Montessori Teachers as Policy Advocates: Political Self-Efficacy and Advocacy Engagement

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Educating and Empowering Montessori Teachers (Table 9)

Abstract

Advocacy for Montessori education is increasingly crucial, necessitating a deeper understanding of how teachers engage in advocacy and respond to policy mandates. Existing research explores how Montessori educators integrate their pedagogy with policy requirements, yet gaps persist in understanding their responses to policies shaping Montessori education and educator involvement in advocacy efforts. Findings from an explanatory sequential mixed methods dissertation study examining how Montessori educators respond to externally imposed policies and how, if at all, they engage in policy advocacy at the local, state, or national levels will be shared. This study underscores the pivotal role teachers play in influencing policy, with participants contributing to actionable outcomes through a participatory method.

Author

• Heather E. Gerker, University of Cincinnati