摘要:The goal of this research paper was to explore teachers' and students' perceptions of material, cognitive and affective-motivational characteristics as well as the acceptance of selected didactic materials used in Montessori schools. The participants in this research were students in their final year of the Integrated undergraduate and graduate university Teacher education study programme at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek (N=63) and teachers working in regular primary schools in eastern Croatia (N=47). The results show that both teachers and students are not familiar enough with alternative pedagogical concepts. When student teachers as well as experienced teachers evaluate materials as very valuable, desirable, necessary and useful, as is the case with all evaluated didactic materials in this research made according to the principles of Maria Montessori Pedagogy, they also show greater willingness to use these materials in their teaching. The results have been interpreted in accordance with the need to inform the public about empirically based and educationally successful alternative pedagogical concepts which can be implemented in ordinary educational practice.
关键词:cosmic education; educational pluralism; language education; mathematics.