Reclaiming Montessori’s Radical Roots: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as a Pathway to Equitable Futures

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Montessori Pedagogy and Practice

Abstract

This paper explores how Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP) can be integrated into public Montessori education to recover its liberatory roots and better serve marginalized learners. Drawing on the work of Gloria Ladson-Billings and using practitioner inquiry, the study examines how CRP can align with Montessori principles while challenging the Eurocentric norms embedded in traditional materials. Through narrative reflection and curriculum critique, it argues that Montessori’s child-centered pedagogy must also be culturally affirming and critically conscious. The paper highlights how CRP equips educators to reframe lessons, validate student identities, and address systemic inequities. Ultimately, it offers a framework for culturally responsive Montessori practice that contributes to anti-racist, community-rooted educational futures and broader movement of educational futurism.

Author

• Jazmin M Corbell, Georgia Southern University