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When Bigger Looks Better: CLASS Results in Public Montessori Preschool Classrooms

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Title: When Bigger Looks Better: CLASS Results in Public Montessori Preschool Classrooms
Language: English
Authors: Angeline S. Lillard (ORCID 0000-0001-9697-6611), Lee LeBoeuf (ORCID 0000-0003-4635-7016), Corey Borgman (ORCID 0009-0008-7566-9119), Elena Martynova (ORCID 0000-0001-7112-7162), Ann-Marie Faria (ORCID 0009-0009-0821-3637), Karen Manship
Source: Grantee Submission. 2025 70:199-210.
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Institute of Education Sciences (ED)
Contract Number: R305A180181
R305B200005
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Preschool Education
Descriptors: Montessori Method, Preschool Education, Classroom Environment, Teacher Student Relationship, Comparative Analysis, Educational Philosophy, Teacher Student Ratio, Group Activities, Mathematics Education, Class Size, Class Organization, Scores, Teaching Methods
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Classroom Assessment Scoring System
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.10.003
ISSN: 0885-2006
Abstract: The CLASS-PreK instrument is widely used to evaluate early childhood classrooms, but how classrooms using Montessori, the world's most common alternative education system, fare on CLASS is understudied. Because CLASS focuses largely on teacher-child interactions as the situs of learning, but in Montessori theory, child-environment interactions are considered more primary, Montessori classrooms may score systematically lower than conventional classrooms on CLASS. CLASS also collects format, content, and demographic information that could illuminate how Montessori classrooms compare to other classrooms. Here we used data from the first national study of public Montessori preschool to examine CLASS data in Montessori preschool classrooms as compared to a lottery-control-selected set of business-as-usual ones. Montessori classrooms (n = 54) had 50% more children on average, and significantly higher child:adult ratios (roughly 9 vs. 6) than a set of intentionally stratified control classrooms (n = 19 of 128), and CLASS scores did not differ across classroom types. Children in Montessori classrooms were observed in whole group activities during fewer cycles and in freely chosen activities during more cycles; also children were observed engaging with math content during more cycles in Montessori than in control classrooms. Counterintuitively, but consistent with Montessori theory, Montessori classrooms with larger class sizes (up to 26) had "higher" Emotional Support and Classroom Organization domain scores, and those with higher child:adult ratios (up to 13:1) trended towards "higher" Instructional Support domain scores.
Abstractor: As Provided
IES Funded: Yes
Entry Date: 2024
Accession Number: ED661728
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: When Bigger Looks Better: CLASS Results in Public Montessori Preschool Classrooms
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Angeline+S%2E+Lillard%22">Angeline S. Lillard</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9697-6611">0000-0001-9697-6611</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lee+LeBoeuf%22">Lee LeBoeuf</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4635-7016">0000-0003-4635-7016</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Corey+Borgman%22">Corey Borgman</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7566-9119">0009-0008-7566-9119</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Elena+Martynova%22">Elena Martynova</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7112-7162">0000-0001-7112-7162</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ann-Marie+Faria%22">Ann-Marie Faria</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0821-3637">0009-0009-0821-3637</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Karen+Manship%22">Karen Manship</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Grantee+Submission%22"><i>Grantee Submission</i></searchLink>. 2025 70:199-210.
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 13
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Early+Childhood+Education%22">Early Childhood Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Preschool+Education%22">Preschool Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Montessori+Method%22">Montessori Method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Preschool+Education%22">Preschool Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classroom+Environment%22">Classroom Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Relationship%22">Teacher Student Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Comparative+Analysis%22">Comparative Analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Philosophy%22">Educational Philosophy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Student+Ratio%22">Teacher Student Ratio</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Group+Activities%22">Group Activities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Education%22">Mathematics Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Class+Size%22">Class Size</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Class+Organization%22">Class Organization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teaching+Methods%22">Teaching Methods</searchLink>
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  Label: Assessment and Survey Identifiers
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  Data: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.10.003
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  Data: The CLASS-PreK instrument is widely used to evaluate early childhood classrooms, but how classrooms using Montessori, the world's most common alternative education system, fare on CLASS is understudied. Because CLASS focuses largely on teacher-child interactions as the situs of learning, but in Montessori theory, child-environment interactions are considered more primary, Montessori classrooms may score systematically lower than conventional classrooms on CLASS. CLASS also collects format, content, and demographic information that could illuminate how Montessori classrooms compare to other classrooms. Here we used data from the first national study of public Montessori preschool to examine CLASS data in Montessori preschool classrooms as compared to a lottery-control-selected set of business-as-usual ones. Montessori classrooms (n = 54) had 50% more children on average, and significantly higher child:adult ratios (roughly 9 vs. 6) than a set of intentionally stratified control classrooms (n = 19 of 128), and CLASS scores did not differ across classroom types. Children in Montessori classrooms were observed in whole group activities during fewer cycles and in freely chosen activities during more cycles; also children were observed engaging with math content during more cycles in Montessori than in control classrooms. Counterintuitively, but consistent with Montessori theory, Montessori classrooms with larger class sizes (up to 26) had "higher" Emotional Support and Classroom Organization domain scores, and those with higher child:adult ratios (up to 13:1) trended towards "higher" Instructional Support domain scores.
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.10.003
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 13
        StartPage: 199
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Montessori Method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Preschool Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Classroom Environment
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      – SubjectFull: Group Activities
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      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Education
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      – SubjectFull: Classroom Assessment Scoring System
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      – TitleFull: When Bigger Looks Better: CLASS Results in Public Montessori Preschool Classrooms
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