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.

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