A Look Into Modern EducationMary Deal

Elijah SalazarMarie-Louise Skidd

Objective

Analyze and observe the structure of the modern educational system through the influence of educational theorists,

specifically Skinner and Montessori. Within the educational system, we will be comparing public, private, and home school.

Hypothesis

There has been a movement away from the methodology of Skinner towards the teaching style of Montessori, in all school settings. We assume that, because the educational system is moving toward a child-centered environment, an emphasis is being placed on the importance of the natural disposition of

the school-aged child.

Private schools will have developed the Montessori style further than public schools

Home school is the most child-centered, and, as such, leans most toward Montessori

B.F. Skinner 1905-1990

• Born in Pennsylvania

• Graduated from Harvard University: studied psychology & researched learning

• Strict Behaviorist & Environmentalist

• Invented “programmed instruction”

• Skinner box

• Walden Two (1948)

Skinner Box

Skinner’s Critical Terms

• Behaviorism: belief that psychology should only study overt behaviors

• Consequences: reinforcing stimuli that follows behavior

• Rate

• Reinforcements

• Shaping: “method of approximations”; reinforcement is made contingent upon better and better approximations of the desired response

• Programmed Instruction

Maria Montessori 1870-1952

• Born in Ancona, Italy

• Attended an all-boy technical school at 13 to become an engineer

• First woman to graduate from the University of Rome La Sapienza Medical School

• Focused on educating the “uneducatable”

• “Spontaneous self-development”

Montessori’s Critical Terms

• Independent Mastery: child is left to own devices to master a task

• Child-Oriented

• Gradual Preparation

• Role of the Teacher

• Spontaneous Activity: child chooses what they do in a strictly-controlled environment

NAT

URE

NURTU

RE

Rousseau

Locke

SKINNERMONTESSORI

PIAGET

Research Plan

• 3 educational settings• Holy Family Catholic School• Albert Farine Elementary School• home school: 2 students, ages 8 & 10

• Researcher will collect data using Observation Chart

Observation Chart

Observation Chart

Observation Chart

NAT

URE

NURTU

RE

Rousseau

Locke

SKINNER

PIAGET

MONTESSORI

Home School Holy FamilyFarine Elementary

Final Conclusion

Our general hypothesis was correct, in that there were qualities of the Montessori teaching style in all the school settings.

1st hypothesis: We were WRONG.From our observations, we concluded that the public school had

made more of a movement toward a child-centered educational environment.

2nd hypothesis: We were RIGHT. From our observations, home schooling was almost COMPLETELY

Montessori.

Implications for Education

Each school setting is influenced by and utilizes many educational theories, and thus is unlimited in the resources available.

Further Questions:

Would results differ if secondary school was the focus?

Does each subject call for different teaching method?

Confounds

• Too few subjects & grade levels• Is math Skinnerian/reading Montessorian?

• Different schedules at different schools

• Observation rescheduled for field trip

• Longer, more observations

Y’ALL COME BACK

NOW!

Questions?