make decisions at an early age they learn to solve problems. This opportunity is provided in a Montessori environment. They learn to work cohesively and within specified time frame gradually as they grow. They learn to exchange ideas and not impose their ideas on others. They develop excellent communication skills, which boosts self-confidence and thereby self-esteem. Educational psychology focuses on the development of effective teaching techniques. Different theories to this effect have been formulated. Cognitive psychology holds that information is more likely to be acquired, retained, and retrieved for future use if it is learner-constructed, relevant, and built upon prior knowledge (Learnativity, 1993). The prior knowledge referred here is exactly what Dr. Montessori specifies too. Only when the basic skills have been acquired, does formal learning make sense. The basic skill is the ‘prior knowledge’ after which the individual cannot forget what he has learnt. If learning is imposed before that retention is difficult. Hence, Montessori system has given cognizance not merely to the natural course of development, but it has a scientific basis. Cognitive psychology deals with problem-solving and reasoning abilities. It relies on experiential and discovery learning, both of which are the basis on which the Montessori system has been formulated. John Dewey, the father of experiential education, believed that schooling was unnecessarily long and restrictive (Cited by Neil J). Like Montessori, Dewey too believed that while designing the curriculum or the lesson plans, individual differences must be taken into account. Education should have a broader social purpose, which would help children to become effective members of the democratic society. This need is fulfilled and opportunity provided by the Montessori Method and which lacks in the traditional system. Dewey too propagated real-life tasks and challenges. When children learn through experience, the learning becomes embedded in their system and they can never forget. Einstein too believed that the aim must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals. The Montessori system is based on human tendencies to explore, to share, to be independent, to make decisions, to create, to maintain order, to develop self-control, to learn from experiences, to concentrate and to perfect in one’s work. An in-depth study of human psychology and patterns led Dr. Montessori to implement this revolutionary system. She has divided the process of learning very scientifically in three stages – introduction to a concept by means of a lecture or a lesson, processing the information and developing an understanding through experience, to know, which is demonstrated by the ability to pass the test with confidence (Olaf M). In this system learning is a joyful experience and not a compulsion which gives nothing but boredom. While the child learns something, the experience indirectly prepares him to learn something more after that. Therefore, it becomes a natural unfolding as he learns. Children learn directly from the environment or from other children, which is faster than learning through the directress. Another unique feature of this system is that all subjects are interlinked. A child can choose any order to study according to his inclination and interest at that point of time. Montessori Method emphasizes that there should be at least one 3-hour period of uninterrupted work time each day. This inculcates the ability to concentrate and respect others’ concentration too. Assessment is based on the teachers’ observation as the child works. Hence, no feeling of competition develops, which at this early age can be detrimental to the growth of a child. It can be argued here that if no grades are assigned, how accurate is the observation of the teacher? The evaluation is based on personal observation, which can also be biased to some extent. When grades or marks are allotted, it is based on a systematic evaluation. Dr. Montessori refutes this theory and Olaf confirms that “The real test of whether or not the system is working lies in the accomplishment and behavior of the children, their happiness, maturity, kindness, and love of learning, concentration, and work”. Even when standards tests are used to evaluate, they serve to pressurize both teachers and the children to perform at high standards. These tests are often misunderstood and misinterpreted. Such evaluation is also known to increase enmity amongst the children and lower the morale of those who do not attain good grades. Dr. Montessori endorses this opinion when she claims, “When the children had completed an absorbing bit of work, they appeared rested and deeply pleased. It almost seemed as if a road had opened up within their souls that led to all their latent powers, revealing the better part of themselves. They exhibited a great affability to everyone, put themselves out to help others and seemed full of good will” (Cited by Olaf). Nature has endowed us with knowledge which lies latent within each of us. This needs to be evoked and often requires stimulation. Children learn without realizing that they are actually learning. The process of evoking and unfolding of the knowledge differs from individual to individual. Many children are not fortunate enough to receive formal education but their faculties too develop as they grow up. They may not know the mathematical formulae but they certainly learn the ways and rules to live in this world. Dr. Montessori confirms, “It is the childs way of learning. This is the path he follows. He learns everything without knowing he is learning it, and in doing so he passes little by little from the unconscious to the conscious, treading always in the paths of joy and love” (Cited by Olaf). She says if there was a planet where study was unknown, people would still come to know of all the things, and to carry in their minds the whole of learning. This might sound a bit absurd, merely because it is difficult to imagine. We know of ancient sages and saints who had all the knowledge within them. They not only could evoke their own knowledge, they even imparted knowledge and urged others to evoke their knowledge from within. The Montessori Method is based on this premise that nature is the best teacher and hence a child should be allowed to unfold naturally. Montessori schools have attained success with all kinds of children – blind, gifted, disabled, wealthy, or poor. The Montessori system is totally dependent on the directress and her observation of the children as they learn. This to some extent raises doubts about the efficacy of the system. It must be ensured that the teacher is fully trained in the system. Using Montessori without this training will not fetch the right results. Another aspect of the development, which Maria Montessori appears to have overlooked is the stage when children love to indulge in fairy tales. This is significantly missing from the system and which we all know has a lot of educative morals. Artistic development too has been ignored by Montessori presupposing that natural inclinations and tendencies would emerge on its own. It has been seen though, with a slight push, the latent talents can find a platform to express. Character education is another important feature of the Montessori Method. Children learn to take care of themselves, of each other and the world around. Dr. Montessori laid emphasis on this as much as learning phonetics and numbers. They are given lessons on hygiene and dressing skills. Practical Life skills like mopping up a spill, feeding the rabbit or tying ones own shoes are given equal importance in the Montessori system (Preschool Power). Parents often wonder whether Montessori education is right for their child. The basic principle of the Montessori philosophy is that children will learn best in a learning and social environment that supports their development (Marin V). it is interesting to watch children of six, seven and eight years of age learning in the research-style. This sort of learning gives a firm foundation and their concepts are clear. The teacher’s role is very important here because she leads them towards activities, which help them to develop reasoning skills. This is what every parent wants for his child ultimately. All the subjects are taught but in an interactive way. They too have excursions but these are educative in nature too, like visits to the planetariums and the botanical gardens. Another apprehension, which the parents foster, is whether the child can adjust in a normal school after pre-schooling at a Montessori. Evidence suggests that by the age of five these toddlers are confident enough and look forward to going to school. generally children do not have a hard time to adjust but there can be exceptions as each individual is different. To some extent, they do wonder why they have to seek permission to go to the toilet. Some others wonder why everyone in the class has to do the same thing because they have been used to different activities. The attitude of the teachers too are different. Of course, these are minor problems, which they get over in no time. Besides, they have learnt to adapt to new situations and changes and the transition mostly is smooth. Cox & Enright (2003) stress that Montessori system extends beyond the preschool level as the child’s development into fully formed self-reliant and responsible individuals extends beyond this. Requirements change as development takes place. Up to the age of six years, children explore and study all aspects of their environment, language and culture. Between six and twelve they develop new powers. They learn to apply what they have learnt and thus discover and grow further. They develop a sense of independence and learn from their own experience. Montessori High Schools have opened in many countries as parents and educators alike realize the difference and its importance. This trend is likely to continue. Another argument can arise whether competition is bad. Montessori does not encourage competition simply because she realized that it is an ineffective tool to motivate children. Traditional schools feel rewards and feeling of competition urge the children to work hard. In the Montessori Method, they are encouraged to work in collaboration rather than work against each other. This promotes group activities and the community feeling. To some extent, competition is necessary in life where traditional schools have an edge. The Montessori schools allow competition to evolve naturally without adult interference. In nutshell, Maria Montessori based her approach to teaching on truths about human nature. E. Mortimer Standing, a former associate of Montessoris wrote, "No one has so completely understood the soul of the child in its depth and greatness, in its immense potentialities, and in the mysterious law of its development." (Cited by Flaherty). Dr. Montessori may have overlooked a few points, but her oversights are minor compared to what she has contributed to the world in the field of education. She has amply demonstrated how the philosophies of other educators can be put to practice. She has shown to the world the difference that an environment and the materials can make in the development of a child. Maria Montessori has been one of the greatest educators in history. 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A (n.d.), Melville Montessori School, accessed 28 January 2006 Montessori Children’s Room, 2005 accessed 28 January 2006 Neil J (2005), Introduction to John Deweys Philosophy of Education, accessed 28 January 2006 Olaf M (2004), An Introduction to Montessori Philosophy & Practice, accessed 28 January 2006 Philosophy of Education (2005), accessed 28 January 2006 Preschool Power (1999), About Maria Montessori & the Montessori Method, accessed 28 January 2006 Read More