Date of Award

5-2015

Document Type

Action Research Project

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Education

Department

Education, Montessori

First Advisor

Karen Anway

Department/School

Elementary Education, Montessori Elementary Education

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings of a study on the effects of integrating technology into lessons in a Montessori upper elementary classroom in Raleigh, North Carolina. The research looked at both the student engagement and the retention of information when technology was included in Montessori lessons. This study spanned a six-week period and was conducted with 25 fourth through sixth grade students. Data collection included a pre-lesson questionnaire, a teacher engagement report form, a teacher observation form, a post-lesson feedback form, and a short answer lesson response form. The results of this data analysis showed an overall preference by students for lessons that included technology, an increase in engagement relative to lesson that used only traditional Montessori materials, and a 16% increase in accuracy based on short answer responses when technology was included in one of the seven lessons that were tracked. The results of this action research indicate that utilizing technology in the Montessori classroom may increase student engagement and retention of information.

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