Table 4.
Main effects of Montessori education versus traditional education academic outcomes.
| Outcome | Hedges’ g | 95% CI of g | df | p | I 2 | N of studies | N of effect sizes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All academic outcomes | 0.24 | 0.13, 0.36 | 17.20 | 0.000 | 76.54 | 24 | 113 |
| General academic ability | 0.26 | 0.06, 0.46 | 7.03 | 0.018 | 85.03 | 9 | 24 |
| Language/literacy | 0.17 | 0.03, 0.31 | 7.94 | 0.022 | 71.61 | 16 | 45 |
| Mathematics | 0.22 | 0.06, 0.39 | 7.31 | 0.015 | 64.58 | 12 | 36 |
| Science | 0.15 | −0.61, 0.90 | 1.95 | 0.480 | 82.48 | 3 | 5 |
| Social studiesa | 0.05 | −0.02, 0.12 | – | 0.187 | 83.67 | 1 | 3 |
Note: Cluster robust estimates with df < 4.00 should be interpreted with caution (Tanner‐Smith, Tipton, & Polanin, 2016). Positive effect sizes favor Montessori over traditional education.
Abbreviation: CI, confidence interval.
a
A cluster‐robust model was used for all outcomes except social studies, in which a random‐effects model was used. The social studies outcome had effect sizes from only one study.