Date of Award
5-2018
Document Type
Action Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education, Montessori
First Advisor
Irene Bornhorst
Department/School
Montessori Early Childhood
Abstract
The purpose of this project is to determine the effects of group art on social closeness in the early childhood Montessori classroom. The study had nineteen participants ranging in age from three years to six years old and their parents. The data was collected by means of parent pre and postproject questionnaires, student feedback forms, observations and tallies, and reflective teacher journals. The intervention spanned over a six-week period in an established Montessori school in a rural area of Ontario, Canada where social connection and bonding had not been reached. In small groups, students completed a cohesive group art project each week. As the weeks progressed, the number of children feeling comfortable with their new teacher increased and the number of children who worked collaboratively increased. While these changes indicate subjects were becoming more comfortable in their classroom, it is difficult to determine whether social cohesion is attributed solely to the group art or some other factors. Further study over a more extended period of time is needed to determine the extent of the effectiveness of the intervention.
Recommended Citation
Clarke-Manning, Nadine. (2018). What Effects Will Collaborative Art Have on Social Cohesion?. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/257
Included in
Early Childhood Education Commons, Pre-Elementary, Early Childhood, Kindergarten Teacher Education Commons