Montessori Education: A Study on the Impact of Montessori Preschools in Washington on Short-Term Emotional Development in Children

This research paper investigates how Montessori preschool education impacts short-term emotional development in children ages 3-5 in Washington state, compared to conventional forms of education. This study employs a multimethod approach including a quantitative parental survey measuring common adolescent behaviors on a five-point Likert scale along with a qualitative Montessori educator survey coded for key themes of Montessori education that support emotional development. The findings from the quantitative parental survey show that while both Montessori and conventional preschool students are on track for emotional development, there is a significant disparity as Montessori students were found to have higher emotional development. Furthermore, the educator survey suggests that there are four main aspects of Montessori curriculum: respect, independence/individualization, community/diversity, and conflict resolution. Overall, the results of this study provide valuable insights on the effectiveness of Montessori education in regard to promoting emotional development in preschoolers and how it could be further utilized to inform educational practices and curriculum in conventional preschools.