Montessori and Non-Montessori Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion and Access

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v1i1.4944

Keywords:

inclusion, attitudes, Montessori, early childhood, teachers, access

Abstract

Montessori and non-Montessori general education early childhood teachers were surveyed about their attitudes towards including children with disabilities and providing access in their classrooms.  Both groups reported similar and positive supports for inclusion within their schools. Montessori teachers reported having less knowledge about inclusion and less special education professional development than their non-Montessori counterparts.   Implications for professional development and teacher preparation are described.

Author Biographies

  • Natalie Danner, University of Connecticut Health
    Natalie Danner, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Connecticut Health Center.  in this role, she provides technical assistance to states to build and sustain professional development systems for early childhood teachers.  Natalie received her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education from the Unversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Her research interests include teacher attitudes towards inclusion and connections between Montessori education and inclusion.
  • Susan Fowler, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
    Susan Fowler is active in research related to families of young children with developmental delays and issues involving access to early intervention and early care and education services. She received her doctorate in child development from the University of Kansas in 1979 and has served on the faculty at the University of Illinois since 1990 as department head, associate dean and dean of the college. She has also served on the national level as president of the Division of Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) (1992), president of CEC (2009) and of the Higher Education Consortium of Special Education (HECSE) (1998-99). Dr. Fowler has an extensive history of federal and state funding for her research and scholarship; federal funding has come from NIMH, OSEP in the USDE, HHS, and at the state level from the Board of Education and Human Services. She serves on many editorial boards as a reviewer or associate editor. She currently directs three state funded projects that provide information to families and teachers working with children birth to five as well as policy makers and co-directs a doctoral leadership grant for students pursuing doctorates in the area of early childhood special education and EI.

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Published

2015-11-14

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Vol. 1 No. 1 (2015): Journal of Montessori Research

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How to Cite

Danner, N., & Fowler, S. (2015). Montessori and Non-Montessori Early Childhood Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusion and Access. Journal of Montessori Research, 1(1), 28-41. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v1i1.4944