Possibilities for Public Montessori Teacher Evaluation
A Selected Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v12i2.25627Ключевые слова:
public Montessori education, self-determination theory, teacher evaluationАннотация
Public school districts in the United States are increasingly adopting the Montessori approach to boost student achievement, diversify student populations, and attract families. As the number of public Montessori schools in the United States grows (Fleming et al., 2024), so does the number of Montessori educators who are assessed in conventional teacher evaluation frameworks that may not fully align with Montessori pedagogy. In this article, I discuss research with relevance to teacher evaluation for public Montessori teachers in the United States. I used the lens of self-determination theory (SDT) to conduct a literature review of recent peer-reviewed studies, to explore insights related to public Montessori teacher appraisal. The bulk of the selected articles employed qualitative methods and SDT-adjacent frameworks. Based on research from general education settings, Montessori contexts, and emerging scholarship on public Montessori teacher evaluation, I suggest a twofold consideration: (1) that the general education field notes some concern with summative, compliance-oriented, and quantitative teacher evaluation systems, and (2) that these systems present an additional concern of pedagogical alignment in public Montessori settings. As a result, I suggest applying the SDT constructs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness to draw implications for future study and practice, including considerations for greater pedagogical alignment of Montessori teacher evaluation systems with Montessori practice.
Библиографические ссылки
Archer, N. (2024). Walking a desire track: Montessori pedagogy as resistance to normative pathways. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 32(4), 1079–1097. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2355097
Benson, J. R., Perry, A. R., & Napoli, A. R. (2024). Autonomy, transformational leadership, and burnout in Montessori and traditional public elementary teachers. North American Journal of Psychology, 26(3), 527–550.
Benson, T. A., Salas, S., & Siefert, B. (2020). Irreconcilable differences: Black teachers’ lives and K–12 schools. The Urban Review, 53(4), 659–680. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-020-00591-x
Chambers Mack, J., Johnson, A., Jones‐Rincon, A., Tsatenawa, V., & Howard, K. (2019). Why do teachers leave? A comprehensive occupational health study evaluating intent‐to‐quit in public school teachers. Journal of Applied Biobehavioral Research, 24(1), Article e12160. https://doi.org/10.1111/jabr.12160
Cheon, S. H., Reeve, J., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2020). When teachers learn how to provide classroom structure in an autonomy-supportive way: Benefits to teachers and their students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 90, Article 103004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.103004
Christensen, O. T. (2019). Montessori identity in dialogue: A selected review of literature on teacher identity. Journal of Montessori Research, 5(2), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v5i2.8183
Close, K., Amrein-Beardsley, A., & Collins, C. (2020). Putting teacher evaluation systems on the map: An overview of states’ teacher evaluation systems post-Every Student Succeeds Act. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28(58). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.28.5252
Damore, S., & Rieckhoff, B. (2021). Leading reflective practices in Montessori schools. Journal of Montessori Research, 7(1), 51–65. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v7i1.14832
The Danielson Group (2022). The Framework for Teaching: At a glance. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://danielsongroup.org/resources/fft-at-a-glance/
Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4(1), 19–43. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113108
del Agua, E., Escrichs, A., Sanz Perl, Y., Kringelbach, M. L., Diamond, A., Denervaud, S., & Deco, G. (2026). Schooling trajectories and the development of brain dynamics: A comparative study of Montessori and traditional education. Advanced Science, Article e24343. https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202524343
Denervaud, S., Knebel, J.-F., Hagmann, P., & Gentaz, E. (2019). Beyond executive functions, creativity skills benefit academic outcomes: Insights from Montessori education. PloS One, 14(11), Article 0225319. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225319
Even-Zahav, A., Widder, M., & Hazzan, O. (2022). From teacher professional development to teacher personal-professional growth: The case of expert STEM teachers. Teacher Development, 26(3), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.1913403
Fleming, D. J., Culclasure, B. T., Warren, H., & Riga, G. (2024). The challenges and opportunities of implementing Montessori education in the public sector. Journal of Montessori Research, 10. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v10i2.22574
Flores, M. A., & Derrington, M. L. (2018). Improving teacher evaluation: Key issues for appraisers in a globalised era. Teachers and Teaching, 24(3), 203–208. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602 .2018.1427017
Frenzel, A. C., Fiedler, D., Marx, A. K. G., Reck, C., & Pekrun, R. (2020). Who enjoys teaching, and when? Between- and within-person evidence on teachers’ appraisal-emotion links. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1092. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01092
Gerker, H. E. (2023). Making sense of Montessori teacher identity, Montessori pedagogy, and educational policies in public schools. Journal of Montessori Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v9i1.18861
Hulme, M., Comber, A., Jones, E., Grant, J., & Baumber, J. (2024). Reclaiming accountability through collaborative curriculum enquiry: New directions in teacher evaluation. The Curriculum Journal, 35(4), 673–689. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.272
Jor’dan, J. R. (2018). Predominantly Black institutions and public Montessori schools: Reclaiming the “genius” in African American children. Teaching and Learning, 13(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1515/mlt-2017-0007
Lane, J. L. (2020). Maintaining the frame: Using frame analysis to explain teacher evaluation policy implementation. American Educational Research Journal, 57(1), 5–42. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831219848689
Lillard, A. S., Loeb, D., Berg, J., Escueta, M., Manship, K., Hauser, A., & Daggett, E. D. (2025). A national randomized controlled trial of the impact of public Montessori preschool at the end of kindergarten. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(43), Article e2506130122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2506130122
Madigan, D. J., & Kim, L. E. (2021). Towards an understanding of teacher attrition: A meta-analysis of burnout, job satisfaction, and teachers’ intentions to quit. Teaching and Teacher Education, 105, Article 103425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103425
Marx, S., Lavigne, A. L., Braden, S., Hawkman, A., Andersen, J., Gailey, S., Geddes, G., Jones, I., Si, S., & Washburn, K. (2023). “I didn’t quit. The system quit me.” Examining why teachers of color leave teaching. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2023.2218113
Marzano Evaluation Center (2023). The Marzano Focused Teacher Evaluation Model. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://marzanoevaluationcenter.com/portfolio/the-marzano-focused-teacher-evaluation-model/
Murphy, T. R. N., Masterson, M., Mannix-McNamara, P., Tally, P., & McLaughlin, E. (2020). The being of a teacher: Teacher pedagogical well-being and teacher self-care. Teachers and Teaching, 26(7-8), 588–601. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2021.1913403
Nunes, P. M., Proença, T., & Carozzo-Todaro, M. E. (2024). A systematic review on well-being and ill-being in working contexts: Contributions of self-determination theory. Personnel Review, 53(2), 375–419. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-11-2021-0812
Pallas, A. M. (2023). The rhetoric of teacher evaluation: New York City teachers’ responses to performance labels. Educational Policy, 37(3), 769–799. https://doi.org/10.1177/08959048211049432
Pata, K., Jõgi, A.-L., Rannala, I.-E., & Jõgi, L. (2025). The role of attending workplace learning practices in career paths of career specialists. Vocations and Learning, 18(1), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12186-025-09358-5
Postlewaite, E., Avello, D., Massie, C., & Sabater, A. (2024). Implementing the Ages and Stages Questionnaires in a Montessori setting. Journal of Montessori Research, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v10i2.22478
Reid, D. B. (2020). Making sense of teacher evaluation policies and systems based on principals’ experience. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 19(2), 304–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2018.1554158
Robbins, C. E. (2025, Fall). Fundamental needs of public Montessorians. Montessori Public, 10(1), 10–11. https://www.montessoripublic.org/2025/10/fundamental-needs-of-public-montessorians/
Robbins, C. E. (2026). Public Montessorians’ perceptions of teacher evaluation: A qualitative case study (Publication No. 32735625) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin-River Falls]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Rubin, E., Roch, C., & Roch, S. (2023). Grading teacher performance appraisal systems: Understanding the implications of student test scores and performance information use. Public Performance & Management Review, 46(2), 257–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2022.2118798
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. The Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1521/978.14625/28806
Sartain, L., & Morris, W. T. (2024). Are teachers satisfied with their evaluations? The importance of teaching context and trends over time. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584231221539
Saylor, L. L., McKenzie, G., & Sacco, C. C. (2018). Teacher-centered mentorship as meaningful professional development. Journal of Montessori Research, 4(2), 10–32. https://doi.org/10.17161/jomr.v4i2.6923
Shuls, J. V., & Flores, J. M. (2020). Improving teacher retention through support and development. Journal of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 4(1). Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1282763.pdf
Smith, S. L., Dawson-Amoah, M., Tong, T., Pardo, N., Alonso-Morris, E. A., & Kho, A. (2024). Public school choice options in the United States. Encyclopedia, 4(1), 60–78. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4010006
Stahl, N. A., & King, J. R. (2020). Expanding approaches for research: Understanding and using trustworthiness in qualitative research. Journal of Developmental Education, 44(1), 26–28.
Sutcher, L., Darling-Hammond, L., & Carver-Thomas, D. (2019). Understanding teacher shortages: An analysis of teacher supply and demand in the United States. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 27(35). https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.27.3696
Taie, S., & Lewis, L. (2023). Teacher attrition and mobility: Results from the 2021-22 Teacher Follow-up Survey to the National Teacher and Principal Survey (NCES 2024-039). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved February 11, 2026, from https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2024/2024039M.pdf
Tanner, S., McCloskey, A., & Miller, E. (2021). Destructive domains: Rethinking teacher evaluation in the age of Charlotte Danielson. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 36(9), 1876–1890. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1956621
Taylor, P. (2020). The complexity of teacher professional growth: Unravelling threads of purpose, opportunity and response. Professional Development in Education, 49(1), 16–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1747106
Tse, D. C. K., Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2022). Flow experiences across adulthood: Preliminary findings on the continuity hypothesis. Journal of Happiness Studies, 23(6), 2517–2540. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00514-5
Visone, J. D., Mongillo, M. B., & Liu, Y. (2022). Teachers’ perceptions of collaboration within an evolving teacher evaluation context. Journal of Educational Change, 23(4), 421–450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-021-09424-4
Voelkel, R. H., Prusak, K. J., & Van Tassell, F. (2024). Effective principal leadership behaviors that enhance teacher collective efficacy. Education Sciences, 14(4), 431. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14040431
Zhang, J., Chen, Y., Xu, Y., & Li, Y. (2024). Hindrance stressors and turnover intentions among preschool teachers: The mediating role of work engagement and the moderating effect of meaningful work. Heliyon, 10(15), Article e35366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35366
Загрузки
Опубликован
Выпуск
Раздел
Лицензия
Copyright (c) 2026 Caroline Robbins
Это произведение доступно по лицензии Creative Commons «Attribution-NonCommercial» («Атрибуция — Некоммерческое использование») 4.0 Всемирная.
