The effect of Montessori Method on teaching cultural and creative arts in primary schools in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

The Effect of the Montessori Method on teaching was investigated among children to discover their artistic development in Zaria, Kaduna State. The problem of the study is that the Montessori Method on teaching cultural and creative arts is not adequately explored in the primary schools, while other teaching methods used, do not bring out the full potentials of children’s artistic capabilities. Thus the study attempted to find out if the Montessori Method has effect on children’s artistic development. The aim of the study is to explore the effect of the Montessori Methods on the development of children’s creativity. Quasi experimental design was used for analyzing the instruments. A drawing test was administrated to the children using the Montessori Method of teaching; a semi-structured interview was also administered to the teachers. Total of 1,030 pupils (boys and girls) in primary schools from randomly selected schools were involved in the study. The data collected was analyzed using simple t-test, ANOVA and chi-square. The method of teaching was assessed on children’s developmental stages in creative artistic development between pre-schematic stage, schematic stage and gang stage. The findings revealed that the Montessori Method on Teaching had a positive effect on the Children’s artistic development and performance in the primary schools in Zaria. The pupils had a general positive and enthusiastic attitude towards culture and creative arts. This shows that when children are given the opportunity and enough art materials to express themselves, they would be able to display their different characteristics. The Montessori Method of teaching was better adopted than the conventional teaching methods used on the development of the creative artistic abilities of Children in the primary schools.

Keywords: Developmental stages, gang stage, Montessori teaching methods, cultural and creative arts