Abstract:

“The child’s progress does not depend only on his age, but also on being free to look around him.” Maria Montessori.

The Montessori Method of education was developed by Maria Montessori at the turn of the 20th century. The first book "Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica applicato all' educazione infantile nelle Case dei Bambini” was published in Italy in 1909, and was soon translated into other languages. This educational philosophy and method has been used worldwide for more than a century, usually educating children from 3 to 12 years old. The proposal of the method includes: mixed age classrooms, freedom of movement within the classroom (a thoughtfully prepared and structured environment), or students´ freedom to choose activities. As Maria Montessori stated: “The essence of independence is to be able to do something for one’s self”. The method consistently seeks to stimulate children to learn voluntarily.

Our aim in this paper is to extend the basic philosophy and underlying ideas of the Montessori Method to university classes, to improve outcomes in terms of engagement, motivation, maturity and critical thinking. Our initial hypothesis is that the non-traditional schooling approach of the Method could be positively strengthened with current advances in teaching techniques, such as flipped classrooms or technology-based teaching and learning.

Keywords:

Montessori Method, engagement, university education, non-traditional schooling approach.