Paperback release expands reach of Montessori handbook co-edited by CLARA Director Angela Murray

LAWRENCE — A paperback edition of the Bloomsbury Handbook of Montessori Education, an accessible guide to Montessori education edited by Angela Murray, director of the Achievement & Assessment Institute’s Center for Learner Agency Research and Action (CLARA), and colleagues is now available for purchase. 

Originally published in spring 2023, the handbook is a comprehensive resource on Montessori education that explores the field’s historical roots, its evolution, current scholarship and contemporary issues. With 64 chapters and contributions from almost 100 scholars across 20 countries, it is one of Bloomsbury’s largest handbooks.  

Since its publication, the handbook has been favorably reviewed by journals and associations. In the Journal of Montessori Research, Claudine Campanelli noted in her review that the handbook is a “valuable resource” that “advances scholarly perceptions of Montessori philosophy and pedagogy, providing a global and critical analysis.” Murray said that Bloomsbury has indicated that they are looking to offer more Montessori publications thanks to the handbook’s success. 

According to Murray, the volume has been used in three key areas: In graduate programs, by practitioners and educators working on public and parent understanding and policy related to Montessori education, and researchers in other fields looking to incorporate Montessori education into their research.  

“It may be small relative to public K-12 education in the U.S., but when you think about it in terms of a coherent pedagogy Montessori education is the largest alternative pedagogy in the world.” Murray said. “Being able to give folks a credible academic reference point for such a popular program is very helpful.” 

Murray said that she hopes the release of the paperback edition means the book will get into more hands and help people better understand Montessori education.  

“There's a general positive sense about Montessori overall, but people often don't know details, or they have misconceptions about what Montessori is,” Murray said. “Having the handbook be more accessible means it is in more hands and in more schools supporting practitioners who are talking with parents and others who may be skeptical or have misunderstandings about what Montessori is all about.”