Can Montessori Education Lend Socioemotional Solutions for the Refugee Education Crisis? A Multiple-Case Study.

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Solicited Content: Refugee Children

Abstract

Addressing the complex demands of education opportunities for 3.7 million refugee children unable to access education is a staggering feat (United Nations High Commission for Refugees [UNHCR], 2019b). Inhibited by lack of documentation and stateless status, limited resources juxtaposed against increasing influx of displaced families, alongside ongoing migration and policy changes (Boly-Barry, 2018, UNHCR, 2019b), many refugee children will spend the duration of their school years in exile (UNHCR, 2019a). For an estimated 75% of young refugees, options are limited to informal learning centers and nongovernmental organizations restricted in both resources and scale (Boly-Barry, 2018).
Nontraditional features of Montessori education may lend flexible solutions to many of the challenges that thwart educative opportunities for displaced and refugee children – such as limited resources and infrastructure (Boly-Barry, 2018), diverse learning levels and abilities (UNHCR, 2019), and challenges with teacher-centered pedagogy, discrimination, and language barriers (Dryden-Peterson, 2015). Of particular note is the need for pedagogical solutions addressing socioemotional needs of children in these settings (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2019). Montessori education serves global populations of children in diverse settings with mixed-age communities and varying individual needs (Association Montessori Internationale, 2020). Materials in these settings are sometimes handmade or acquired from waste products (Dwyer, 2004). Child-centered and community-focused, Montessori education emphasizes socioemotional competence, peace education, accelerated content acquisition, and adaptability to individual learning needs (Educateurs sans Frontières [EsF], 2020; Lillard, 1996). Found to be culturally sensitive (Holmes, 2018), it has been implemented in developing countries where permanent infrastructure is not accessible or amenable to cultural needs (EsF, 2020).
Present Study
The purpose of this study was to explore social and learning interactions in Montessori settings for potential application in international refugee settings. This multiple-case study (Yin, 2017) employed weekly ethnographic observations (as described in Emerson et al., 2011) and semi-structured interviews to compare three Montessori education environments in the United States over the 2019-2020 school year. Intersecting Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory with Montessori’s (1936/1966) theoretical emphasis on the child, adult, and environment as conduits for educative and developmental growth, data were collected to identify social learning interactions within each setting.
Due to COVID-19 disruptions, data are still being analyzed using inductive and deductive coding for within-case and cross-case analysis (Yin, 2017) applying the ABCDE framework to distinguish and interpret social interactions related to acceptance, belonging, critical thinking, diversity, and empathy (Boly-Barry, 2019). The ABCDE framework outlines key components for addressing equitable education needs for the prevention of atrocity crimes and human rights violations (Boly-Barry, 2019).
Preliminary themes (Saldana, 2016) in all three environments related to socioemotional development and support were strikingly similar, despite differing in environment, emphasized values, school culture, and accreditation. Observations and interview data highlight specific practices used to facilitate social cohesiveness (e.g., promoting peer to peer instruction), self-regulation (e.g., balancing choice and structure), and self-efficacy (e.g., endowing students with leading responsibilities). This study contributes examples for adaptably meeting education and developmental needs in nontraditional contexts emphasizing socioemotional wellbeing by exploring empirically-understudied practices of Montessori education.

Authors

• Victoria J. Johnson, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  Presenting Author

• Rochelle L. Dalla, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  Non-Presenting Author