In order to design professional development activities, a thorough description of DI is required. Parsons et al. Summer DI Readings List: 150+ Seedlings for Growing Stronger Learners: Browse a bountiful reading list as you plan your garden of differentiated-instruction methods and strategies for the year. These overarching factors and specific aspects can be recognized in the results of our CTA, both in the skill hierarchy and the description of required knowledge. This is not an easy task; differentiated instruction (DI) is regarded as a complex teaching skill (Deunk, Doolaard, Smale-Jacobse, & Bosker, 2015; Van de Grift, Van der Wal, & Torenbeek, 2011). In other words, we need to know what quality differentiation looks like as a basis for improving and assessing the quality of differentiation. %PDF-1.3 %���� For each skill, so-called “performance objectives” were formulated in consultation with external experts. In order to obtain as much information as possible, the researcher could ask the teacher to elaborate. Here is a list of some key principles that form the foundation of differentiating instruction. Although items such as “Attended appropriately to students who struggle with learning” in Tomlinson et al.’s (2008) observation scheme or “I adapt the level of abstraction of instruction to the needs of the students” from the self-assessment instrument by Prast et al. (2008) have been conducted in the present study. Utilizing Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners with Disabilities. This allowed us to obtain more insight into their differentiation approaches and strategies, their reasoning, and the constituent skills required for differentiating. The expert group consisted of experts on the pedagogy of mathematics (educational consultants and researchers), professionals who provide training courses in differentiated instruction (teacher trainers and educational consultants), experts who study differentiation (researchers), and those who evaluate differentiation (school inspectors). Since differentiated instruction requires the adaptation to student differences, the assessor ideally should be able to evaluate whether observed adaptations meet the needs of different learners. s2�́� ��%��x�@�g1tiY�6E�Y��k�5�#P�"�C^r�O)��,Dpa��"�wI,r Bosker (2005) adopted a broader approach, defining differentiation as adapting “aspects” of education (such as student grouping, learning goals, teaching time, or instructional strategy) to “differences” between students (primarily regarding performance and readiness, but also, for example, regarding intelligence, personality, or motivation). We therefore suggest the programmatic assessment approach (Van der Vleuten et al., 2012), which implies that expert judgement plays an important role and that multiple (low-stake) assessments can be aggregated to come to an overall decision. Next, the subject-matter experts were consulted with the goal of verifying and expanding the data collected from teachers (Step 4 according to Clark et al., 2008). Moreover, the required constituent knowledge was identified, as well as the factors contributing to the complexity of executing the task. For example, the constituent skill “determine student needs” is closely related to “identify instructional needs”, and “monitor and diagnose student progress” is related to “monitor progress and achievement”. The core of differentiation is in teachers’ deliberate and adequate choices concerning instructional approaches and materials, based on well-considered goals and thorough analyses of students’ achievement, progress, and instructional needs, combined with continuous monitoring during the lesson. This article is about differentiation. Professional development and the redesign of teacher training curricula therefore seems desirable. Based on the sequence, an overview was made of the factors that make differentiation easier or more complex during a plenary discussion. Differentiated instruction allows all students to access the same classroom curriculum by providing entry points, learning tasks, and outcomes that are tailored to students' needs (Hall, Strangman, & Meyer, 2003). Previous Article / Next Article. One research question and one null hypothesis guided the conduct of the study. Four chronological differentiation stages can be distinguished that are closely interrelated: A teacher prepares a lesson (Stage 2) based on the evaluation of the previous lesson (Stage 4) and based on his preparation of the lesson period1 (Stage 1). 57 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 59 /H [ 938 369 ] /L 160458 /E 114478 /N 13 /T 159200 >> endobj xref 57 22 0000000016 00000 n Furthermore, lesson content, instruction material, and the applied math strategies align with previous instruction and/or school policy. Two groups of experts were consulted to obtain a comprehensive image of the complex differentiation task. To obtain more insight into the factors contributing to this complexity, we asked expert teachers and subject-matter experts to rank situations requiring some form of differentiation ranging from relatively easy to relatively complex. by Robi Kronberg. The interviews were used for finding general themes and behavioral patterns mentioned by a sample of teachers. Abstract Differentiated instruction has become a popular way to attempt to reach some students, and many people accept the idea of differentiated instruction … The evaluation of the relationship between the instruction provided and student characteristics (what they need) is lacking in existing instruments. Furthermore, since teachers’ actions should be based on their teaching goals, which may differ across students, these goals should ideally also be taken into account. The second goal of the expert meeting was to identify teachers’ activities and decision-making processes during a differentiated mathematics lesson. This study shows how a CTA can be conducted with respect to teacher skills, and how this can provide valuable information and insights for teacher professional development. Characteristics of expert teachers at the time of the classroom observation. Table 2 presents how the steps described by Clark et al. Baartman et al. 91, What do people think they’re doing? The first questionnaire was designed by Nelson, Ysseldyke, and Christ (2015), which included five items on differentiated instruction and the second by Chamberlin and Powers (2010), containing 14 items that were used to measure perceived differentiation in college mathematics. The subject-matter knowledge base is developed first during formal teacher training and is later developed on the basis of in-service experience. However, the level of complexity differs across situations. Most of the teachers consider professional experience ending as the first didactic degree is obtained, not being aware of the effects of their field of profession- teaching children for the unknown future. direct language instruction, the creation of a culturally inclusive environment, and differentiation and modification of curriculum. '�4B� 0000003817 00000 n In practice, numerous combinations of complexity factors are present. All Differentiated Instruction articles 5 Examples of Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom By: Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), Understood (2018) Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom. articles,, characteristics for learning (tomlinson, 2005b) and provide them with a method for academic improvement or written articles on differentiated instruction)?. The first goal of this meeting was to make an inventory of differentiation complexity factors. Basic pedagogical skills such as classroom management skills and ensuring a safe climate can be regarded as prerequisites for differentiation. In the retrieved studies, we mainly found instruments based on self-report regarding DI practice (Coubergs, Struyven, Vanthournout, & Engels, 2017; Prast, Van de Weijer-Bergsma, Kroesbergen, & Van Luit, 2015; Roy et al., 2013) and instruments for measuring the perceived difficulty of DI strategies (Gaitas & Alves Martins, 2017), teachers’ attitudes towards DI (Coubergs et al., 2017), and teacher self-efficacy regarding DI (Prast et al., 2015; Wan, 2016). The reviewed instruments focus on “adapting instruction and activities”, and within this category we distinguished the adaptation of the following specific aspects: grouping, materials, assignments and tasks, pace and provided learning time, questions, classroom activities, and instruction. Research by the Dutch Inspectorate of Education (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2014, 2015a, 2015b) showed that teachers insufficiently adapt their instruction to student differences. The sixth and final category consists mainly of general teaching quality dimensions such as creating a safe classroom climate and teaching relatively specific student skills such as critical-thinking or research strategies. Making a Difference Means Making It Different (2000), differentiated instruction can only truly occur if the teacher possesses a deep knowledge of the reading pro- cess, an understanding of the strengths and needs of her students, and the ability 0000002659 00000 n Example items per category within “adapting instruction” scales. Register to receive personalised research and resources by email, An International Journal of Research, Policy and Practice, Capturing the complexity of differentiated instruction, Department of Teacher Development, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands, School of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands, The wheel of competency assessment: Presenting quality criteria for competency assessment programs, The promise of differentiated instruction for enhancing the mathematical understandings of college students, Cognitive task analysis for expert-based instruction in healthcare, Measuring teachers’ perceptions about differentiated instruction: The DI-Quest instrument and model, Determining validity in qualitative inquiry, Teacher perceived difficulty in implementing differentiated instructional strategies in primary school, A rationale for differentiating instruction in the regular classroom, Student perceptions of the classroom environment: Actionable feedback to guide core instruction, Ability grouping and differentiated instruction in an era of data-driven decision making, Teachers’ instructional adaptations: A research synthesis, Readiness-based differentiation in primary school mathematics: Expert recommendations and teacher self-assessment, REACH: A framework for differentiating classroom instruction, Teaching to address diverse learning needs: Development and validation of a Differentiated Instruction Scale, Using focus groups in medical education research: AMEE Guide No. By means of the CTA we performed, we gained valuable insights into the complexity of differentiation, and the differentiation performance objectives now provide a basis for a framework for developing assessment instruments to capture this complexity. For example, it could be argued that knowledge about effective interventions is important as well. In Step 2, identifying knowledge representations, the format in which knowledge (as collected in Steps 3 and 4) will be represented is determined. Action identification and human behavior, Ontwikkeling in de pedagogisch didactische vaardigheid van leraren in het basisonderwijs [The development of teachers’ pedagogical-didactical skills in primary education], Revisiting “Assessing professional competence: From methods to programmes.”, A model for programmatic assessment fit for purpose, Development and teaching of complex skills in invasive procedures, The development and use of a structured teacher observation scale to assess differentiated best practice, Developing Adaptive Teaching Competency through coaching, Differentiated instruction: Hong Kong prospective teachers’ teaching efficacy and beliefs, School Effectiveness and School Improvement. For this purpose, two groups of teachers described five authentic situations calling for teacher differentiation skills, sequencing them from simple to complex. The following steps were performed: (1) collect preliminary knowledge, (2) identify knowledge representations, (3) apply focused knowledge elicitation methods, (4) analyze and verify data acquired, (5) format the results for the intended application. Differentiating instruction means that you observe and understand the differences and similarities among students and use this information to plan instruction. By analyzing expert performance, we were able to capture the complexity of this task in practice, enabling us to design curricula and develop assessment instruments that truly relate to this practice. First, nine primary school teachers, considered to be differentiation experts, were identified through a network of school inspectors, educational consultants, school boards, and teacher training institutes. This model proposes a rethinking of the structure, management and content of the classroom, inviting participants within the learning context to become engaged in the process, to the benefit of all. A more detailed analysis of the distribution of items across these scales and factors showed that adapting instruction proved to be the major focus of the instruments we studied involving 124 out of 294 items. Differentiated instruction is a pedagogical-didactical approach that provides teachers with a starting point for meeting students' diverse learning needs. This was done by asking all subject-matter experts to identify those constituent skills that, in their opinion, were crucial for teachers to differentiate well. Recommended articles lists articles that we recommend and is powered by our AI driven recommendation engine. Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations 2017 Differentiated Mathematics Instruction: An Action Research Study Melinda A. Cannon University of South Carolina Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you by Scholar Commons. We question whether these instruments truly capture the complexity of differentiation. In addition, we studied how the opinions of subject-matter experts differed from teachers’ opinions. Principles of differentiated instruction and universal design for learning, as well as the methodology and strategies inherent in our collective knowledge base of English language acquisition and special education, have the potential to provide a useful combination of theory and practice to support successful student achievement. The description of the constituent skills and their relations were, as decided upon in Step 2, represented in a skill hierarchy with “differentiation” on top. Next to analyzing student work, a teacher gains insight into these kinds of instructional needs by observing students during class and by asking them questions. After each stage of data collection, data were analyzed and outcomes were used in the subsequent stage of data collection. Such knowledge supports the teacher in the performance of all differentiation constituent skills. The findings from the classroom observations, interviews, and the expert meeting with teachers were presented to 10 subject-matter experts during a second expert meeting. As such, it would be desirable to design a professional development trajectory or redesign the teacher-training curriculum to enhance this skill in (beginning) teachers. This method is suitable for obtaining insight into the actions and reasoning of teachers when performing the complex task of differentiation. Assessing differentiation adequately will therefore require information from multiple sources, as well as much time and effort from skillful assessor(s). (2018), who found adaptive teaching in all phases of instruction, during planning, in the midst of teaching, and when reflecting on their instruction. O{ The researchers started by studying, summarizing, and sorting the information available from interviews and the expert meeting with teachers independently from each other. First, the researchers independently indicated which stage of task execution a fragment referred to (preparation of the lesson period, lesson preparation, enactment of the lesson, lesson evaluation). with learning disabilities in inclusive classrooms including: co-teaching, differentiated instruction, and peer-mediated instruction and interventions. 0000046953 00000 n Differentiation skill hierarchy. In these objectives, the interrelatedness of all phases and skills became apparent. This information was extended with the systematic approaches as described by the teachers during the expert meeting. The first is referred to as curriculum: to enable differentiation, teachers should be subject-matter experts with sufficient pedagogical content knowledge, and they should be able to plan a sequence of learning tasks. Dr John Munro is Head of Studies in Exceptional Learning and Gifted in the Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. Figure 1. We now know the combination of constituent skills that facilitate differentiation as a teaching task and which knowledge is essential for making instructional decisions related to differentiation. To learn about our use of cookies and how you can manage your cookie settings, please see our Cookie Policy. From. Finally, the quality of differentiation is highly dependent on the degree to which teachers make deliberate and adequate decisions when attempting to adapt to student needs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Differentiated Instruction on the academic achievement of Senior Secondary One biology students. For Step 4, analyzing and verifying the data acquired, we analyzed the data collected in Step 3 and subsequently verified this information in an expert meeting with other (subject-matter) experts. 0000001307 00000 n In accordance with Deunk et al. Teachers generally prepare a lesson period of 6 to 12 weeks. 3099067 0000073854 00000 n In order to design professional development activities, a thorough description of DI is required. Differentiation is regarded as a complex teaching task mastered by few teachers (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2014, 2015a, 2015b) and which beginning teachers feel unprepared for (Inspectie van het Onderwijs, 2015a). Roy, Guay, and Valois (2013) described differentiated instruction as “an approach by which teaching is varied and adapted to match students’ abilities using systematic procedures for academic progress monitoring and data-based decision-making” (p. 1187). Step 1, collecting preliminary knowledge required for conducting the CTA, encompassed a literature study on differentiation, and focused on inventorying real-life situations and tasks requiring teacher differentiation skills through classroom observation and interviews. Differentiated instruction: theses database, expanded education academic of differentiated instruction. Furthermore, several lesson observation schemes aimed at assessing whether a teacher applies specific differentiation strategies were reviewed (Tomlinson, Brimijoin, & Narvaez, 2008; Van de Grift et al., 2011; Van Tassel-Baska, Quek, & Feng, 2006). More insight into how primary school teachers adapt their math instruction to differences between students 91, do. 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