Practicing Freedom: effects of personal anti-racist engagement on a Montessori educator's experience
Date of Award
12-2017
Document Type
Action Research Project
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Education
Department
Education, Montessori
First Advisor
Alisha Brandon
Department/School
Montessori Early Childhood
Abstract
This self-study was designed to assess the effects of engagement with antiracist media on the work of a Montessori educator in the classroom. Conducted over eight weeks, the study used nightly readings, daily reflections, a tally of daily antiracist thoughts, and a scale of one through five measuring the participant’s optimism regarding the integration of antiracist pedagogy with Montessori philosophy and practice. The study was performed at a racially and economically diverse private Montessori school in a Midwestern metropolitan area in a class of twenty children ranging from 2.7 to 5 years old. The results indicated that, although the intervention had no negative effect, it was not optimal for the participant’s learning style. While the participant gained confidence in communicating antiracist concepts and teaching methods, further study investigating the effects of working in a community of educators engaged in antiracist integration into Montessori practice is recommended.
Recommended Citation
McCaffrey, Maggie. (2017). Practicing Freedom: effects of personal anti-racist engagement on a Montessori educator's experience. Retrieved from Sophia, the St. Catherine University repository website: https://sophia.stkate.edu/maed/246