Implementation of Montessori Education
Validity Evidence of Dutch Teacher Questionnaires for Montessori Practices
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v12i1.24724Schlagwörter:
progressive education, Montessori education, validation, evaluationAbstract
Meta-analyses on the effectiveness of Montessori education report positive outcomes on both academic and social measures. However, Montessori schools vary considerably, and there is limited empirical literature examining how differences in implementation affect outcomes. To better understand the effectiveness of Montessori education, it is essential to examine the quality of its implementation and the outcomes that follow. Therefore, building upon instruments designed to measure Montessori implementation, this study strengthens the Dutch Teacher Questionnaires for Montessori Practices Revisited (D‑TQMP‑Rs) and examines validity evidence. In addition, this study explores how Montessori principles are implemented in Dutch Early Childhood and Elementary settings. Results provide initial validity evidence for both the Early Childhood and Elementary versions of the D‑TQMP‑R, with coherent factor structures and acceptable reliability, though limitations in discriminant and convergent validity remain. Montessori principles appeared to be implemented at a reasonably high level overall. The D‑TQMP‑Rs offer promising tools for assessing implementation of Montessori education, suitable for research and reflective practice, although still requiring further refinement.
Literaturhinweise
Abry, T., Hulleman, C. S., & Rimm-Kaufman, S. E. (2015). Using indices of fidelity to intervention core components to identify program active ingredients. American Journal of Evaluation, 36(3), 320–338. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214014557009
Ahlquist, E. (2023). Learning in the Montessori school environment. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), The Bloomsbury handbook of Montessori education (pp. 117–127). Bloomsbury Academic.
Ahmed, S. K. (2024). How to choose a sampling technique and determine sample size for research: A simplified guide for researchers. Oral Oncology Reports, 12, 100662. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oor.2024.100662
Beatty, B. (2024). Angela K. Murray, Eva-Maria Tebano Ahlquist, Maria K. McKenna, and Mira Debs, eds. The Bloomsbury handbook of Montessori education London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023. 585 pp. History of Education Quarterly, 64(4), 550–553. https://doi.org/10.1017/heq.2024.39
Brown, T. A. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis for applied research (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Century, J., & Cassata, A. (2016). Implementation research: Finding common ground on what, how, why, where, and who. Review of Research
in Education, 40(1), 169–215. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X16665332
Chen, A. (2021). Exploration of implementation practices of Montessori education in mainland China. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1), 250. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00934-3
Cheung, G. W., Cooper-Thomas, H. D., Lau, R. S., & Wang, L. C. (2024). Reporting reliability, convergent and discriminant validity with structural equation modeling: A review and best-practice recommendations. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 41(2), 745–783. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-023-09871-y
Culclasure, B. T., Daoust, C. J., Cote, S. M., & Zoll, S. (2019). Designing a logic model to inform Montessori research. Journal of Montessori Research, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v5i1.9788
De Brouwer, J., Morssink-Santing, V., & van der Zee, S. (2024). Validation of the Teacher Questionnaire of Montessori Practice for Early Childhood in the Dutch context. Journal of Montessori Research, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v10i1.21543
De Brouwer, J., Klaver, L. T., Sins, P. H. M., & van der Zee, S. (2025). The validation of the Dutch Teacher Questionnaire of Montessori Practice. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2025.2455669
Debs, M. (2023). Introduction: Global Montessori education. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), The Bloomsbury handbook of Montessori education (pp. 283–289). Bloomsbury Academic.
Debs, M., De Brouwer, J., Murray, A. K., Lawrence, L., Tyne, M., & von der Wehl, C. (2022). Global diffusion of Montessori Schools: A report from the 2022 Global Montessori Census. Journal of Montessori Research, 8(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v8i2.18675
Demangeon, A., Claudel-Valentin, S., Aubry, A., & Tazouti, Y. (2023). A meta-analysis of the effects of Montessori education on five fields of development and learning in preschool and school-age children. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 73, 102182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2023.102182
Den Ouden, M. et al. (n.d.). Saxion University of Applied Sciences Ethical Commission. Retrieved October 15, 2023. https://srs.saxion.nl/ethischecommissie/
Dunn, T. J., Baguley, T., & Brunsden, V. (2014). From alpha to omega: A practical solution to the pervasive problem of internal consistency estimation. British Journal of Psychology, 105(3), https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12046
Flake, J. K., Davidson, I. J., Wong, O., & Pek, J. (2022). Construct validity and the validity of replication studies: A systematic review. American Psychologist, 77(4), 576–588. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0001006
Flora, D. B., & Flake, J. K. (2017). The purpose and practice of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in psychological research: Decisions for scale development and validation. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 49(2), 78–88. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000069
Franke, G., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Heuristics versus statistics in discriminant validity testing: A comparison of four procedures. Internet Research, 29(3), 430–447. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-12-2017-0515
Gierl, M. J., & Khaliq, S. N. (2001). Identifying sources of differential item and bundle functioning on translated achievement tests: A confirmatory analysis. Journal of Educational Measurement, 38(2), 164–187. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-3984.2001.tb01121.x
Grazzini, C. (2013). Maria Montessori’s cosmic vision, cosmic plan, and cosmic education. The NAMTA Journal, 38(1), 107–116. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1078117
Guenther, P., Guenther, M., Ringle, C. M., Zaefarian, G., & Cartwright, S. (2023). Improving PLS-SEM use for business marketing research. Industrial Marketing Management, 111, 127–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2023.03.010
Guerrero, S., Valenciano-Valcárcel, J., & Rodríguez, A. (2024). Unveiling alternative schools: A systematic review of cognitive and social-emotional development in different educational approaches. Children and Youth Services Review, 158, 107480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107480
Gynther, P. (2023). Societal responsibility and the child: The child, society and the world: Unpublished speeches and writings. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), The Bloombury handbook of Montessori education. Bloomsbury Academic.
Hair, J. F., Jr., Howard, M. C., & Nitzl, C. (2020). Assessing measurement model quality in PLS-SEM using confirmatory composite analysis. Journal of Business Research, 109, 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.11.069
Hardesty, D. M., & Bearden, W. O. (2004). The use of expert judges in scale development: Implications for improving face validity of measures of unobservable constructs. Journal of Business Research, 57(2), 98–107. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(01)00295-8
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Lee, H., & Cham, H. (2024). Comparing accuracy of parallel analysis and fit statistics for estimating the number of factors with ordered categorical data in exploratory factor analysis. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 84(6), 1173–1202. https://doi.org/10.1177/00131644241240435
Lillard, A. S., & McHugh, V. (2019). Authentic Montessori: The dottoressa’s view at the end of her life, part I: The environment. Journal of Montessori Research, 5(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v5i1.7716
Lim, W. M. (2024). A typology of validity: Content, face, convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity. Journal of Trade Science, 12(3), 155–179. https://doi.org/10.1108/JTS-03-2024-0016
Marshall, C. (2017). Montessori education: A review of the evidence base. npj Science of Learning, 2(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-017-0012-7
Montessori, M. (1933). Het kind in de kerk [The child in the church]. Paul Brand’s Uitgeversbedrijf.
Montessori, M. (1935). De Methode der wetenschappelijke pedagogiek [The Montessori Method]. Van Holkema & Warendorf N.V. (Original work published 1914)
Montessori, M. (1937). Het geheim van het kinderleven [The secret of childhood]. Van Holkeman & Warendorf N.V.
Montessori, M. (1949). The absorbent mind. Theosophical Press.
Montessori, M., (1973). From childhood to adolescence. Second edition. Schocken Books. (Original work published 1948)
Montessori, M. (1997). The California lectures of Maria Montessori, 1915. Clio Press.
Montessori, M. (2016). The child, society and the world. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1975)
Montessori, M. (2020a). Door het kind naar een nieuwe Wereld.[Through the child into a new world]. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1941)
Montessori, M. (2020b). Creative development in the child. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1998)
Montessori, M. (2022). Zelfopvoeding deel 1 [The Advanced Montessori Method]. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1916)
Montessori, M. (2023). Van kind tot mens [The formation of man]. Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company. (Original work published 1949)
Mook, D. G. (2016). In defense of external invalidity. In A. E. Kazdin (Ed.), Methodological issues and strategies in clinical research (4th ed., pp. 87–98). American Psychological Association.
Mowbray, C. T., Holter, M. C., Teague, G. B., & Bybee, D. (2003). Fidelity criteria: Development, measurement, and validation. American Journal of Evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1177/109821400302400303
Murray, A. K., Daoust, C. J., & Chen, J. (2019). Developing instruments to measure Montessori instructional practices. Journal of Montessori Research, 5(1), 75–87. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v5i1.9797
Murray, A. K., & Daoust, C. J. (2023). Fidelity issues in Montessori research. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), The Bloomsbury handbook of Montessori education. Bloomsbury Academic.
Murray, A. K., Murray, A. J., Daoust, C. J., & Gerker, H. E. (2025). Developing a tool to evaluate early childhood education implementation fidelity: Measure of Montessori Implementation pilot study results. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1603908. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1603908
Nunes, T., Stylianides, G. J., Lea, R., & Matthews, L. (2024). Replication in educational interventions: Developing a tool to measure and promote fidelity. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 48(4), 402–423. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2024.2420336
Nye, C. D. (2023). Reviewer resources: Confirmatory factor analysis. Organizational Research Methods, 26(4), 608–628. https://doi.org/10.1177/10944281221120541
Prudon, P. (2015). Confirmatory factor analysis as a tool in research using questionnaires: A critique. Comprehensive Psychology, 4. https://doi.org/10.2466/03.CP.4.10
Quarfood, C. (2022). The Montessori movement in interwar Europe: New perspectives. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14072-3
Quarfood, C. (2023). Maria Montessori: Life and historical context. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), The Bloomsbury handbook of Montessori education (pp. 5–20). Bloomsbury Academic.
Raimondo, R. (2023). Cosmic Education: The Vital Center of the Montessori Perspective. In M. McKenna, A. Murray, E. Alquist, & M. Debs (Eds.), Handbook of Montessori education (pp. 29-36). Bloomsbury Publications
Randolph, J. J., Bryson, A., Menon, L., Henderson, D. K., Kureethara Manuel, A., Michaels, S., Rosenstein, D. L. W., McPherson, W., O’Grady, R., & Lillard, A. S. (2023). Montessori education’s impact on academic and nonacademic outcomes: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 19(3), e1330. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1330
Rubio, D. M., Berg-Weger, M., Tebb, S. S., Lee, E. S., & Rauch, S. (2003). Objectifying content validity: Conducting a content validity study in social work research. Social Work Research, 27(2), 94–104. https://doi.org/10.1093/swr/27.2.94
Ryan, A., Prieto-Rodriguez, E., Miller, A., & Gore, J. (2024). What can Implementation Science tell us about scaling interventions in school settings? A scoping review. Educational Research Review, 44, 100620. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2024.100620
Scippo, S. (2023). Construction and validation of a tool to measure Montessori educational practices in the Italian primary school. Journal of Educational, Cultural and Psychological Studies (ECPS), 28, 117–135. https://doi.org/10.7358/ecps-2023-028-scis
Shi, D., & Maydeu-Olivares, A. (2020). The effect of estimation methods on SEM fit indices. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 80(3), 421–445. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164419885164
Sun, J. (2005). Assessing goodness of fit in confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 37(4), 240–256. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2005.11909764
Worthington, R. L., & Whittaker, T. A. (2006). Scale development research: A content analysis and recommendations for best practices. The Counseling Psychologist, 34(6), 806–838. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006288127
Xia, Y., & Yang, Y. (2019). RMSEA, CFI, and TLI in structural equation modeling with ordered categorical data: The story they tell depends on the estimation methods. Behavior Research Methods, 51(1), 409–428. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-018-1055-2
Downloads
Veröffentlicht
Ausgabe
Rubrik
Lizenz
Copyright (c) 2026 Jaap de Brouwer, Dr. Lida T. Klaver, Dr. Patrick H. M. Sins, Dr. Symen van der Zee

Dieses Werk steht unter der Lizenz Creative Commons Namensnennung - Nicht-kommerziell 4.0 International.