An Investigation into the Influence of Montessori Method on Professional Development of EFL Teachers and Productive Skills of Students with Autism

Educating students with special needs specifically those suffering from autism spectrum disorder is a challenging task and requires much effort, and professionality, and employment of further strategies than those applied to normal students. However, most teachers working with autistic students do not have adequate knowledge and skills required to teach to this group of students. Therefore, this qualitative study was designed to investigate the influence of the training of Montessori method on professional development of EFL teachers. This study also aimed to explore the influence of teachers’ training of Montessori method on L2 productive skills of students with autism. To this end, three EFL teachers who dealt with 10 students with autism from an educational center for autistic children in Iran were recruited to participate in a 10-week teacher training of Montessori Method. The theory and practice issues of Montessori education were introduced and discussed during four workshops which also included open discussions. While attending the workshops, Montessori Method were implemented in three English language classes of students with autism. Four instruments including approaches to teaching inventory, interviews, open discussion sessions, and observation were used to collect data. The results of the inventory indicated that the Montessori-oriented training changed the teachers’ approach of teaching English to the autistic students. teachers’ perceptions of their changes were characterized by adopting a role as a facilitator, extending teacherstudent relationship, incorporating material suitable for students with autism, providing an opportunity to learn more independently. Teachers also perceived that Montessori Method could be effective in teaching English to autistic students and it could improve their L2 productive skills, their motivation, foster more independence, and enhance their interaction with peers. This study yielded some implications for teachers, teacher educators and educational material developers. Keywords: Montessori Method, professional development, EFL teachers, autism, L2 productive skill