Montessori with an Open Approach

University, Sweden † Associate Professor, Faculty of Professional Studies, Nord University, Nesna, Norway ‡ PhD, Senior Lecturer, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University of Lublin, Poland § PhD Candidate, Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School, Switzerland ǁ Professor Emerita, Department of Education, Uppsala University, Sweden ¶ PhD Candidate, Lecturer, Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden ** PhD Candidate, Lecturer, Institute of Pedagogy and Social Sciences Faculty, University of Gdansk, Poland †† Professor, University of Münster, Germany ‡‡ PhD, Research Fellow, Lecturer, University Roma Tre, Italy §§ Professor, University Roma Tre, Italy ǁǁ Stockholm University Press, Stockholm University, Sweden ¶¶ Professor, Department of Education, Stockholm University, Sweden Corresponding author: Eva-Maria Ahlquist (eva-maria.ahlquist@edu.su.se) Ahlquist, E-M., et al. (2016). Montessori with an Open Approach. Journal of Montessori Research & Education, 1(1), 1–2, DOI: http:// dx.doi.org/10.16993/jmre.1

The Journal of Montessori Research & Education provides an open access publishing platform for research related to Montessori education. Our initiative to start a new academic journal for Montessori research builds on our experienced need for a scientific forum for a rational and systematic exchange and debate on issues that concern Montessori education.
We believe that it is essential to have a platform for rereading Montessori pedagogy on the basis of current scientific knowledge and empirical studies. In academia Montessori education seems almost hidden away despite the fact that it is well established as an alternative to traditional schooling all over the world. An illustrative example of this is that Montessori education is rarely recognized in compulsory courses in the regular teacher training programmes.
Even though there seems to be a gap between practitioners and academia, scientific review is being conducted and collaboration is taking place to gather further knowledge about Montessori education in a broad range of topics in disciplines such as didactics, philosophy, developmental psychology, neuroscience and history. The dissemination of research findings is however distributed through different academic publishing channels which in most cases are inaccessible for those who have specific interest in the pedagogical practice. The content in Journal of Montessori Research & Education is therefore published with an open access licence, to facilitate sharing of knowledge across borders. This means that all content published in the journal will be free to read and to share with colleagues and peers. All published articles will be available as both PDF and XML files, where the latter facilitates reading on mobile devices as well as enhances the search engine optimisation. Each article is presented with up-to-date usage statistics (downloads, views and citations) and suggested further reading as well as a commentary function to open up for discussions. The website can host any type of digital media, such as video, audio, enhanced imagery and greater data sets, with the intention open up for more sharing of empirical data. The published content has gone through a rigorous quality check through a single-blinded peer-review process, carried out by academics with a suitable speciality.
Montessori education involves human life with a perspective of the entire development from birth to adulthood and can thus cover a large field of interest. The overall aim of the journal is therefore to promote, as well as make visible, scientific review in these various discipline approaches. That is why we welcome contributions in all diverse disciplines. Different styles of writing, such as, for instance, design based research, where practitioners and researchers design and develop research projects in collaboration, as well as other research methods used within natural science, social science or the humanities, are thus equally invited. The editorial team finds it very important and fruitful for the scientific development of the knowledge concerning Montessori education to search and offer room for widely varied perspectives on the issue. It is by promoting research in all these disciplines that we hope to create a powerful forum for dialogue and debate around topics related to Montessori education.
By naming the journal Journal of Montessori Research & Education we wish to address that the journals targetgroup is not only academics and scholars who are looking to advance the educational science, but also practitioners who are looking to improve their understanding of the pedagogy as well as their practice.
Please join us in making the Journal of Montessori Research & Education a timely and successful platform for reflections, interesting discussions and debates.

Competing Interests
Sofie Wennström is a paid member of staff at Stockholm University Press. The other authors declare that they have no competing interests.