Montessori Teacher Perceptions of Family Priorities and Stressors

Montessori Teacher Percep+ons of Family Priori+es and Stressors Ann Epstein, Ph.D., Assistant Professor and Early Childhood Program Director University of Wisconsin -­‐ La Crosse Background/Literature Review Dr. Montessori addressed the importance family/teacher partnerships
(Montessori, 1923/1970). However, this relationship was not a central
component of her philosophy. In the last 20 years, the importance of
effective family/teacher communication has come to light (Knopf & Swick,
2008; NAEYC, 2010). Recent research has emphasized the effects of
socio-economic factors on families’ abilities to participate in their children’s
school experiences, as well as the impact of cultural factors (Keengwe,
2010). While research has addressed teachers’ understanding of family
priorities through admission surveys (Reedy & McGrath, 2010 ), very few
studies have addressed teacher awareness and understanding of family
stressors. No studies on Montessori teacher perceptions of family stressors
and priorities were found.
Selected References
Bogdan, R. B. & Biklin, S. K. (1992). Qualitative research in education: An introduction to theory and methods. Boston,
MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Keengwe, J. (2010). Fostering cross cultural competence in preservice teachers through multicultural education
experiences. Early Childhood Education Journal, (38)3, 197 – 204.
Knopf, H. & Swick, K. (2008). Using our understanding of families to strengthen family involvement. Early Childhood
Journal, 35(5), 419 – 427.
Montessori, M. (1923/1970). The child in the family. New York: Avon Books.
National Association for the Education of Young Children (2010). NAEYC standards for initial & advanced early
childhood professional preparation programs. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Reedy, C. K. & McGrath, W. H. (2010), Can you hear me now? Staff-parent communication in child care centers Early
Child Development and Care (180)3, 347–357.
Research Ques+on One purpose of this research project was to discover if Montessori
teachers’ perceptions of family priorities and stressors align with family
members’ actual statements of their priorities and stressors. In any given
environment, teacher impressions of family concerns and issues may or
may not be accurate. Teacher awareness of family priorities, stressors and
preferences regarding communication could enhance and strengthen
teacher-family alliances (NAEYC, 2010).
Note: Findings presented here are part of a larger study addressing teacher/family
partnerships and communication.
Par+cipants and Method Results Distributions of grouped ranks given by families and teachers
for perceived family stressors
Distributions of grouped ranks given by families and teachers
for perceived family priorities
Priority
Learning to
behave
appropriately
Making
academic
progress*
Family
Teacher
Family
Teacher
Making friends* Family
Teacher
Learning to be
kind*
Family
Teacher
Making sure
children have
adequate
materials
Family
Teacher
Having
Family
opportunities to
express
Teacher
individual
creativity*
Learning to be Family
respectful*
Teacher
Rank
High (1-2) Medium (3-5) Low (6-7)
20
23
6
40.8%
46.9%
12.2%
37
38
5
Rank
Total
49
100.0%
80
46.3%
10
20.4%
47
58.8%
4
8.2%
30
37.5%
25
51.0%
13
16.3%
47.5%
20
40.8%
25
31.3%
37
75.5%
41
51.2%
22
44.9%
54
67.5%
6.3%
19
38.8%
8
10.0%
8
16.3%
9
11.3%
2
4.1%
13
16.3%
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
11
22.4%
16
20.0%
7
14.3%
3
3
6.1%
13
16.3%
23
46.9%
24
35
71.4%
51
63.7%
19
38.8%
53
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
3.8%
30.0%
66.3%
100.0%
21
42.9%
19
38.8%
9
18.4%
49
100.0%
14
45
21
80
17.5%
56.3%
26.3%
100.0%
Stressor*
Economic
challenges
Academic
performance
expectations
Family
Behavioral
expectations
Family
Teacher
Teacher
Not enough time Family
Teacher
Adjusting to a
different culture
and/or language
Family
Teacher
Family
Family
challenges (for
example, marital Teacher
problems,
extended family
issues, etc)
Medium (3-4) Low (5-6)
Total
21
14
14
49
42.9%
28.6%
28.6%
100.0%
36
45.0%
13
26.5%
27
33.8%
22
44.9%
26
32.5%
28
57.1%
52
65.0%
2
4.1%
0
0.0%
12
22
27.5%
26
53.1%
39
48.8%
24
49.0%
41
51.2%
12
24.5%
15
18.8%
6
12.2%
11
13.8%
16
22
27.5%
10
20.4%
14
17.5%
3
6.1%
13
16.3%
9
18.4%
13
16.3%
41
83.7%
69
86.3%
21
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
100.0%
80
100.0%
49
24.5%
32.7%
42.9%
100.0%
19
32
29
80
23.8%
40.0%
36.3%
100.0%
*No distributions of grouped rankings for stressors for families and teacher
perceptions of families are significantly different at the overall level of significance
of 0.05 (none of these had a P-value less than the Bonferroni-adjusted level of
significance of 0.05/6 ≈ 0.00833)
*Distributions of grouped rankings for priorities for families and teacher perceptions of
families are significantly different at the overall level of significance of 0.05 (the P-value
0.00714)
Statistical analysis provided Dr. Dave Reineke (Director) and Jake Linnabary (Student Consultant),
University of Wisconsin La-Crosse Statistical Consulting Center.
Photographs courtesy of Rochester Montessori School, Rochester, MN.
Family
Teacher
for each of these is less than the Bonferroni-adjusted level of significance of 0.05/7 ≈
Montessori teachers and family members were invited to complete parallel
surveys regarding family priorities and stressors. Teachers completed a
twenty-seven item survey comprised of four demographic questions,
seventeen Likert scale or yes/no questions, two forced ratings, and four
open-ended questions. Family members completed a parallel survey
containing twenty-six items, with four open-ended questions, sixteen Likert
scale or yes/no items and two forced rating questions. Survey items
addressed teacher perceptions of family priorities and stressors, and
family statements of their priorities and stressors. Items also addressed
teacher perceptions of how Montessori education affects children’s
learning and development as well as parenting issues.
All participants volunteered to be members of a panel facilitated by the
Research Committee of the American Montessori Society. The survey was
emailed to 218 teachers and 89 parents in September 2014. Seventy two
teachers (37%) and forty-nine family members (55%) completed the
survey.
Analysis of variance was conducted on the two forced rating responses
(which are the focus of this poster). In addition, open response items were
analyzed using Bogdan and Biklin’s (1992) constant comparison method of
coding, categorizing and identifying themes.
High (1-2)
Discussion: Implica+ons for Montessori prac+ces, next steps, study limita+ons Responses to this survey suggest that Montessori teachers, in
general, have an accurate sense of family stressors. However,
responses reveal a disconnect between what teachers believe
families consider to be important and what families actually state
is important. Families of young children hold learning to be kind
and to be respectful as their top two priorities. Teachers
anticipated that families would designate making academic
progress and learning to behave as families’ most important
priorities. This suggests that teachers do not have an accurate
sense of family priorities.
Simply asking families about their priorities is the first step in
building strong partnerships. Teachers will then be able to work
effectively with families to provide meaningful information
regarding children’s development and learning.
Study limitations: varied backgrounds of study participants.
Teachers and families were not from the same classrooms.
However, the number of participants (n) was adequate for
establishing significance.