The BSc thesis examines the views held by special needs education professionals with regard to the alternative pedagogic philosophy of Maria Montessori. It shows the various ways in which special needs education teachers can integrate elements of Montessori's concepts into their existing work, and offers insight into what practical results they can expect. An approach essentially founded on teaching children with special needs, the Montessori education, or at least some of its aspects, are highly suitable for incorporation into various special needs education curricula. By satisfying the child's psychological needs, teachers are able to encourage spontaneous learning and self-discovery in their students. Establishing an environment based on structured freedom facilitates natural and coercion-free learning, allowing special needs students to proactively accumulate information through the use of their senses, preparing themselves for everyday life. The theoretical part of the thesis continues with a brief presentation of the life and work of Maria Montessori, explaining the basics and key aspects of the pedagogical approach she founded. By being familiar with Montessori pedagogic philosophy, an accurate understanding of its contribution to the education of children with disabilities, special needs and characteristic development can then be explored. The research part of the thesis rests on the analysis of data acquired using a questionnaire that was completed by special needs education teachers and limb care authority teachers from various educational institutions across Slovenia. 71 correctly completed questionnaires were acquired and analyzed for the purposes of the thesis. Results show that most domestic special education teachers are familiar with the concepts of Maria Montessori, and also that most of them wish to be further informed on alternative education concepts in order to incorporate any effective practices and materials into their work. Notably, a majority of the participants are in favour of establishing Montessori departments or at least including more of the philosophy into the current process of domestic special needs education practice.
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