A comparison of academic achievement of Montessori and non -Montessori students in a public school setting
Abstract
Relationships between academic achievement and type of curriculum delivery system, Montessori or traditional, in a diverse group of learners from a public school district were examined in this study. In a repeated measures, within subjects design, students from an elementary Montessori program were paired with agemates from a traditional group on the basis of similar Stanford Achievement Test Scores in reading or math during the baseline year. Two subsequent administrations of the Stanford were observed for each subject to elucidate possible differences which might emerge based on program affiliation over the three year duration of the study. Mathematics scores for both groups were not observed to be significantly different, although following the initial observation, the Montessori group continued to produce higher mean scores than did the traditional students. Marginal significance between the groups suggests that the data analysis should continue in an effort to elucidate a possible trend toward significance at the .05 level. Reading scores for the groups demonstrated marginally significant differences by one analytical method, and significant differences when analyzed with a second method. In the second and third years of the study, Montessori students produced means which consistently outperformed the traditional group. Recommendations included tracking subsequent administrations of the Stanford Achievement Test for all pairs of subjects in order to evaluate emerging trends in both subject areas.
Subject Area
Educational psychology|Educational theory|Curricula|Teaching
Recommended Citation
Manner, Jane Carol, "A comparison of academic achievement of Montessori and non -Montessori students in a public school setting" (1999). ProQuest ETD Collection for FIU. AAI9946898.
https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/dissertations/AAI9946898