ERIC Number: EJ1161299
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2378-3923
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Social Justice Education in an Urban Charter Montessori School
Banks, Kira Hudson; Maixner, R. Alex
Journal of Montessori Research, v2 n2 p1-14 Fall 2016
As the Montessori Method continues its expansion in public education, a social justice lens is needed to analyze its contributions and limitations, given the increase in racial and socioeconomic diversity in the United States. Furthermore, much of the work in Social Justice Education (SJE) focuses on classroom techniques and curriculum, overlooking the essential work of school administrators and parents, whose work significantly influences the school community. The current study applied an SJE framework to the efforts of one urban, socioeconomically and racially integrated Montessori charter school. We examined the extent to which SJE principles were incorporated across the school community, using an inductive, qualitative, case-study approach that included meetings, surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Administrators quickly adopted a system-wide approach, but parents--often color-blind or minimizing of the relevance of race--consistently resisted. Study results imply a continued need for an institutional approach, not solely a classroom or curricular focus, when integrating social justice into Montessori schools.
Descriptors: Social Justice, Urban Schools, Charter Schools, Montessori Schools, Educational Principles, Student Diversity, Socioeconomic Status, Racial Differences, Ethnic Groups, Case Studies, Qualitative Research, Meetings, Surveys, Focus Groups, Administrator Attitudes, Parent Attitudes, Minority Group Students, African Americans, Whites, Hispanic Americans, Multiracial Persons, Equal Education, Expectation, School Community Relationship, Systems Approach, Intervention, Training, Observation, Content Analysis
American Montessori Society. 116 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003. Web site: https://journals.ku.edu/jmr
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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