Janet Bagby

Baylor University
Waco, USA

Title of presentation

Entreprenuerial characteristics and Montessori Education

Co-authors

Sulak, T.N (Baylor University, Waco, USA)

Author's biography

Janet Bagby, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the Educational Psychology Department at Baylor University in Texas, USA. She received the American Montessori Society (AMS) Outstanding Dissertation award in 2002, and is a past chair of the AMS Research Committee.

Beata Bednarczuk

Maria Curie University in Lublin/ Montessori Europe association
Lublin, Poland

Title of presentation

Developmental value of Montessori school`s environment in the reflection of graduates

Author's biography

I am a lecturer and a trainer in the field of didactics, integrated education and in Montessori method in the Institute of Pedagogy, Maria Curie Sklodowska University (UMCS) of Lublin. I followed my Montessori training course in 1994. It was organized by Hogeschool Gelderland in cooperation with Katolicke Pedagogische Hogeschool in Arnhem/Nijmegen and UMCS. I am a member of Polish Montessori Society, Polish Educational Research Association and Montessori Europe Association. I published monographs: A child in Montessori Classroom. Practical and theoretical references and Self-authoring personality of graduates of Montessori classes from the perspective of experience and life goals.

Karen Bennetts

Montessori Australia
Cockatoo, Australia

Title of presentation

The Montessori leader

Author's biography

Karen Bennetts has been involved in the Australian Montessori community for almost 25 years, following a number of years working in large government and corporate organisations. She is a qualified state primary and secondary teacher, with Montessori qualifications spanning early childhood, primary and secondary education. Karen has mostly taught children of primary age and was the founding principal of a Montessori school for ten years. Following this, Karen joined Montessori Australia as a Senior Consultant and now oversees support for the 41 Montessori Independent Schools across Australia. She is a PhD candidate at Monash University, and is close to submitting her thesis on Montessori Leadership. Karen has published in international Montessori journals and is currently also the Publications Coordinator for Montessori Australia. She is a graduate of the Company Directors Course at the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has over a decade of governance experience in a range of educational organisations. Karen was recently awarded a State Fellowship Award from the Australian Council of Educational Leaders for her contribution to the education sector.

Katie Brown

National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector
Washington, USA

Title of presentation

Creativity in Montessori programs

Co-authors

Cossentino, J. (National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, Washington, USA); Dosmann, P ((National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector, Washington, USA)

Author's biography

Katie Brown, PhD, is a Research Associate with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector. Katie began her career as a middle and high school English teacher in traditional and charter schools. She was introduced to Montessori while working at the South Carolina Department of Education. Katie went on to earn her PhD in urban education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she studied outcomes for African American students in public Montessori schools.

Barbara Caprara

free university of Bolzano
Bressanone, Italy

Title of presentation

The influence of Montessori philosophy on contemporary approaches to outdoor education

Co-authors

Turco, R. (Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy); Consalvo, G. (Free University of Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy)

Author's biography

Barbara Caprara is researcher in Education at the Free University of Bolzano-Bozen in Italy, where she is in charge of the course “Help me to do it myself: introduction to Montessori approach” for kindergarten and primary teacher students. She is also attending a PhD school in Psychology at the University of Trento, where she is managing a research project about the introduction of three Montessori primary school classes in the public sector, since September 2016, using qualitative such as quantitative methods for data gathering. As far as Montessori approach is concerned, she has published the following articles: Caprara B. (2015), L’approccio Montessori per la gestione dell’eterogeneità, in Demo H. Didattica delle differenze. Trento: Erickson. Caprara B. (2015), Coltiviamo il benessere in “Vita dell’infanzia”, maggio-giugno, Opera Nazionale Montessori. Caprara B. et al. (2017), La scoperta dell’inglese: ipotesi per la costruzione di un lapbook Montessoriano in “Primary Times”, spring 2017, Pearson Italia. Caprara B. (in press), Movimento e spazio esterno nella prima infanzia: le riflessioni di Maria Montessori in Pironi T. et al. M. Montessori e i nidi d'infanzia oggi. Parma: Junior-Spaggiani. Caprara B., Turco R. (in press), Outdoor education in Maria Montessori’s philosophy in “Horizon Research Publishing Corporation”, USA.

Brook Taylor Culclasure

Furman University
Greenville, USA

Title of presentation

A study of Montessori education in South Carolina’s public schools

Author's biography

Brooke Culclasure is Research Director in the Riley Institute at Furman University in Greenville, S.C., USA. Currently, Dr. Culclasure oversees the Riley Institute’s Evaluation Capacity Building Initiative and serves as the Principal Investigator of the South Carolina Public School Montessori study, the Overcoming Obstacles Life Skills Program evaluation, and the South Carolina Project-Based Learning evaluation. She also currently serves as a lead evaluator for the United Way of Greenville County's OnTrack Greenville Initiative and served from 2012-2014 as an evaluator for the Florida Race to the Top federal grant. She has presented her research at numerous United States national conferences and has published work in several professional journals. She completed her B.A. at the University of Richmond and earned master’s degrees from the University of Virginia and University of South Carolina and her Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.

Carolyn J. Daoust

St. Mary's College of CA
Moraga, USA

Title of presentation

Evaluating an assessment tool for Montessori fidelity: Preliminary findings

Co-authors

Murray, A.K. (University of Kansas, Lawrence, USA)

Author's biography

Carolyn Daoust, PhD, holds AMI 6-12 and AMS 3-6 teaching credentials. Dr. Daoust has worked in Montessori education for 30+ years as a teacher, teacher educator, program coordinator, and consultant, and most recently held an Associate Professor position at St. Mary’s College of CA. She is a former AMS Board member and served on their research committee. Winner of the AMS Outstanding Thesis Award in 1996, and Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in 2004.

Kathleen Evans

University of Honolulu
Honolulu, USA

Title of presentation

Examining the culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy of teacher candidates in Hawaii

Author's biography

For the past twenty years, Dr. Kathleen Evans has held positions of Montessori primary teacher, Montessori head of school, and teacher educator in Honolulu, Hawaii, Thailand, and India. Most recently she completed a doctoral degree in educational leadership in higher education at Walden University. This poster presentation focuses on excerpts from this doctoral project study entitled Examining the Culturally Responsive Teaching Self-Efficacy of Teacher Candidates in Hawaii. This study is socially impactful because it shows that training that increases teacher candidates' culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy may contribute to mitigating achievement gaps for diverse students particularly in Hawaii.

Iwona Franczak

Illinois State University
Champaign, USA

Title of presentation

Social mobility and transferable skills in public conventional and Montessori elementary schools

Author's biography

Born and raised in Poland but earned my undergraduate degree in the USA. I am a strong proponent of equal education that fosters engagement, development of skills, curiosity and positive sense of being a part of a larger community. My research interests involve exploring students’ engagement and development of transferable skills in different educational settings. Currently, as an ISU graduate sociology student, I am exploring students’ behavioral engagement in the context of peer to peer and teacher to student relationships in different learning environments with an examination of social interactions, role taking, and levels of power.

Tamae Fujiwara

Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University
Fukuoka, Japan

Title of presentation

How to support new Montessori teachers at the beginning of working in preschools in Japan－from the viewpoint of social psychology

Co-authors

Hayashi, E. (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan); Yoshitake (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan); Hyoudou, T. (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan)

Author's biography

Tamae Fujiwara had been a professor of the Graduate School of Humanities of Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Japan, since April 1999 to 2014, teaching mainly psychology and teacher to graduated students of the clinical psychologist training courses. She has been a counselor of the universities for 25 years. In 2014, she retired from the Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University and performs psychological lectures as a guest professor now.She is interested in Montessori methods of education recently. And she thinks that children need such education to raise a feeling of self-affirmation.

Steven Hughes

Association Montessori Internationale Research Committee
St. Paul, USA

Title of presentation

Growth of executive functions in Montessori: Exploring a “dose effect” in children from diverse economic backgrounds

Author's biography

Steven J, Hughes, PhD, ABPdN is a pediatric neuropsychologist based in St. Paul, Minnesota and London. His research interests include the development of executive functioning and social intelligence, and the role that early childhood education can play in promoting the growth of these essential capabilities. Dr. Hughes is chair of the Association Montessori Internationale Global Research Committee and a frequent speaker and consultant to Montessori education organizations around the world.

Steven Hughes

Association Montessori Internationale Research Committee
St. Paul, USA

Title of presentation

Congruence between self-reported educational goals, values, and actions of Montessori teachers: Do Montessori teachers put their values into action?

Author's biography

Steven J Hughes, PhD, ABPdN is a pediatric neuropsychologist based in St. Paul, Minnesota and London. His research interests include the development of executive functioning and social intelligence, and the role that early childhood education can play in promoting the formation of these essential capabilities. Dr. Hughes is chair of the Association Montessori Internationale Global Research Committee and a frequent speaker and consultant to Montessori education organizations around the world.

Anne Jones

University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Canada

Title of presentation

A natural history of repetition

Co-authors

Barrett, L. (University of Lethbridge, Psychology, Lethbridge, Canada); Henzi, P. (University of Lethbridge, Psychology, Lethbridge, Canada)

Author's biography

Anne Jones is a Ph.D. student studying child development at the University of Lethbridge, Canada. Anne developed an interest in Montessori education while working towards her Bachelor of Arts degree. To better understand Montessori method and theory, she attended the Montessori Training Centre of British Columbia, where she earned her Montessori Primary Guide certification. Anne entered the Master of Science program at the University of Lethbridge to pursue her interest in Montessori education through research. Now a Ph.D. student, Anne plans to continue her research on child behaviour from an ecological perspective, which studies organisms in relation to their environment.

Maria McKenna

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, USA

Title of presentation

Environmental stewardship and sustainability education: Pathways to peace

Author's biography

Dr. Maria McKenna is an associate professor of the practice at the University of Notre Dame in the Department of Africana Studies and the Education, Schooling, & Society program. Her teaching and research focus on educational care, qualitative research with youth, and marginalized voices in the schooling process.

Maria McKenna

University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, USA

Title of presentation

Mission driven Montessori education: Cultivating place and pedagogical fidelity

Co-authors

Driscoll, D. (Good Shepherd Montessori, South Bend, USA)

Author's biography

Dr. Maria McKenna is an associate professor of the practice at the University of Notre Dame in the Department of Africana Studies and the Education, Schooling, & Society program. Her teaching and research focus on educational care, qualitative research with youth, marginalized voices in the schooling process, and Montessori education.

Elisabeta Negreanu

Montessori Educational Center
Bucharest, Romania

Title of presentation

Peace in human condition and social reconstruction

Author's biography

Faculty of Philosophy, University of BucharestPh.D. in Philosophy-Ethics, thesis topic: Hegel’s Ethics as Values System, (year 2000)Ph.D. in Educational Sciences, thesis topic: Valorisation of Montessori Pedagogy for an Educational Reform, (year 2014)AMI graduate course for 3-6 years (year 1999)Studies four years Faculty of Law, University Spiru HaretOther Credentials

Laura Saylor

Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, USA

Title of presentation

A comparison and analysis of a current educational framework for differentiation and Dr. Montessori's writings

Author's biography

Laura Saylor, PhD, is the Dean of The School of Education at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Additionally, Laura consults independent Montessori schools and conducts professional development for Montessori teachers. Laura is AMS certified at three levels: 3-6, 6-9 and 9-12. From 1988 to 2013 Laura worked as Montessori teacher and administrator. She presently serves on The AMS Board of Directors and is co-chair of The AMS Research Committee.Sherry L. Schweighardt, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the College of New Jersey, a faculty member of the Princeton Center for Teacher Education, and a member of the AMS Research Committee. A New Jersey certified teacher, she is a behavioral and physical activity consultant to schools and child care centers. She has extensive experience teaching, directing community programs, and providing training for teachers and parents. Her research and advocacy work focuses on pre-K physical activity, particularly in outdoor and natural settings; her work has been funded by AMS, the US Forest Service, and the Ogelsby diversity fellowship, and she is a frequent conference presenter.

Tracey Sulak

Baylor University
Waco, USA

Title of presentation

Homework policy in Montessori schools: A follow-up study

Co-authors

Bagby, J. (Baylor University, Waco, USA)

Justin Tosco

The Montessori School of Raleigh
Durham, USA

Title of presentation

The effects of technology on student engagement and retention among upper elementary Montessori students

Author's biography

Justin Tosco is a third generation Montessori teacher. He holds a Masters degree in education and is an AMS certified upper elementary teacher currently working at the Montessori School of Raleigh in North Carolina. He runs the Montessori Model United Nations program at his school and coaches both cross country and basketball there.

Rossella Turco

Free University of Bozen
Bolzano, Italy

Title of presentation

Montessori teachers in Europe: Profiles and identities between tradition and transformation

Co-authors

Caprara, B. (Free University of Bozen, Bolzano, Italy), Consalva, G. (Free University of Bozen, Bolzano, Italy)

Author's biography

Rossella Turco is a P.h.D. student in General Pedagogy, Social Pedagogy and General Education at the Free University of Bozen (Italy), Faculty of Education. She has a significant experience in the field of Human Resources, in particular in organization, development and training. She holds a master’s degree in Communication Sciences (University of Trieste, Italy), a specialization in Human Resources Development and has recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Education. Rossella is a teacher, in particular a certified Montessori teacher and remedial teacher for primary school. She has just published the book “Alla ricerca dell’amoroso lavoro. Il docente montessoriano fra teoria e pratica educativa” (Armando Ed., 2016).

Kumiko Yoshitake

Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University
Nagasaki, Japan

Title of presentation

Psychological process of new Montessori teachers with three years of experience in preschools and how to support them

Co-authors

Hyoudou, T. (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan); Hayashi, E. (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan); Fujiwara, T. (Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Nagasaki, Japan)

Author's biography

Kumiko Yoshitake has been a professor of the Graduate School of Humanities of Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University, Japan, after successively filled various posts as a research assistant at Department of Education, Kyushu University from 1988, a research fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), and a visiting researcher at Newcastle University, UK.She has committed herself to researches in group dynamics and social psychology, holding BA, M.Ed. & Ph.D. Her recent interest is the growth process of new teachers. She had been the Chair at Nagasaki City Board of Education.